Answering that question, “What do you want to do when you grow up?” is something we’re thinking about these days as the countdown to graduation approaches.  Some kids have known since they were young what they want to for a job while others are still deciding.  For those still unclear, here are some tips to help you decide on that perfect “dream” job.

1. Brainstorm ideas about what you most enjoy doing. Think about what your personal passions are and then brainstorm what jobs would be related to your interest and passions. For example, you may love working with kids. There are many jobs you could explore that involve children. Such as teaching, coaching, school counselor, camp director, or if you love school, a pediatrician.  There may be jobs you haven’t thought of such as working for a non-profit that benefits children such as WIC (Women Infants and Children) who help provide for families in need. There are a multitude of non profits that need people who are passionate about helping others. If people are your passion, do that Google search and look into jobs that benefit others.
2. Identify what skills are needed. We all have different strengths and skills that we could use in our future careers, the key is to identify those and combine those with our passions. For example, you may be good at math and science. Combining this with your love for children, you could be a Pediatric dentist, science centers around the country or even the person that helps build exhibits that benefit the learning of young minds. Or you may be an athlete who loves sports and wants to work with kids.  You could take the sport and combine it with coaching clinics, sports medicine physical therapy, schools for gifted athletes, sports camp directors or even The Boys and Girls Club director. The possibilities are endless.
3. Try it out. Stepping out and trying different options is important and may be the deciding factor whether you want to purse that job or not. For example, you may want to job shadow or volunteer for someone in your field of interest. This could help you figure out if this is something you want to do and what skills you need to get there.

Finally, It’s good to know that with a little hard work and persistence your “dream” job may someday become a reality.