Have you thought about what really happens when you choose a career for yourself? It is not merely a particular profession that you are choosing, but it is an entire lifestyle. Whether you decide to be a doctor, or an investment banker, or a lawyer, there is a certain lifestyle that goes with it – look around you, and you will see instances of it in the way people behave and speak, what they read, the way they dress and so on.

That is why it is important to choose well, when you pick a profession to pursue. It is going to be something that will stay with you for a lifetime.

A few years back, there were far fewer courses and fewer options than there are now. Today, the number of industries has increased – from designing to wedding planners to tattoo artists. The specializations within industries are also increasing. Just within the field of engineering, you will find scores of specializations and super-specialisations. This means that you have a plethora of choices out there. And if you were to make your choice randomly, you may not choose what is best for you.

Take the example of buying a shirt. The chances of buying a good shirt is greater if there are more choices – you will have a variety of designs, fabrics and colours to pick from. So having that large spectrum of options is a good thing, but what is crucial is to make an informed choice. Just as you would buy a shirt that suits you best, you should choose a career that suits you the best. For that, you need information not just about the career, but about yourself too – your interests, your goals and aspirations, your priorities in life, your ability to do well in the career, and the kind of environment that you will best gel with. Along with that, you also need to understand the sector you are interested in, the job options available in that space, understand how it will be to work there, and so on.

Along with all this, comes competition. There are hundreds of talented and skilled folks out there vying for the same dream job that you are aspiring for. How do you beat the competition? The best is for you to like and enjoy what you are doing. If you like what you are doing, if what you are doing gives you satisfaction, that is half the battle won. The happiness and peace of mind that comes with being in the right career beats everything else.

A career choice by itself is not the destination. You develop through the years that you put into it, your job profile will change, you evolve. So where do you begin? You begin by figuring out where your interests lie and what your skills are. Move on to understanding the areas that you are interested in – not just the profession, but the kind of work you would do and the opportunities that exist. Speak to professionals in the area, try and visit a company or work place in the area of your interest. Once you have all the information you need, you can chart out a plan of action, and act on it. So get cracking!

(Parveen Shaikh is an eminent career counselor.)