Thinking about your future and finding the perfect career can be difficult. If you’ve ever asked yourself what exactly a career is, how long someone can be in a specific field or how you can go about choosing one for yourself, we discuss all of that in this article.

So… what is a career?

A career is a long-term occupation, typically one that involves special training or formal education. It’s considered to be a main source of income for anyone who’s gainfully employed.

How long can someone be in the same field?

A career usually spans over many years, decades even, and is quite often the primary focus of a person’s life. Being in any given field, however, isn’t permanent. You can choose to explore other paths or activities that you’re interested in doing at any time.

How do you choose a path that’s right for you?

There are many different types of careers people can pursue, depending on their skills and interests. And as times change, so do people’s choices. This can be because of a combination of things like taste, job availability and personality type.

When choosing a path you can look at the various interests you have and do some research on fields that match those areas. You can also try using popular quizzes, like The Princeton Review Career Quiz or the 123 Test Career Aptitude Test, to help guide you along paths that might be a great fit for you.