Alternatives

In choosing an occupation freely explore all of your job possibilities. An excellent way to do this is to take the Career Key test at this website. You will identify occupations that match your personality, ones you want to explore. For example, if "Optometrist" was one of them, you would learn of other "Related Occupations". These include: chiropractors, dentists, physicians, psychologists, and veterinarians. These "related" jobs might be good alternatives for you. You will likely want to learn more about them.

A second way is to seek advice from others. Ask them for suggestions. Go beyond your immediate friends. Brainstorm. Be imaginative, "Who might have some good ideas?"

Third, go to the section Learning More about the Jobs that Interest Me. Many of the suggested activities will help you expand your options.

And, finally, consider how you are thinking about your decision. Can it be thought about differently? For example, instead of focusing on a long term decision, like "What career should I choose?", it might be better to put that decision off until later, when you know more. Instead, you might want to focus on a short-term decision like, "What course/major/training program best fits me?"