Determine your ideal career--one that's in alignment withyour values, passions, and talents--and discover the workyou were born to do

Career discovery is the process by which a person identifiestheir ideal career path, thus saving themselves a lot oftime (and money) by not pursuing career choices that theywill ultimately find unfulfilling. To find your truecalling, you need to dig around and find the things that areimportant to you--now, and in the future.

Career discovery is an important process, and one of thoseskills they don't really teach in high school or college.Career counselors in school mainly focus on accessing yourskills and trying to match them up with the appropriatecareer field. This can work fine for some people, but othersfind that their values and beliefs change over time, andthey discover that what they thought they wanted in a careerwhen they were 20 isn't necessarily what they want whenthey're 40.

To find a career that fits your core beliefs, values, andskills, you really need to do an in-depth evaluation ofyourself. What do you find fulfilling in life? What areyour priorities? What's your "life purpose?" Whatmotivates and interests you? What skills, knowledge andabilities to you posses? And what could you get excitedabout learning in the future?

Some other important considerations:

• Do you work well alone, or do you need the energy andinteraction of a group of co-workers?

• Are you comfortable with the financial ups and downs thatcan come with self-employment, or do you need the security of a steady paycheck?

• Do you enjoy working long hours, or would you rather be in acareer that allows you a lot of free time to spend with your family and friends?

• Do you like to commute long distances, or would you prefer a job close to home?

• Would you enjoy working outdoors, or are you an office ratwho needs to be surrounded by four walls in order to be productive?

• Do you really want a new career, or could you make yourpresent career acceptable with a few adjustments?

Until you can answer most of these questions satisfactorily,I wouldn't recommend finalizing your career plans. Life isshort, as the old saying goes, and you don't want to wasteseveral years traveling down a career path only to discoverthat you've made the wrong choice.

So do your homework, take a look inside your soul, anddiscover your true calling in life. Only then should youmove onto the process of formulating a new career strategy.

Kent Johnson - author, publisher, career coach.Helping people realize their dreams one career at a time.Your Dream Career.com - your source for career tips and info==> http://your-dream-career.com