Are you multi-talented and need help to choose a career?

Mercy Mwende, 18, is a multi-talented young woman. She can sing, draw, sew and is a good cook. While it is great to have multiple skills especially in Kenya where the rate of unemployment is high, this gift has been a source of confusion for her. She is unable to decide what career path to take.

Sandra Nkatha, HR Manager, Angaza Africa Sacco, agrees that individuals with diverse interests and skills find it difficult to pay full attention to one skill.

“Think about it, it is hard to focus on acting when you think you could do better if you had pursued, say, graphic design. Such feelings of dissatisfaction can lead to demoralisation, hence poor performance at work,” she explains, and adds,

“Depending on your talents, you might discover with time that they can coalesce and build one another. If they are unrelated, say music and interior decor, then you need to consider several factors before deciding what career path to pursue.”

These tips will help you make the best decision.

Develop a talent program

To do this, you need a strategic process to help you determine what talents are really aligned to your personal values. List all your talents and pinpoint the one that best suits your personality. Do you prefer working independently or do you draw fulfilment from engaging with others?

Ensure that you go for a career that best matches what you value most.

Work-life balance

This involves the ability to split one’s time for work and other equally important activities such as family or friends. Before you decide to pursue a particular talent as a career, you need to understand the schedule around it. For instance, an acting career will require you to occasionally travel.

One might also be required at different times of the day. Having a good work-life balance helps to increase productivity at work and in other aspects of life.

Requirements of the job market

For each of your talent, research on the skills required in the job market. By doing that, you will have an idea of the different certifications, experience and training required for a particular industry.

Working style

One of the emerging trends in the job market is the ability to work full time or as a freelancer. While making a decision on what to choose, this is a factor that you also need to put into consideration. Do you prefer regular working hours or flexible shifts? Is that choice possible with the field you’ve settled for?

Integrate

After listing your talents down, try to find out if you can pursue a career path that will bring to use the various aspects of your abilities. If you can sing, act and dance, then you should consider getting into the film sector.

Be okay with leaving some talents as just that. Talents. The fact is that you don’t have to turn every talent or passion into a business or a career, but this does not mean that you should forget about them. You can still pursue your various interests during your downtime without expecting any monetary return.

Think of the long-term

The decision you make now will have a ripple effect in future, therefore, have the future in mind when making the decision. With the technological advancements in various fields, for instance, will that career still be relevant?

Engage with others

Do you know someone who took the leap and turned their talent into a career? Consult them. Engaging with such individuals will give you an idea of how they perceive the field and the trends within it. Also, there are hundreds of stories and videos online by people who are earning from their talents.

Don’t compare yourself with others

When still trying to figure out what to pursue, you are likely to meet young people who already know what they want and are pursuing it with a conviction that it is best suited for them.

In such a case, do not be discouraged by your inability to whittle down your choices, if anything, you should embrace the fact that you have various skills and be ready to make use of them whenever possible.

Seek advice

One of the best ways to ensure that you are on the right path is to seek advice from career experts or individuals who are established in the fields you are interested in.

Remember, whether you are yet to make the decision or are already pursuing a particular career path, it’s never too late to make a turnaround. You don’t want to be stuck in a profession that doesn’t give you fulfilment.