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“Should I choose university courses based on what I love or what employers demand?” One of the many big questions all students have to this day before deciding on a university course.
After graduating from secondary school, you struggle to choose between what you feel are your interests and what you found about the relevant career.
There are no straight answers but lucky for you, the Japanese have figured this out through an ancient concept known as IKIGAI.
What is IKIGAI?
IKIGAI roughly translates to ‘’reason for being’’ which is a life principle to achieve happiness and purpose.
From a career perspective, the concept of IKIGAI proposes that the most fulfilling career is when ‘’What You Love to Do’’ is also ‘’What You Are Good At’’. In addition, the concept also intersects with something ‘’The World Needs’’ and which ‘’People Will Pay You For’’ the product or service that you provide.
Therefore, it is a practical concept as it infers that what sustains your passion should also be something others see as valuable with a positive impact on society.
So, do not see your choice as a trade-off between choosing your interest and what the future (or society) needs.
Instead, you should align your interests and strengths with vocations that require these qualities. Why? The validation of success given by people who see your work as valuable will only fuel your strength and passion even more.
How Do I Choose University Courses with IKIGAI?
There are actions you can take when asking yourself about the 4 ingredients that make up IKIGAI. Before choosing a tertiary education pathway, ask yourself:
What Do I Love to Do?
We all have many interests at many points in our lives. Take your time and list all the interests you have. It can be anything, even playing video games!
Interests normally have these qualities:
- Activities you gravitate to when you have free time.
- Things you would do even when no one told you to do it.
- You think and talk about them very often.
- You spend a lot of time researching the topics relating to what you’re good at.
Humans are curious beings. Our curiosity has given birth to many interests at different points in our lives. But to offer real value to society and make a living from your interests, you need to excel in your field of interest.
Even gamers need to undergo intensive training to be world champions.
The next step is to review your interest list and identify what you could be good at or enjoy so much that it comes naturally to you.
Getting Validation About My Strengths
The clues to your strengths come in the form of praises and remarks from people about your natural abilities.
For example,
- How easy it is for you to talk to people and make them feel comfortable;
- How often your friends ask you for fashion advice;
- People like to make you the leader;
- Ideas just flow easily for you;
- You are the lead scorer in your college basketball team
If you find that there are no particular strengths that stand out, it is only because you have yet to develop them from what is already your natural curiosity.
For example, if you love to follow the news about the stock market, then perhaps pick up skills about how to evaluate companies for investment opportunities. If you like to help out in the kitchen a lot, then try experimenting with various recipes. Practice as how a professional would.
Shortlist Careers Or Ventures
Next, tie your interests and strengths with actual careers or things you can do that will add value. It could be a product or service that does not exist yet but could solve a pain point.
In learning what the world needs, you must also understand the context of the country and economy you are in. The reality is that, in some countries, opportunities related to your interests could be limited compared to others.
Nevertheless, do not let that stop you from pursuing your passions. Think of the scope of your opportunities on a global scale. As long as you develop your knowledge and skills to a high standard, you will have many opportunities outside your country waiting for you.
Is This a Path That People Value and Will Pay For?
Being paid for something you offer as a product or service is a validation of value for what you do. Even social work can be sponsored by supporters if the society treasures the cause it brings.
To weigh yours, seek evidence from reputable sources, such as Talentcorp’s Critical Occupation List and Jobstreet’s Salary Report. If it is a new product or service that you intend to launch, perform surveys or develop a prototype to get real and honest feedback.
Pro Tip:
Try reaching out to people who are experienced in the field. Be brave to cold-email corporate leaders to have a coffee session with them to pick their brains.
So What Now? I Am Still Not Sure
Warning: You will not immediately figure out your life purpose or have an epiphany from reading just one article.
However, you now have a systematic approach and framework as a guide to understand yourself better. In the meantime, keep evaluating your IKIGAI even after graduation. With the world constantly changing, the ‘You’ from 6 months ago could be slightly different from the current ‘You’.
Sometimes the profession or calling that matches you perfectly comes with experience and a little luck. IKIGAI can guide you to recognise the right opportunities that come your way.
Use our Pathway Match tool to explore courses from over 100 different universities and find the right course for you!
Or check out our comprehensive guides of different types of courses and vocations out there:
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