How to Know What Kind of Job Suits You

It’s not easy to know what kind of job suits you or what you would like to do for the rest of your life. When we are young (or even a bit older), we all have dream jobs that we think would be perfect for us and lead to an altogether wonderful life. In reality, many professions are very different from what you might think they are like.

The job you imagine being constant fun and glamour might in reality be rather boring or grueling. The field that is supposed to guarantee job security for life might actually only offer short-term temporary posts, which would mean that for example getting a mortgage might prove to be very difficult.

Figuring out what is right or even feasible for you is hard.  In this post, I will help you to ask yourself a few fundamental questions about your ideal work life.

It’s great to work in a field that you find interesting, but at the end of the day, the most important thing is to make sure that your everyday life is what you want it to be and what works well for you. For example, if you like children, but you hate having the same routine every day, a kindergarten teacher might not be the best job for you. That’s why you have to think carefully about what kind of career you should pursue.

1. What kind of working hours do you want to have?

First of all, it’s important to ask yourself what kind of weekly schedule you want to have. Most jobs are 8-4 or 9-5, which means that you will have your evenings and weekends off. But maybe you don’t mind working on weekends or you’d actually like to work night shifts since it means a higher salary.

Would you like to have the same work hours every week, or would you prefer them to constantly be changing, meaning that sometimes you could sleep late or go for a short hike in the morning? If you work on the weekends, you will get normal weekdays off, which often feels much more luxurious than having a free Saturday.

Another option is having a job where you yourself choose when you work and for how long. This might be more demanding for some, but for you, it might be the only way to stay sane.

Working hours are one of the most important questions to ask when trying to figure out what kind of a job would suit you best, so think about this one carefully.

2. Would you rather work in a team or alone?

I used to think that I want to work in a team, but I’ve since realized that I’d much rather work alone. It’s because I want to choose my own schedule, hold myself accountable and not have to participate in several weekly meetings. I don’t mind spending hours by myself and not having someone to talk with whenever I need a break.

But what you need to ask yourself is do you need that social aspect in your daily life? Do you want to work as a part of a team and always have someone to share the responsibility with? Do you want to choose what you do and when?

If you often feel frustrated when you’re in a team and you like to block out the world when it’s time to work, you might just be someone who works better alone.

For someone else, the idea of not working in a team or otherwise being surrounded by other people is a nightmare. But since this is one of the most fundamental questions when trying to find the right job for you, think carefully about this one.

3. Should every day be the same or different?

Some people like routines, while some people can’t stand them. Routines bring security and if you have a lot going on at home, having a very normal job with normal working hours and simple responsibilities that take your mind off things might be exactly what you need.

Then again, if you are someone who gets easily bored and is constantly looking for new exciting opportunities, having a daily routine and working on similar tasks every day can make you go crazy very fast.

Ask yourself if you want your workdays to be fairly easy and predictable, or if you would rather go to work not knowing what the day has in store for you. Even if a certain job sounds like a good fit for you, it might become boring for you, if you have to do the same things every day. Think carefully, because people are very different when it comes to this.

4. Do you want to stay in the same place or relocate?

Another question to ask yourself is whether you want to live in a certain place (perhaps your hometown) or would you like to relocate. Some jobs include a lot of traveling that can be exciting but also tiring.

Some jobs are concentrated in a certain area, while other jobs can be found pretty much wherever you go. If you absolutely want to live in a certain small town near your relatives, you might want to stay clear of those professions that would force you to move to a big city.

If you dream of moving abroad one day, this is also a big question to ask. It might be easy to find a job in other countries if you work in the IT field or in a restaurant, but some other professions might practically force you to stay put since you wouldn’t be qualified to practice your profession in another country.

The good thing is that there often are at least some opportunities abroad no matter who you are, especially if you are willing to work in jobs that you are overqualified for.

5. Do you want to keep learning or have it all covered in the beginning?

Are you a lifelong learner who likes to constantly challenge yourself or are you someone who would rather have it all covered after a few weeks in a new job? If you have a lot of energy and learning new things is what keeps you going, a demanding job that is constantly pushing you forward and forces you to tackle new problems every day is probably the best choice for you.

Then again some people might find the idea of a challenging job exciting, but in reality, they have enough going on with an average job, where they don’t have to worry too much about having it all under control.

It’s worth asking yourself, what else do you want to have in your life besides work? For example, if you have (or are planning to have) children, a simple job might sound like a good idea to you, at least when the children are young.

Also, if your goal is to get a job to make ends meet while working on your side hustle and one day become an entrepreneur, you probably don’t want to have a job that squeezes all energy and motivation out of you.

