How can a person choose a suitable profession for themselves?

Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan this week penned an article on the topic of “University Preference” in his Hürriyet Aile column.

The current preference period is a very important time for university candidates. One of the most important decisions in human life is career choice. You choose a profession and make a preference. When we say 'life is a choice,' humanity makes one of its most important choices. What does career choice mean? It means choosing an area where a person will spend almost one-third of their life, earn a living, and also sustain their life. While sustaining one's life, earning a living and being happy are the most important criteria. A person does not get tired in a job they love and becomes much more successful.

The official preference period, which started on July 27, will continue until August 5. Making the right decision during this process, which is an important turning point in a young person's life, is crucial. One of the most important decisions a person makes throughout their life is career choice. Career choice means choosing an area where a person will spend almost one-third of their life, earn a living, and also sustain their life. The profession chosen signifies an area where one will sustain their life and earn a living.

Consulting preference specialists is advisable

In career selection, it is also necessary to pay attention to some important points. Young people should consult career specialists and preference specialists when making their choices. Undecided candidates can consult preference specialists and get help from career tests. Consulting preference specialists will be very beneficial to avoid making unnecessary and empty choices. Preference counselors provide more operational help, while career guidance offers more strategic assistance. What are that person's personality traits? What potential does this person have? Which profession is most suitable for realizing this potential? Career counselors decide on this.

The Career Test can help you get to know yourself

We have a Career Test designed to help undecided candidates with career selection. Undecided candidates can determine their areas of interest by taking this test. The Career Test, also known as the Holland Test, is available on the Üsküdar Üniversitesi website. It's a 90-question test but takes 10-15 minutes to complete. The result of this test provides information about which areas a person can be successful in. Over 500,000 candidates have used the Holland Test in the last year. Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that the Career Test reveals aspects of a person such as whether they are realistic, investigative, have an artistic side, are social, entrepreneurial, or conventional, stating, “It provides insight into a person's strongest, stronger, and less strong aspects. Undecided candidates can determine their areas of interest by taking this test.”

Candidates must first know themselves!

The most important issue in career choice is for a person to recognize their own characteristics and choose a profession that aligns with them. If a person does not know their own characteristics, they make choices based on the desires, expectations, and aspirations of their family, environment, or the media. However, great regrets can be experienced after such choices. We see many examples of individuals taking exams repeatedly or dropping out while in their fourth year of university.

 First, know yourself, then the profession you will choose

 The first condition in career choice is for a person to first know themselves. Then, they need to know and truly understand the professional fields they will choose. The candidate says, 'I am choosing this,' but do they truly know that professional field? Or are they choosing that profession based on hearsay? How well do they know that profession? It is also very necessary to have information about the field they want to choose before making a preference. It is of great importance for young university candidates to examine professional fields and carefully evaluate whether their talents, qualifications, and characteristics are suitable for that profession.

Perseverance and resilience are important for life success

I would like to remind once again that perseverance and resilience are important for life success. The approach of 'getting less tired, earning a lot' is a Hollywood culture approach. This makes young people fickle. Perseverance and resilience are very important in life success. You must set a goal and succeed in being resilient while pursuing that goal. Here, the attitude of families is important. Previously, families managed many things. Families carried out the transmission of culture, values, and knowledge. Now, it's not families, but mostly the media. Especially social media. Of course, they should take information from social media, but it would be more beneficial for them to make decisions together by also getting their families' opinions.

The unseen aspects of professions should also be considered

Every profession has a visible side and an unseen side. It is important to consider these criteria when making a decision. Generally, the unseen aspects of professions are not considered. When making a choice, it is beneficial to confront the unseen side. Will the person be able to adapt to the conditions of the profession after choosing it? For example, if our candidate chose a profession related to tourism, is it compatible with its conditions? If they chose a profession in the industrial field, for example, will they be able to work under factory conditions? For instance, some professions require standing for long periods. Dentistry is such a field. It is important for the candidate to consider all these.

Parents should guide

Parents also have duties during the preference process. Here, they need to guide and show the way to their child. If parents approach their child dictatorially, their relationship will deteriorate. It is not the right approach for parents to act oppressively or authoritatively towards a young person who has reached 18 years of age. Especially today, we are in an age of freedom. Educating a child with authoritarianism doesn't work. In such cases, the child's relationship with their family or life deteriorates. Parents have the duty to warn their child. Parents can provide guidance saying, 'Look, according to your personality structure, this profession is closer or more suitable.'

Meaningful goals add meaning to the work you do

While a young person certainly has personal goals, they should also have goals for the society they live in. You should also do something for the country you live in, and you should have goals in this direction. It is important to have the feeling that you should also do something for the planet you live on. This adds even more meaning to a person's work. It is important for an individual to be able to look broadly for their development.

High meaning is important for intrinsic motivation

Adding meaning to the work one does increases the pleasure derived from that work. If a person adds meaning to their work, it becomes easier to find pleasure in it. When you only set enrichment and earning money as goals in career choice, those are temporary. Is the meaning in life just living for the moment? Working, saving a little, traveling, having fun, traveling again, working again. In such a life model, there is no meaning in a person's life. In an idealistic life, a person lives with pleasure until the last day of their life. In hedonistic happiness, even the body ages prematurely. People with high goals and high meaning are more successful in their professions. This is also an intrinsic motivation technique.

Defining the purpose correctly is important

Intrinsic motivation is one of the important keys to success in professional life. For intrinsic motivation to exist, a person needs to feel a need. For them to feel a need, they need to have goals. There will be a goal, and when there is a goal, a need arises. When there is a need, self-mobilization emerges, and motivation arises. Therefore, for a person to correctly define their purpose is the most important principle for success on their life path. This is often overlooked. A young person who only considers financial goals as their purpose will waste themselves in such situations. Therefore, they should choose their own high purposes and goals. It is important for a person to choose a suitable profession for themselves today so as not to get stuck in the past. It's a general psychological rule. In this case, people get stuck in the past. There is a beautiful saying: 'Learn from the past, live today, look to the future.' They should make their career choices according to these criteria.

HÜRRİYET AİLE