Recently, I came to the realisation that many Nigerian graduates still don’t know what they REALLY want to become, career-wise. It’s one thing to study a course in University, and another thing to have a fulfilling career in that field of study. If you don’t have a passion for a profession, chances are, you will not find it fulfilling.

Only recently, I chatted with a friend who studied Accounting, and got a third-class degree. I probed this person to identify his interests, and it came out during our conversation that he hates maths! How can a person who hates maths pursue a career in Accounting?

I can’t blame him for choosing an inappropriate course. The truth is that most people in Nigeria get their course choices wrong, because many were not given adequate career counselling while in secondary school, and instead relied on what their parents thought they should do, or what seemed to be a ‘popular’ course choice. Or, some people just took whatever course their SSCE results gave room for!

Something to note, however, is that no amount of secondary school career counselling is sufficient to help a teenager determine what he / she wants to become in life. Some people discover their career passion at a very young age. Others discover this passion later in life, as a result of their experiences or knowledge. I discovered my career passion years after graduating from University. This discovery was made possible as a result of the experiences I’d had, and knowledge I’d gained. I was able to connects the dots, and pin-point certain areas of interest which, though had been in me all my life, had to be nurtured through my education and experience – for me to discover them. I couldn’t have gained this knowledge / experience while in Secondary School.
In order to get back on track, having studied the ‘wrong’ course, one must start by determining what the ‘right’ career choice is.

An important point to note is that your career passion may not necessarily be the path that leads to the most money. Some high earners would tell you that career fulfilment is much more valuable to them than money. Some may not agree with this to begin with, but chances are that you will agree with this, once you have been in the position of these high earners.

So, the question is, how does one discover what their career passion is?
The key is to ask yourself some simple questions which will help you identify a pattern:

1. What am I naturally good at?
2. What courses did I enjoy the most while in Secondary School, and while in University?
3. What kinds of tasks give me a sense of satisfaction?
4. What did I find most satisfying about my previous job / voluntary position?
5. What are my interests?
6. What have people told me that I’m good at?
7. What professional blogs, websites, or publications do I find stimulating?

Give these questions deep thought and be honest with yourself. Take as much time as you need. By answering these questions, you should be able to decide whether or not you’re a ‘numbers’ person, a ‘people’ person, a ‘technical’ person, a ‘creative’ person, or any other ‘type’ of person. You should also have a strong sense of what you’re interested in, be it: science, fashion, music, sales, technology, writing, counselling, engineering, drawing, painting, graphic design, beauty, healthcare, analysis or managing relationships, among a plethora of other possibilities. You should know whether you’re more comfortable being someone’s employee or running your own business.
Note that there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answer to the above, and you could have more than one line of interest.

The next step is to conduct a ‘practicality’ study. This will involve research. Lots of it.

It is necessary for you to undertake some research around the different types of jobs that match your career interests, as well as what it takes to get those jobs. If you got a degree in Literature but now decide that you want to become an Aeronautical Engineer, it’s important that you realise what this will mean in terms of gaining additional, formal qualifications. Are you prepared to invest in this?

As part of your study, begin to conduct online research around your areas of interest. You could search through career sites such as thecareertimes.com, as well as ‘Google’, to get a sense of what kinds of roles are even possible in our present society. You should also research the entry requirements and progression routes in these fields of work. These extremely important pieces of information will further guide your decision-making process.
This process, as with most research-related processes, might take some time, but it is time invested in your life.

Once you have reached a firm decision about what path you want to explore, begin to take steps to work towards it.

How do I pursue my dream career?

1. Work towards getting the required training / qualifications for your chosen career.
2. Talk to professionals in your chosen field. I am a huge fan of LinkedIn, as it is a means of accessing just the right professionals that you need. You could contact professionals via various groups on LinkedIn to get information and advice about ‘entering’ their field of work. Nigerians are generally very helpful , and most would spare some minutes to give you some insight into their field.
3. Leverage your current opportunities. Some companies promote internal promotions / transitions. If you are currently employed in one of them, you could discuss the idea of ‘transitioning’ to your chosen field (availability permitting), with your HR Manager. Needless to say, use a lot of discretion when taking this approach!
4. Be prepared to volunteer or intern, in order to gain experience. This experience may be the most important ticket for landing your dream role.
5. Get deep insight into your chosen field. This point cannot be overestimated. Read articles, follow blogs or other online publications that are focused on your field of interest.
6. Join professional organisations, attend networking events, trainings and seminars in your field.

Studying the wrong course in University doesn’t have to be the end of your career aspirations. Realise that achieving success in most aspects of life, and particularly one’s career, takes a lot of investment, discipline, hardwork and continuing professional development. With all these in place, career success is very achievable.

Culled from: http://blog.thecareertimes.com/1/post/2013/08/did-you-study-the-wrong-university-course.html