Top 6 Questions to Understand Your Career Aspirations

We all get asked this question at least once a year: ‘What are your career plans?’ It can be quite difficult to answer for those who haven’t actively been thinking about their career aspirations. Thinking about who you are and what you expect from your career is critical when it comes to understanding your career aspirations. It can give you valuable insights regarding your career interests and help you make informed decisions. For this exercise to be effective, you need to ask yourself the right questions and answer them honestly. That is why we have compiled a list of questions that will help you get a preliminary understanding of your career aspirations.

6 questions to gain insight into your career aspirations

Here are some questions for you to reflect upon. To make the most of these reflection questions, sit in a calm, comfortable space, avoid minimising your emotions and thoughts, be honest with yourself, write down the answers if possible and find recurring patterns. 

Let’s get into the questions now!

• What would your ideal job involve if you had the opportunity to mould it around the activities that most fascinate you? How would you go about it? These questions will help you understand what you are likely to value in your future career. They can help you find career opportunities that are a better fit for you.
• What are the skills that are currently helping you do well in academics? How do you think these skills will help you in the future in your career? These questions will help you gain insight into your present strengths. They can provide you with clarity on potential career options that require these skills which you may not have considered yet.  
• What was the most difficult decision you have ever made? How did you overcome it? What did you learn about yourself and your values as you dealt with the challenge? What are some of the career options that uphold these values? These questions can give you a complete picture of how you think as well as what you value. You can then look for suitable careers that fit with what you believe in.
• Imagine yourself many years from now, when you’ve done well in your chosen career. How will you assess your success? What do you want to be remembered for? What are the different parameters that you would consider? These questions will push you to think long-term. By answering them, you will begin to understand the kind of work you want to be engaged in and the legacy you would like to leave behind through your work. 
• How do your skills, abilities or talents fit into the needs of society? Can you pursue a career that helps solve these problems? These questions are important to answer because they will help you uncover how you can address societal needs and make a positive impact on the world while having a successful career. 
• Are there any people whose careers inspire and motivate you? What aspects of their work are you most inspired by? How can you use them as a starting point for career exploration? These questions will help you provide a sense of direction and focus. 

Note that these questions are there just to get you started. The answers to these questions are likely to evolve as you grow up or enhance your self-awareness. So, revisit these questions every few months to refine your understanding of your career aspirations. Once you gain a basic understanding of your career aspirations, you can delve deeper into specific career options. 

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