Picking a career is not something easy to do, for many it is something that you fall into rather than something that you pick actively. And truth be told, when most people think about the career they want to follow, they pick a traditional profession like law or teaching or medicine or engineering. If they don’t go that route and study towards it specifically at a tertiary level, then it tends to be that they drift into something and their career path unfolds somewhat fatalistically. But maybe it’s time to play with your head up and start think about what career could work for you and you can start to work towards it. Here are a few alternative ideas worth considering.

Love the city

If you love the city you live in and you know it like the back of your hand you might want to consider a career in the urban development or metro property management. It’s about growing the city and looking after its buildings and its people. The key here is you should have a knack for finance, an ability to manage projects and a genuine love for the urban environment.

What about farming

Typically the only people who become farmers are the sons or daughters of farmers. Very few people move from an urban environment to a rural one, it is usually the other way around. But farming is a wonderfully rewarding vocation and one that allows you to spend time outdoors and away from the tedium of office work. And you don’t need to own a farm to be a farmer, study agriculture and then find a farm to work because if you have a bent for either plants or animals then there are areas of farming angles that will suit your skills.

Coach sport

There is the old saying which suggests, ‘those who can do and those who can’t teach.’ It’s a tad harsh really, especially when applied to actual teaching, but the truth is professional sport is not all about natural talent – some people have it and others don’t. But it takes mental acuity and insight to train and coach sportsmen. It is why so many of the top sports coaches and managers were not top players – quite simply it is about completely different skill sets. So if you have a passion for a sport, be it cricket or football or rugby, but you don’t have what it takes to play at the highest level, then maybe you should consider coaching and get qualified in that area instead.

Boyhood dreams

At some point in their lives most little boys want to be pilots or policemen or firemen. But as we grow up and the pressures of society dictate that we must do more office based, university qualified jobs, the dreams of fighting fire or arresting baddies are quashed. It’s sad really because these are all noble careers and one which can afford great opportunity. As you plot your path ahead in life, ask yourself what attracted you to those gigs when you were five and ask why they are not seen as options anymore. You might just find that they bounce back strongly as career options when evaluated objectively!