In order to eventually get the most satisfaction from your career, you must begin by finding what field suits you best. If you haven't had years to experiment with a variety of jobs, this task can be a little daunting. Begin by identifying your assets and learning about yourself, including your temperament, personality traits, and transferable job skills. Set and evaluate your personal and professional goals and priorities.

Then move beyond your own personal inventory and focus on the job itself. What, specifically do you envision doing each day, and in what setting? Do you know enough about each potential job to assess whether it meets your needs? To answer these questions, you may try informational interviewing in which you talk briefly with someone in your field about his work. Prepare your questions in advance, take only twenty or thirty minutes of time, and follow through with thank you notes. For a more in-depth perspective, try job shadowing, which involves seeking out a person in a job similar to one you'd like to have and observing him/her for a day as she works. You'll quickly gain insight into the responsibilities of the job. Finally, you may decide to enlist the help of a professional caree