6. Outside or inside?

Most jobs are inside, but if you are someone who really enjoys spending time outside, you might want to consider getting a job that lets you work outside.

I once had a summer job working at a cemetery, and I loved spending the whole summer outside in a lush, green space surrounded by hundreds of flowers. But when the fall came, I was glad I could get back to my studies and not have to go to a dark and cold cemetery (that was now featuring several shades of brown) at 7 am every morning.

Depending on where you live, working outside can be a wonderful opportunity and if you’re someone who definitely doesn’t want to spend their time in an office, I encourage you to look for jobs that are at least partly outside.

7. Are ethics important to you?

I studied sociology and for a long time, my goal was to work for different international NGOs that focus on refugees and migration. The most important aspect of my career would be its effect on the world. However, right around the time I was graduating, I had to move to a country where I didn’t speak the language, which reduced my employment opportunities in that field to almost zero. And COVID-19 certainly didn’t make things any easier.

I also started to wonder if working for an NGO would really be the best thing I could do (it depends a lot on the organization of course). In the end, I realized that it would be close to impossible to find a job that is perfectly ethical and meaningful at the same time and most importantly, that there are many ways to do your part for the world. Donating money might very well make more sense than fighting tooth and nail to get a job in a respected NGO.

Most people don’t think about this question too much and it is very understandable. It’s hard enough to find a job as it is, without having to ponder if it has the optimal impact on the world. But it is still worth asking yourself if the career you are considering is what you want to do for the rest of your life or do you maybe want to commit your whole life to the greater good.

8. Do you want to work fewer hours per day or fewer days in a year?

Most jobs take roughly 40 hours of your week (not including the commute, overtime, and getting ready for work). But in some jobs, you can choose to work fewer hours or work from home a couple of days a week. Some jobs might allow you to work fewer hours over time, as you become better at your job and can get things done faster.

Time is our most valuable commodity, so it’s a good idea to ask yourself if you are willing to work full time for decades to come, or are shorter workdays something you definitely want right away or later on.

Another thing to keep in mind is that while most jobs give you the minimum number of days off in a year, some jobs are much more generous (and some countries too). Some jobs are seasonal and some jobs allow you to have longer holidays.

For example, in Finland a teacher could hardly request shorter workdays, but they have a 2,5 month summer holiday, a two-week Christmas holiday, and short winter and fall holidays too. That sounds pretty nice compared to only having two weeks off in a year.

9. How much responsibility do you want to have?

I think a lot of young people dream of having big and important jobs that come with a lot of responsibility. But sometimes after you’ve been working for a few years and you maybe have quite a few responsibilities to take care of outside of work too, you might change your mind. Responsibilities require energy and effort, and at some point, you might feel that there are more important things in life than your day job.

This all depends on the person of course. Some people like to commit their time and energy to their work and the most important goal they have is building a successful career. That is fantastic.

But you have to know which person you are: are you ready to grind for years to come, or would you rather go to work every day knowing, that if you make mistakes today, it’s not going to affect anyone else?

10. Do you like serving customers?

Some people love to be surrounded by a lot of people, some people are fantastic with customers and some people can’t stand the idea of dealing with new people every day. Whatever your idea of customers is, it’s definitely something to take into consideration when looking for jobs.

Customer service jobs have a somewhat bad reputation, but for some people, they are a good choice. You will for sure learn a lot and customer service experience is a nice addition to your resume.

11. Skilled or unskilled work?

Some jobs require more skills and experience than others. This often means that they are more difficult and demanding, but more rewarding too. I used to actively try to gain marketable skills so that I could get more and more difficult jobs in the future.

But right now I work in an unskilled job and I’m quite happy with it. Why? Because I need energy to work on my side hustle when I come back home and since my day job is fairly easy, I often have a pretty good time at work.

However, if you want to build a successful career, you probably want to constantly gain new skills and only have demanding jobs. Those jobs will teach you more valuable skills while pushing you forward at the same time. If you really want to reach high, always look for jobs that will push you to the edge and teach you something new.

12. How much money do you need?

Last but not least, money. I would say that enjoying your time at work is much more important than your salary, but some people might disagree. What you should keep in mind though, is that if you dream of a nice life, living in a big house, eating well, and maybe traveling a lot or having a big family, you have to eventually have a job that pays at least fairly well.

If you choose a profession that pays a small salary, you choose a limited life. There is nothing wrong with it unless you yourself are not satisfied with it.

Of course, you can (and should) have many streams of income, which can balance your budget and maybe one day enable you to quit your job. But you should still be realistic about your income and what you want to be able to do in life.

What is your dream job? Do you wish you had chosen a different career path? Let me know in the comments, it’s always interesting to hear about other people’s careers. And remember to pin this post too!