Life and Career Decision-Making: Practical Tools

“What do you want to do with your life?”

This question may sound simple. For many young people, however, it is a source of pressure, uncertainty, and anxiety.

Not everyone has a clear vision of their future. Not everyone knows their strengths or possibilities. And not everyone has someone in their life with whom they can safely discuss important decisions.

The Ready 4 Life: MindShift! project therefore focuses on life and career decisions as one of its three main themes. The goal is not to tell young people which school, job, or career they should choose. The goal is to help them get to know themselves better, navigate their options, and make more informed decisions.

You don't have to have your whole life planned out

Young people often get the impression that they should know the direction of their lives very early on.

Decisions about school or their first job can then feel like choices that will determine the rest of their lives. In reality, however, the job market, technology, and personal priorities are constantly changing.

Good decision-making, therefore, does not mean creating a perfect plan for the next twenty years.

It means knowing:

• what’s important to me right now,

• what my strengths and interests are,

• what options I have,

• what information I’m still missing,

• who I can ask,

• what small step I can take first,

• what I can do if my plans change.

Sometimes we don’t need to know the final goal. It’s enough to know the next step.

What influences our decisions?

Life and career decisions do not arise in a vacuum.

They are influenced by:

• family expectations,

• financial circumstances,

• where a young person lives,

• access to schools and job opportunities,

• experiences in school,

• self-confidence,

• information from social media,

• ideas about success,

• fear of failure,

• social stereotypes,

• changes in the job market,

• the development of artificial intelligence.

  
  

Career guidance, therefore, should not be limited to a list of occupations. It should help young people explore their needs, values, possibilities, and limitations.