Professional athletes make money playing their favorite sport, while people like coaches, referees, and sports medicine doctors all build their careers around sports too. Construction workers and mechanics get to work all day with their hands, building and fixing things from the ground up. ”Having a job” doesn’t always mean sitting at a desk all day! There are plenty of fun and active jobs for people who like to be on their feet.

Inventors, scientists, economists, engineers, and computer programmers were all once students just like you, who now work with numbers, facts, and logic in their careers. Even if your adult job isn’t based in math or science, these skills can help in all sorts of professions!

Artists, authors, actors, musicians, and designers are all professions that require creativity, among hundreds of others.

Think about why you enjoy the hobbies that you do. If you love playing with your pets, maybe you’d make a great veterinarian or animal trainer one day. If you enjoy taking care of your younger siblings, you might be a caretaker, a teacher, or a mentor when you grow up.

When you’re young, you have much more freedom with how you spend your time. Use it trying everything you can and learning all about the things that interest you. [4] X Research source Lea Michelle, the world-famous star of Glee, got her start on Broadway by accident. She accompanied her friend to an audition and then auditioned herself as a joke.

Don’t disregard the advice you get from those who care about you. They usually want the best for you and may have more life experience than you. At the same time, don’t give up on a dream or shy away from a goal just because others may not believe in it.

Ask yourself: Are you the person all your friends come to when they need advice? Do you have a soft spot for all animals? Do you love being a project leader in school? Once you find something you’re good at or enjoy, take the time to perfect it. For example, if you are good at giving advice, consider taking psychology classes.

While it would be great to obtain your dream job on your first try, you often have to figure out which industry you want to be in first, and then work your way up the ladder.

Some tests examine your natural abilities by asking you questions with right or wrong answers. Others have more open-ended questions and analyze your personality. [10] X Research source You can find a lot of great career assessment tests online with just a quick Google search. If you want more options, ask your school counselor or a teacher for help.

These things can be general. For example, if you write “Compassionate,” list things like doctor, teacher, social worker, etc. under it. For something more specific, you could write “Great at science. ” Listed underneath that skill may be things like chemist, doctor, computer programmer, etc. Think about how your strengths can translate into different jobs. For example, just because you’re a good singer doesn’t mean you have to become a famous singer. You could be a producer, music teacher, talent recruiter, and more.

Your priorities may change over time. Don’t be afraid to explore different paths.

By investigating deeper, you can even figure out how employable you may be in a particular field or if you may need a back-up plan. {“smallUrl”:“https://www. wikihow. com/images/thumb/2/24/Choose-What-You-Want-to-Be-when-You-Grow-Up-Step-12. jpg/v4-460px-Choose-What-You-Want-to-Be-when-You-Grow-Up-Step-12. jpg”,“bigUrl”:"/images/thumb/2/24/Choose-What-You-Want-to-Be-when-You-Grow-Up-Step-12. jpg/aid1333874-v4-728px-Choose-What-You-Want-to-Be-when-You-Grow-Up-Step-12. jpg",“smallWidth”:460,“smallHeight”:345,“bigWidth”:728,“bigHeight”:546,“licensing”:"<div class="mw-parser-output">

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Finding a mentor in your chosen field can also offer you a valuable networking opportunity. Having the right connections can put your resume at the top of the stack once it comes time to apply for the job. [14] X Research source