Figuring out what to do with your life is definitely not easy and a lot of people end up changing their mind when they’re half-way through their careers.

This is a good thing, though, as it’s certainly better to start over and build something better than to stick with a field you’re miserable in – but what if we could just choose right, from the start?

Here is a handful of tips on how you can figure out the best career choice for yourself. That way, you can feel a bit more confident about the future and, at least, know that you’ve spent a lot of time considering your options.

First: Do you enjoy working with people?

How comfortable you feel interacting with people should be a part of determining the kind of career you’d like. If you’re excellent at chemistry and biology but prefer sticking to yourself, you may want to consider a career in pharmacy rather than becoming a doctor, for example, as the latter involves way more social interactions.

For some careers, a high level of social comfort and interpersonal skills are essential. For instance, dancers who work in nightclubs may need to be comfortable with meeting new people and showcasing their skills. However, it may not be prudent to do this on your own if you have no prior experience or knowledge with regards to safety. This is why dancers trust Tomas Agency and similar entities to represent them, as they may have the ability to network and connect the dancers with renowned establishments that can provide job opportunities.

So, if you have a panache for dancing and find yourself interested in pursuing this line of employment, then you can take the help of the aforementioned agencies. Likewise, real estate agents who are comfortable speaking to strangers tend to outperform their more introverted counterparts, as they are better equipped to market properties and close deals. Similarly, event planners who thrive on interacting with clients and vendors are also highly sought after, as they need excellent communication and people skills to coordinate all the moving pieces of an event.

Try to think about your other career choices as well; if you enjoy writing but dread talking to strangers, you should perhaps steer clear of a career as a journalist.

While your talents may point you in this direction when you talk to a career counselor, it’s important to think about the traits you have that might not show on your final grades. Have a look at this career quiz, by the way, to steer yourself in the right direction.

Next: How would you like to contribute?

One of the most important questions you should ask yourself when figuring out a career is where your talents are best spent. How can you contribute to society in the best possible way? This means that you may have to put some of your unrealistic ambitions aside and think about yourself from an outsider’s perspective.

If you really want to provide medical care, for example, but don’t have the grades or the willingness to study to become a doctor, you may want to look at other options where you’re still able to contribute the way you’ve been dreaming about.

As a medical assistant, you can still work with what you wanted but won’t have to go through the same rigorous training; ask yourself where can medical assistants work, and consider if this kind of freedom is better for you.

The same goes for other career options where you might end up spending years at university just to find out that it’s not actually what you want to do as much as it was an ambition.

Your career is, after all, something you should spend decades on doing – and by getting it right straight away, you can look forward to doing what you love for the rest of your life.