(The article first appeared in M.S Rao's blog and has been republished with the permission of the author)

"I have always advised my children and students not to worry so much about saving money or about climbing up the next run on the ladder of their career, an attitude which seems to be an obsession with highly motivated people, concerned about economic security. It is much more important to work at perfecting yourself and thereby ensure your usefulness no matter what fate does to you." -  Hans Seyle in The Stress of Life

Choosing career is a challenging decision as most of the times people don't know how to choose their careers due to various reasons. There are several things they must consider before choosing their careers.  Here is the list of things to look at before making their career decision:

1. Find out your personality type.  There are 16 personality types as per Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).  Take the MBTI test to find out which personality type you are, and choose your career.
2. Find out the areas you are interested into.  It provides introspection and also helps you choose your career easily. For instance, if you love to write you can become a writer and work in any publishing department.
3. Find out whether you like doing physical or mental activities. If you are interested in working indoor choose your career accordingly.  Pursuing a career that involves outdoor physical activities stresses and drains your physical energies.
4. Find out whether you love travelling.  If you are interested in the careers that involve travelling you enjoy working and learning while travelling.
5. Find out what motivates.  People are motivated by various factors such as money, love, comforts, praise, and knowledge and so on.  If you recognize your motivational factors and choose your career accordingly, you never think that you are working any longer as you enjoy every moment of your professional life.
6. Make an inventory of your skills.  List out the skills that you possess and prioritize them. Then, find out the careers that are close to your skills to shortlist.
7. Find out your risk levels.  Do you enjoy taking high risks?  If so, then get into unconventional careers where risk is more and opportunities for career growth are spectacular.  If your risk appetite is low then sail smoothly by following conventional careers as you get immediate employment and ensure steady corporate climb.
8. Finally, find out whether you want to be a leader or a manager.  If you have appetite for high risk, and are able to accept both bouquets and brickbats equally you can pursue the careers that involve leadership roles and responsibilities. If your risk levels are low where you want to follow the orders of others and execute efficiently then follow the careers that involve managerial roles and responsibilities.

Remember two things in your life: follow the career as per your choice and marry the spouse of your choice as you spend most of the time in your workplace and rest of the time with your spouse. It helps you lead your life peacefully and happily. It is rightly said, "If you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life.

"The decisions you make about your work life are especially important, since most people spend more of their waking lives working than doing anything else. Your choices will affect, not only yourself and those closest to you, but in some way the whole world."—Laurence G. Boldt

You can email at profmsr7@gmail.com and visit his blogs http://profmsr.blogspot.com http://professormsrao.blogspot.com and http://professormsraoguru.blogspot.com