Congratulations! You’ve graduated! This is super exciting as you go on to follow your path to success as a …what? It can be overwhelming to think about what you want to be “when you grow up”! Good News: you’re not alone, and many adults with experience in the workforce are also in the process of figuring out what to do for degrees or certification. How do you choose the best degree for your career, or even what career you might want to have? It can seem overwhelming, like you’re locked in, but nothing is further from the truth.

Consider What You Like

No, we’re not going to tell you to follow your “bliss.” There’s a good balance to find in working in a long- term career. You need a balance of profitability and something that you will not loathe. You want a career where you can learn and grow. Think about what you loved to do as a child, and consider what things within that “joy range” might be profitable for you as a career. According to Discover Praxis, identifying your motivation and finding areas to improve your skills can help make a less enjoyable job much more fulfilling.

Know What You Want Next

It’s important to realize that your post graduate degree can be boosted by a myriad of courses which might not necessarily seem related, but which will bolster up your educational capacity. As Ipson Law points out, you can choose a variety of undergraduate degrees if you want to become a lawyer, including business, history, English, social science, and economics. The same is true for becoming a Physician’s Assistant, and many other Science based degrees.

Try New Things

You might find that a bachelor’s degree is not your goal, and that’s also ok! There are many various certification courses which can offer you expert knowledge in fields where a degree isn’t initially needed in order to begin work. These career certificates which can be as varied as small business certification, social media management, machinery specialist, or construction management If you feel stuck and worried, finding a class where you try something new is a great place to start!

Chances are that you don’t know, upon high school graduation, what exactly you want to do with the rest of your life. That’s completely ok! Begin where you are, with those things which are interesting to you. Start out at a community college, and build your skills set while saving money. By the time you DO know, you’ll be set with the baseline courses you need!