People often dream about the perfect job or career. There is no perfect job. Some jobs pay more than others. The working conditions is some careers appear to be better than in other careers. All careers look better from outside.

What should be considered in a career choice?

1. Do you enjoy the work?

2. Do you have the aptitude for the work?

3. Have you had a chance to experience the work before committing to training and the eventual career?

4. Does the work provide enough variety?

5. Is the work challenging and rewarding?

6. Is the work too challenging?

7. Is there a high rate of burn-out in the chosen field?

8. Do you feel you are providing a vital service or product, of just punching the clock, and biding you time?

9. Is there a demand now and a projected trend for the work?

10. Do the benefits and compensation outweigh the liabilities?

These questions should be considered carefully, as an average career from age 21 to 65, is 44 years. Multiply that by 50 weeks a year for 2,200 weeks. Then multiply 40 hours a week by 22,000 and you have given 88,000 hours of your life to working.

Let’s look at the ultimate example of “dream” jobs. There are several people who would love to be president of the United States. Young children envision themselves and aspire to be president. There is prestige and glamor. The popular image projected by the media is – “The most powerful person in the world.”

What does a person give up to be president? First, there is the lengthy and expensive campaign. Whether you are successful in your attempt or not, you see the press and public scrutinize every word you utter and give an account into their deep understanding of your motives.

You lose any semblance of privacy or personal safety for you and your family. You work long hours and are on call for a world crisis or potential crisis 24/7. You age several years for every year you are in office.

People think how great it would be to be a professional athlete, but there are trade-offs. You lose privacy and your career is relatively short. Some people think about being an attorney, a doctor, or a teacher. There is no perfect job.

Some jobs to consider are jobs in Information Technology. If you choose to work in Internet marketing, such as hosting your own web page, marketing web sites for others, becoming a social media manager, providing link building services, producing and distributing videos, or a combination of all of these areas – there is an increasing demand. The training is minimal and you can choose your niche.

Part 2 of Ten Top Things to Consider in Career Choices will include some more about career choice in “the professions” and some considerations for adapting to the Information Age. It is not going away any time soon.