By Brad Smith,

When I speak with employees or students, I often get asked, “how do I make the right career choice?” My first response is always to lighten the mood by answering with a joke I once heard – “why do adults ask younger people what they want to be when they grow up? Because we are still looking for a good answer ourselves!”

The truth is - finding the right company and job is not clear cut, and comes down to your personal True North. For some, the choice is clear; but more often than not, it’s complicated and difficult. Fear and doubt seep in that the wrong decision can have long term effects, and many elect to “play not to lose, versus playing to win”. If you’ve ever felt that way, you are not alone. Honestly, these decisions are some of the toughest to make and are difficult for almost everyone.

When facing my first difficult job decision upon graduating college, my parents sat me down and taught me some valuable lessons about how they thought about career choices. Their advice has guided me in my own life, and I now pass these three tips on to others faced with similar choices:

• Choose a company that fits with your values: My dad taught me to first choose the franchise, before you worry about your title. Said another way, rank the company over your level or role. Your job, title, manager and salary will change over the course of your employment at a company – but their values will not. Whatever your personal core values are, make sure they align with those of the company or organization you decide to work for. You will not only be happier day-to-day, but you will be more successful in the long term as well.

• Choose a job where you’re surrounded by people smarter than yourself: When choosing a job, consider the team you’ll be joining. Never be discouraged by team members that are smarter than you. This will ensure that you are constantly learning, and in the long run that will make you a better version of yourself, leading to more success. I have been blessed in this regard, because it has never been hard to surround myself with people smarter than me!

• Choose what makes your heart beat the fastest: We all have aspects of our lives that fill us with more passion and joy than others. If you take the time to reflect on those aspects, and can find a way to infuse what you love into your job, it won’t feel like work. Consider the types of things in your daily life that bring you the most excitement, and look for those qualities when evaluating job opportunities. For me, my inspiration came when I received my black belt in Tae Kwon Do as a teenager, and my performance evaluations moved from not only measuring the growth of my own skills and capabilities, to how my students’ capabilities were growing and advancing as well. That taught me how much I valued investing in others, which led me to management. So whether it’s winning as a part of a team, or creating things with your own hands in solitude, seek roles that contain those opportunities. There are no right or wrong answers, there are only personal passions to be pursued!  

One final thought is careers are like roller coasters. There are definitely ups and downs. Early in my career, I left a company I loved for another company because they offered me more responsibility and a higher salary. In hindsight, I realized the culture didn’t match my values as well, and the company wasn’t as focused on leadership development, which I was passionate about. I was reminded of the lesson my parents had tried to teach me – to choose the franchise over the role. The good news is that those mistakes can be corrected. So pursue your personal True North, because it will enable you to be the best version of yourself, and create opportunities for you to make your greatest contributions.