June 13th, 2025 • 5 min read
How to Choose a Career: 6 Self-Reflective Activities for Intermediate Students
Choosing a career is one of the most important decisions a person will ever make. For intermediate students, typically teenagers , this decision may seem overwhelming. But this phase is actually a great time to start exploring possibilities. Why? Because building self-awareness early leads to more confident, informed decisions later.
At Inwesol, we believe that every career journey should begin with understanding yourself. This blog shares 6 simple yet powerful self-reflective activities that can help students start their career discovery with clarity, curiosity, and confidence.
1. Start with Self-Assessment Questionnaires
Imagine having a mirror that doesn’t just reflect your appearance, but your personality, interests, and capability. That’s what self-assessment tools do. Tools like:
- Career readiness : Career maturity Test refers to your readiness to make informed career decisions based on awareness, information-seeking, confidence, and effective use of resources. Click here to take right now
- Interests : RIASEC (Holland Code ), Matches your interests with real-world careers and work preferences.
- Personality : Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Helps you understand your personality, how you think, feel, and behave.It also offers insights into how you work, communicate, and make decisions
- Skill test : Careers are not just about what you like, they’re also about what you’re good at. List down like:
- Hard skills: Writing, coding, designing, math, drawing.
- Soft skills: Listening, teamwork, leadership, empathy.
These assessments don’t give you a final answer, but they act like a mirror, reflecting your own interests and what feels natural and energising to you.
2. Reflect through Journaling
Your thoughts and feelings are important indicators of what excites you.
Maintain a career journal where you write:
- What subjects or activities make you feel good?
- What do you enjoy doing when you have free time?
- What kind of problems do you love solving?
- Who or what inspires you?
This simple habit can highlight underlying patterns. Over time, you’ll start to notice the threads that connect your passions, values, and potential career choices.
📝 Tip: Journal weekly, even if it’s just a few lines. Reflection grows with repetition.
3. Research and Explore Careers
A. Online Activities
Once you know what excites you, explore careers that match those interests.
Use websites like:
- India’s National Career Service (NCS)
- My Next Move (US-based but useful)
- Inwesol’s Career Explorer (coming soon!)
Look into:
- What subjects should you study?
- How does the career grow over time?
- What kind of people thrive in it?
- What does a day in that job look like?
Research turns vague dreams into real possibilities.
B. Conduct Informational Interviews (Offline)
No website can replace a real conversation.
Talk to someone who already works in the field you’re curious about. It could be a family friend, neighbor, teacher, or someone from your extended network. Ask them:
- What do they love about their work?
- What’s challenging?
- What should students know if they want to enter this field?
These chats are eye-opening. You’ll learn what textbooks can’t teach.
📝 Tip: Keep a list of insights from each conversation in your journal.
4. Seek Guidance
A. Clarify Your Values
Do you want a career that brings stability? Creativity? Helping others? Recognition?
Your career values act as an inner compass. Here are some value prompts to reflect on:
- Do I want a job that allows me to work from anywhere?
- Is financial independence a top priority?
- Would I feel happiest working alone or in a team?
- Do I want to make a difference in people’s lives?
Your dream job isn’t just what you do—it’s how it fits into the life you want to build.
B. Set Career Goals (Big and Small)
Break down the big question—“What do I want to be?”—into smaller, manageable goals.
Example:
- Short-term goal: Explore three new careers this month.
- Mid-term goal: Choose a subject stream based on my interests by next academic year.
- Long-term goal: Become a wildlife photographer or urban designer.
Setting goals keeps you focused, but also flexible. You don’t need all the answers now—but you need a direction.
📝 Tip: You can consider reaching out to an experienced career coach, they can help you think more clearly, structure your thoughts, and set meaningful goals.
Sometimes, a trained professional brings clarity when you're feeling confused, someone dedicated to guiding you with structure and support. That’s why coaching is a core part of our product at Inwesol.
5. Participate in Job Shadowing
Job shadowing means spending a day or two with a professional at their workplace.
It’s like a behind-the-scenes tour of a career. You’ll see what the job is really like—not just what people say it’s like.
Even shadowing for a few hours can answer key questions:
- Is this work exciting or repetitive?
- Does it involve a lot of people or solo work?
- Would I enjoy doing this every day?
📝 Tip: If you can’t shadow in-person, look for virtual job-shadowing videos on YouTube or LinkedIn Learning.
6. Join Career Workshops and Fairs
Career fairs and student workshops are full of energy, ideas, and inspiration.
These events let you:
- Explore multiple career fields in one place.
- Interact with mentors and professionals.
- Participate in fun activities that reveal your interests and aptitudes.
At Inwesol, we conduct workshops that help students experience self-discovery in a structured, engaging way, with career coaches and psychologists guiding the way.
📝 Tip: Attend events with a curious mind, not just to collect pamphlets.
Conclusion: Your Career, Your Journey
Choosing a career isn’t a one-time decision. It’s a journey of discovering who you are and where you want to go. The more you understand your strengths, interests, and values, the better your choices will be, not just for college, but for life.
At Inwesol, we encourage students to start early, stay curious, and explore freely. It’s okay to change your mind. It’s okay to explore new things. What matters is that you’re actively participating in designing your future.
Remember: You don’t have to have all the answers today. But by asking the right questions, you’re already on the right path.
👣 Ready to begin your journey?
Explore our free career resources, book a discovery session with our coaches, or attend an Inwesol workshop near you.
