The average American has over 11 jobs during their lifetimes. Some have far fewer, perhaps one or two while they are at school. Then a career that lasts their working lifetime, perhaps with promotions and sideways moves along the way, but always within the same company, without ever having to enter a job search. 

Others aren’t as lucky, and possibly even have far more than 11 as they spend years jumping from job to job, never quite settling, never giving anything a chance and never finding anything that makes them happy. While job jumping like this can be exciting for a while, and can certainly offer you a chance to move around, learn new skills and try new things, it can mean that you never truly reach your earning potential. 

At some point, you might decide that you are ready to find the one. The career that you feel able to stick with up until retirement, learning and growing with the company and making lifelong friends. 

But, how do you do that if you aren’t one of the lucky people that has always known what they wanted to do? If you still haven’t got a clue what you want to be, how do you find the right job?

Think About What You Wanted To Be

You might not know what you want to be now, but that doesn’t mean that you’ve never had any ideas. Think back and ask yourself what you wanted to be when you were a kid, or as you passed through school, could any of these options still work?

Consider Past Careers

If you’ve been a bit of a serial job jumper, is there anything that you’ve missed? That you didn’t want to give up, or that you regret moving on from? Could you go back? Or try a related career path. 

Learn More About Different Industries

The jobs that are available today aren’t necessarily the same as the ones that you could apply for when you left school. Many industries and sectors have developed, and new career paths have been born. Do some research with Atkins Careers and learn more about industries that you may not have considered. 

Write a List

Sit down and write a list of possibilities. Think about things your friends and family do and even jobs that you’ve seen on the TV. Then, work through your list, doing some research, finding out more about related roles, and learning about any training that you may need to undertake. 

Consider Your Hobbies and Interests

Another list, or part of the same one, should include your hobbies and interests. Could you start your own business? Or find other ways to make money doing the things that you love?

Take a Chance

No matter how much research you do, and how many lists you make, you’ll never really know if a job is right for you until you try it out. Consider some volunteer work to help you reach a decision, but know that sometimes, you just have to take a chance.