Thread by @AbhishekPonia

How to pick a career path to pursue (after college):

A THREAD

If you have multiple interests, are confused which path to take, not sure what the right direction is, then this thread is for you... Here are steps to follow:

STEP 1: Make a list of all fields that are of interest to you (ideally not more than 5). These can be as broad or specific as you like.

Example: Software, Digital Marketing, FinTech, Sports, App development

STEP 2: Alongside each field, enlist any skills you already have, relevant to that field.

Example: If the field is Software & you are an well versed with C/C++ or similar, write that alongside.

It is okay if you aren’t able to write a skill beside any of the fields.

STEP 3: In the next column, write atleast One skill from each field, that you can learn / acquire using the Internet ... for free! There are plenty of resources available online.

If you have no idea what to write in this step, your research needs to start here! First understand the fields better. Google & YouTube are your friends.

Once you do get a basic understanding, write down the skill/s for each.

STEP 4: From the skills you have written in Step 3, pick any 2 that you find most interesting, each from a different field.

STEP 5: LEARN... these 2 skills that you have picked! Spend atleast a month... till you are sure if you want to pursue further or drop it!

If you quit too early, it might be based on early instincts. So give it a month atleast.

If you feel disinterested, bored, demotivated even after a month, this is definitely not the right one for you.

If you find one of them very exciting, Great, you move to Step 6.

If you found neither exciting, then you pick 2 more skills from what you’ve written earlier.

Keep repeating Step 5 till you find a skill that really gets your juices flowing... keeps you hooked & attracts you more and more.

You now have One Field that interests you and at-least One skill that you have learnt in that field. You can acquire more skills in the same field before moving forward.

Yes this process can take time. But as @simonsinek said - “It is better to go slow in the right direction than to go fast in the wrong direction.”

STEP 6: Prepare your Resume! It should ideally be just 1 page.

You can easily find some good templates online. I use Canva for this.

STEP 7: Look for internships / projects in the field you have zeroed in on.

This is the start of your career & the subsequent months will be an opportunity for you to gets hands-on experience in the field!

If you decide you got into the wrong one, you return to Step 1 :)

Ideally you should follow all these steps while still in college. It gives you flexibility & allows you time to experiment before making your decision.

This process can also be followed by anyone who has lost interest in their field, while being at that job... As @warikoo said - “Date other fields, pick up projects, courses, internships, freelance gigs” .. and so do before leaving your current job.

Of course this process might need to be modified / edited depending on you!

Wrote this as a basic framework so you can find a sense of direction.

On a side note, do not take up an internship that doesn’t pay! Even a small amount is okay, Zero is not!

Thanks to @urjita_sheth for asking me this question in a recent Spaces session. Thought others might want to know this too.

I have written this thread from my learnings & experience of working with many freshers & interns over the last decade!
This is my recommended process if you are not sure how to pick your path or which field to choose.

If you found this thread useful, do let me know.
If you have any questions regarding this process, please feel free to comment or DM me. Will answer the best I can.

END.