Choosing a career path can help you set professional goals and develop a strategy for getting where you want to be. Part of choosing an appropriate career path involves making an honest self-evaluation of your talents, abilities and interests. While elements of your path may change over time due to choice or circumstance, having an overall professional objective with which to guide yourself will help you make critical decisions with greater clarity.

Education
When you have an idea of the career path you want to pursue, it can help you make the best decisions about your training and education. Many lines of work require specific degrees and certifications, which can take years to pursue. Understanding the requirements of your chosen path will allow you to plan to prepare yourself for the career you want.

Career Planning
A career path is just that – a journey, rather than a single one-time decision. Every career path has milestones along the way. For example, if you want to pursue a career as a chef, you may start working in a restaurant busing tables when you’re in high school, working as a waiter in college, attending a culinary arts school and then taking an entry-level job as a prep chef. Understanding the chronological steps of a career path will help you make decisions about how to go about building experience and working your way through the ranks of your chosen occupation.

Long-term Goals
When you choose a career path, you position yourself to look far into the future at your ultimate objectives. This can help you identify positions you want to hold and income levels you want to achieve. It can also help to guide you in building your personal and professional networks in the industry in which you’re interested. Having long-term goals in place will help you stay focused on your ultimate career objectives, rather than moving aimlessly from job to job.

Family Considerations
Your choice of profession can dictate where you live and may affect if and when you marry and have a family. Choosing a career path can help you make other important life decisions. Achieving a satisfactory work-life balance can be a challenge for many professionals, but career planning can help to minimize some of this stress.