# Career Decisions

We spend a large part of our lives in the workforce, but a career is not just a job. Career decision-making is a crucial and lifelong process. The reward for making good career decisions is the quality of life you experience as a result.

Career decision-making includes paid and unpaid work, and formal and informal education. It is a part of your life that can influence and be influenced by your other activities and responsibilities, including your home life and leisure pursuits.

There are many influences that affect your career. They may include:

- who you are - the unique you
- how you feel about yourself and how you see yourself
- who the people around you are
- external factors such as the environment and society.

These influences change throughout your life as you make different decisions about your chosen lifestyle and where you want to live. Who you are also changes, as you become more skilled and desirable to the workforce.

It's important to take time when choosing or changing your career so that you make the best choice. You will put a lot of effort into job hunting, so you need it to be the right choice of job. Some people get help from career professionals.

### Career planning

Before you embark on a new career path, decide whether or not you have a career problem. Ask yourself: are you getting bored, restless, or anxious? Is this a temporary thing or more long term?

Then, find out more about yourself. What are your lifestyle choices, passions, abilities, desires, interests, strengths, weaknesses, skills, beliefs, and values?

Next, you need to think about what career ideas appeal to you. Do you have current, accurate, and relevant career information?

When you have searched all the options, decide on a shortlist of careers you are interested in and develop a plan of action with goals and objectives for your career.

You need to continually review your progress. This will help keep you on track.

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