As part of IMC’s Career Exploration Celebration for National Career Development Month, we are featuring a special mini-blog-post series for teens each Monday in November.
So, what is career exploration—what I call “careering”—all about? It’s a process, a journey, about figuring out and learning more about your skills, talents, interests, and passions. The fun and adventure of this journey is in learning new things about what’s most important for yourself . . . and about “trying on” the new and different.
But there’s a serious side too. After all, this work is about looking into what your career possibilities and potential opportunities might be. So, the truth is that finding your passion is not about having fun all the time. It’s also about looking for something that you can be committed to, whether that’s a goal that speaks to your heart, a change you want to see happen, or a contribution you want to make.
Careering is about taking action. That goes for whether you’re exploring your interests or working on something you find fulfilling. Oftentimes, it will take stepping out of your comfort zone. It also requires holding yourself—and, in some cases, others—accountable for taking various actions.
Even if these things may not be your favorite activities remember that they are steps needed to help you fulfill your goal or promise to yourself. For example, Tamara, the introvert (yes, that’s me), is willing to step outside of her norm and be in the public eye—like I’m doing right now. Why? Because I want to make a difference for you. My hope is for you to avail yourself of every opportunity to pursue your goals, mission, and what you’re passionate about so that you can THRIVE. My reasoning? Because that is my passion. It’s what I enjoy doing and am committed to. Likewise, careering is about discovering what it is you enjoy doing and are committed to.
So, to sum up . . . stay the course and remember, it’s wonderfully okay and great to start from exactly wherever you happen to be and are today!
