How to choose a career- THE PAP THEORY

How to choose a career- THE PAP THEORY

How to choose a career- THE PAP THEORY

Anytime people ask me how to find acareer path, the first thing I ask is to know their PAP. Pap as in "Ogi" (African custard)? No...... PAP as in Passion, Ability and Purpose. If you know where your passion lies, understand your abilities and can identify your purpose, then you will know how to choose a career. It's quite simple!

Unfortunately finding a career path is a problem many young adults encounter today. This is because sadly most people believe that their first job will establish the way their career will go and they must stick with it for the rest of their life. Thank goodness, times are changing and the world is no longer as it used to be. Nowadays people can easily change jobs and careers but while it is true that some careers will provide more financial security and freedom than others, the strongest way to select a career path is by interest and desire.

In choosing a career path, you must first of all think about your passion. Don't choose a career because other people think you should. You will only succeed when you are able to do the thing you like. Think of it. What will make you happy for the rest of your days? Look at your extra-curricular hobbies. Are they hobbies or are they passions? Perhaps you really liked that course that mummy made you read in school. It felt good to be addressed as Dr Lagbaja or Engineer Wazobia didn't it? But you find yourself misery at the end of everyday. I too felt the same way years ago when I found myself stuck in a dead end job. I just finished a master degree in finance and by a stroke of luck, I found myself working in a school as the special assistant to the provost. Even though everybody thought I was lucky, it was hellish going to work every morning. The job which appeared to be very promising at the time I started became a huge problem because back then my organizational skill was very bad. The only time I was happy was on days when I had to work in the school library. I found out that I enjoyed reading and writing but when I brought up the matter to my superiors with the hope that I could be transferred, they advised me not to say anything about it as I stood to lose my job. So, there I was, stuck in a job I had no passion for. As it turned out, I stayed there for a whole year. One day when my fire had completely burned out, I resigned. Barely a month later, I worked as a trainee for a consulting firm where I was made to write press releases and feature articles. To be honest, until my first day at work had no idea what the job would be like, but as soon as I started, I knew it was for me. Even though I was laid off after three months, I went on to pursue a master degree in media and communication with special focus in creative writing. Today I am very happyand can say finallythat i am in the career that is perfect for me. Which is why i sayin choosing a career path, you must have passion for what you are doing. Also think about your ability. Choosing the right career also depends on your ability. To do well in a job, you need to have the skill set that the job requires. For example, you cant be blind and want to be a world class photographer!!! That is almost impossible. Consider what you can undertake and what you can accomplish if you take a job; evaluate the pros and cons of that job to give yourself an idea of the possibility of your success. Finally, think about your purpose. Everyone has a purpose in life and something they want to be known for even when they are no longer in this world. We all want to contribute to the world in one way or the other. Knowing your exact values and what you want is extremely important in making a career choice. Values such as independent thinker, freedom, being your own boss will help decide what type of career path to take.

So what is your PAP? Are you thinkingabout itit? Don't worry. You don't have to answerright away. Think about it

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