So, you’ve taken a good long look at your life and have realized that the time has come to set aside those dull hourly-wage jobs and pursue a career. Sometimes it can take years to find your path, and often life can get in the way. Whatever journey led you to this point, it’s time to take a deep breath and make a choice.

Whether you choose to be a police officer, a dental hygienist, or a pharmacist, before you begin your college search, you need to spend some time considering your career choice.

Self-Knowledge is Key in Choosing a Career

Which career is right for you? Before you know what you want to do, you might want to spend some time thinking about who you are and what you enjoy doing. Maybe you’ve been trained to think that work shouldn’t be enjoyable—it should be about money, or prestige, or making your family happy.

It doesn’t matter how big the paycheck is if you hate what you do. Hating your work is the fastest way to gray hair, ulcers, and short-term employment. Take the time to consider your personal preferences and goals before deciding which career path to take.

Consider these three things when choosing a career.

• Your Values Don’t take a job that requires you to do things you’d rather not—things that might keep you up at night. If your family is important to you, don’t choose a career that requires an 80-hour workweek.

• Your Personality If you are shy and introverted, don’t take a job like Public Relations that requires face-to-face schmoozing. If you’re an "idea" person that works on the fly, don’t take a job that requires careful planning and attention to detail.

• Your Abilities and Skills It doesn’t get any more practical than this: no matter how big the paycheck, if you can’t do the job you won’t keep the job. Hate math and numbers? Don’t become an engineer. Allergic to animals? Don’t become a veterinarian. Evaluate your skills and choose accordingly.

Do Some Research

Once you’ve spent some time assessing your preferences and your skills, hop on the nearest computer and start surfing the web. Find out what steps you need to take to launch your career. Do you need a degree or a certificate to do the job? If so, can you find classes at a local college or will you need to relocate? Is online learning an option for your career? If extensive schooling is needed, what kind of return on investment can you expect?

Also, you need to be realistic. Does the career you’ve chosen have a future, or is it a something that doesn’t offer long-term security? For instance, you may dream of opening your own video rental store, but DVDs through the mail are putting most video stores out of business. But working in the health care field is a smart career choice with great long-term security.

Choose a Career That Offers Fulfillment

Many professionals chose mediocrity at the expense of fulfillment. They're content to just exist in their jobs until retirement. At retirement, they strive to do all the fun things they've put off for decades because work got in the way. There's nothing wrong with this concept, as long as one is guaranteed a long and healthy post-career life. Who knows if that will be true for you? Be sure to choose a career that will offer you satisfaction as well as financial and job security.

Taking the First Step to Your Future Career

Once you’ve chosen a career path be persistent and follow through. Once you’ve taken the time to think about what will make you happy and fulfilled—both personally and professionally—it’s time to find the college that will give you the education and training you need to do the job right. Whether you chose a career in the trades, health care, criminal justice, or any of the other fields currently in high demand, a college degree is probably the first step you’ll need to take. CollegeInfo.com offers all the information you need about earning that college degree—so get started here today.