How to Choose the Right Career Path When You Feel Lost

Career confusion is one of the most common challenges facing young Nigerians. With limited exposure to different industries and roles, many people choose career paths based on family pressure, social expectations, or simply what seems popular at the time.

The result? Millions of people in jobs they dislike, studying courses that do not interest them, or stuck in limbo because they cannot decide.

Why Career Confusion Happens

Several factors contribute to career uncertainty in Nigeria:

• Limited exposure - Most students have never interacted with professionals in different fields. They know about doctors, lawyers, and engineers, but not product managers, UX designers, or data scientists.
• Outdated career guidance - Schools rarely provide meaningful career counselling. When they do, the advice is often based on outdated assumptions about the job market.
• Social pressure - "Study medicine" or "do engineering" remains the default advice from well-meaning parents who may not understand the current job landscape.

A Framework for Choosing

Here is a practical approach to figuring out your path:

1. Explore broadly first - Before committing to a specific career, expose yourself to as many fields as possible. Attend industry events, watch online talks, read about different roles.

1. Identify your strengths - What do you naturally do well? What tasks energise you rather than drain you? These clues point towards careers where you will thrive.

1. Test before you commit - Try short courses, volunteer opportunities, or internships in areas that interest you. A two-week experience can tell you more than two years of wondering.

1. Talk to people in the field - Reach out to professionals and ask about their day-to-day work. Most people are happy to share their experience.

1. Give yourself permission to change - Your first career choice does not have to be your last. Many successful people pivoted multiple times before finding their calling.

How More Techies Can Help

Our Find Your Path assessment is designed to help you identify which of our four pathways best suits your current situation and goals. Whether you need structured learning, accelerated skills development, hands-on apprenticeship experience, or career simulation, we can help you take the next step with clarity.

Remember: not knowing your path is not a failure. It is a starting point. The key is to start exploring rather than staying stuck.