I don’t know what to do for a living is a common question at certain points in our lives. At the end of our studies, or when we’re bored with our job and thinking about a career change. How do I choose? What job would really suit me? We don’t always have the answers to these questions, and that’s normal. That’s why here are 5 tips to help you see things more clearly.

1 – Taking stock

First of all, to answer the question: I don’t know what I want to do for a living, it’s essential to take stock of who you are and what you want.

All too often, we start thinking about a career by looking at the job description. But what if we started with ourselves?

That’s why I wholeheartedly invite you to take a sheet of paper and write down 5 of your qualities and 3 of your faults. Then 5 of your strengths and 3 of your weaknesses.

Then, I invite you to look back on your past experiences, be they jobs or internships.

For each one: what did you like and dislike? List at least 5 things you liked and 2 things you disliked.

Take the time to do this, as it will really help you to see more clearly who you are and what you need.

2 – Dream big when you don’t know what to do for a living

When you don’t know what you want to do for a living, it’s the ideal time to dream about your professional life, and dream big.

Unfortunately, we don’t know how to dream big. Quite the contrary, in fact. Because we’ve been taught since school to be “reasonable”, to look for security.

So why should we dream big?

We only have an average of 30,000 days to live on Earth, and we spend at least half of them working.

So it’s more than essential to do a job you really love.

Because our time is limited.

That’s why it’s up to you to use your time in the way that really makes you happy. So stop putting up barriers.

Dare to dream big!

It can be done. Look, I’m a psychiatrist. (laughs)

That’s because I dared to close my eyes and dream, thanks to this question: “And if I lived in an ideal world, what would my job be?”

That’s why ask yourself this question for several days. Let the answers come. Have fun imagining lots of different jobs and see which one resonates the most.

3 – Listen to your heart rather than your mind

It’s normal to have beliefs that prevent us from really answering the question: I don’t know what I want to do for a living.

These are beliefs we’ve inherited from our parents, school and society in general.

We’re told that the job market is dying, that we have to make do with what we’ve got… and your mind believes it.

But deep down inside, there’s something telling you to hope and believe. It’s your heart.

Because your heart doesn’t want to survive, to do things “the right way”, to follow the rules. It wants to live, take risks, dare to be different, to be itself.

But how can you listen to your heart when your mind is making too much noise?

For that, I wholeheartedly invite you to set up a good habit: go for a walk in nature once a day, meditate once a day, write…

In other words, to take some time each day to face yourself, to dive deep inside yourself, to go beyond the fears and beliefs of your mind and listen to the hopes and dreams of your heart.

It sounds fanciful. Well, it’s your mind that makes you think that.

Because listening to your heart, to your dreams, desires and needs is vital!

And it’s up to you.

When I hesitate to listen to my heart, I visualize the old lady I’m going to be and ask myself: what would I like to say about my life and my job when I’m old?

I invite you to do this visualization regularly, it will guide you towards better choices, and in particular it will help you choose the right profession.

4 – Giving yourself the means when you don’t know what to do for a living

So, there are the beliefs that prevent us from discovering the job that’s right for us, but there’s something else too.

Laziness. (laughs)

We don’t like it when things get difficult, when things take time.

We want everything right away.

In other words, when we ask ourselves, “I don’t know what I’d like to do for a living”, we want an immediate answer and to start our new professional life the following week.

But that’s not the case.

Because the most important things take time, sometimes a lot of it.

That’s why we’re tempted to take the easy way out when we realize how much effort and perhaps even sacrifice our dream job is going to require.

Here too, the choice is yours.

I’d simply like to invite you to go further than your mind, which is pushing you to make short-term, pleasant choices.

Because the short term quickly runs out. (laughs)

But if you make choices that are pleasant in the long term, the long term never ends.

I’m a psychiatrist and it’s not easy, really. Especially in the beginning, now it’s a bit easier, but there are still difficult moments.

And yet, I regret nothing. On the contrary, I feel so lucky.

So, if you have a job that makes you dream, but that’s going to require you to take a long and difficult road, I say to you from the bottom of my heart: it’s worth it. You’re worth it.

5 – Getting help when you don’t know what to do for a living

What’s more, you don’t have to do everything on your own.

Unfortunately, this is all too often forgotten.

First of all, you can ask for advice from professionals who do exactly what you want to do. Send e-mails, ask for telephone numbers, ask questions. Because, in general, people love to talk about their work and give advice on how to avoid mistakes.

In other words, a caring person who can give you the right advice at the right time. Someone who has also chosen to pursue their dream job, who understands what you’re going through and can help you avoid the pitfalls and move forward faster, with confidence and serenity.

I’ll be happy to help you find your dream job.

Find out more:

I invite you to read these 2 complementary articles:

Discover How to change your life: 6 powerful exercises
Discover Feeling stuck in your life: 6 practical tips to get out of it

I recommend this inspiring book:

The Pathfinder: How to Choose or Change Your Career for a Lifetime of Satisfaction and Success by Nicholas Lore

Nicholas Lore’s book offers a comprehensive guide for people facing career uncertainty. Through assessments, exercises and practical advice, he helps readers discover their passions and align them with satisfying career paths. If you’re unsure of your career direction, this book provides valuable information and tools to help you find a satisfying and meaningful vocation.

It’s full of questions that will help you find the right answer BUT it demands your full attention and total honesty! Even if you try to ignore things and go back to your usual way of thinking, the questions that make you uncomfortable will come up again and again in different forms until you answer truthfully and choose only the basics you really want for your career. We spend far too much time at work to be unhappy with our careers. It really is worth making an effort. Give it a try!

Thank you very much for reading this article.

If you liked it, let me know in the comments.

Take care of yourself