When students take on the daunting task of choosing a career, “what ifs” plague the mind: What if I choose the wrong one? What if it doesn’t fulfill me? What if I never reach the success I desperately want? What if I never have that “aha” moment? For Trinity college counselor and teacher Mrs. Sharon Bohannon, that moment came when she was a sophomore in high school. “I took biology as a sophomore, and by the end of the semester, I knew I wanted to be a biology teacher — and I taught biology for 20 years,” Bohannon said. Bohannon’s career at Trinity took a different direction when she decided to become a counselor. She earned her master’s degree in counseling at the University of Louisville and has spent a total of 17 years as a counselor, 12 years working with freshmen and five years as a college counselor. Many people, though, are not as fortunate as Bohannon and take a little longer to determine their career path. How much should seniors have decided by now? Bohannon said, “I don’t think you have to know, but you should know what area in a career you are interested in. Specific career, no; general idea, yes.” Bohannon cited four steps every student should take when determining a career that will fulfill them. Determining a career should be an external and internal process. First, talk to people, she said — “parents, friends of your parents, your friend’s parents, talk to anyone that has a job that sounds interesting to you.” Second, look at yourself and start to identify your passions and strengths and how they can be put together in a career. She said, “You can learn a lot from family and friends, especially what they love and hate about their jobs, and they will be most truthful to you. But self-reflection is important to try to decide what you are good at, what makes you happy, and how you will put those two things together to create a fulfilling career.” The third step, Bohannon said, is to research career websites and get information. “Personality and career information websites are always good,” she said. “They give you feedback about yourself, and any time you are learning something about yourself is good. The more you know yourself, the more often you will make good choices. There is so much listening to what others are saying, but you have to listen to yourself and know what’s good for you.” Bohannon recommended career counseling centers, among them Jewish Family and Career Services. The fourth step is to see a real work environment. This experience will help you figure out if the job looks like something you might want to pursue. She said, “The more real experiences you get, like internships and summer jobs, the more you will be able to figure out what you most enjoy and what works for you.” The reason some people know what they want to do while others struggle, Bohannon said, is internal. She said, “Some people just know; they picture themselves in that career, and it comes from inside. It is not good or bad; it is just who they are. With the people that don’t know, they see so many opportunities that seeing which one is best is difficult.” Bohannon pointed out that it is rare to pick the right job on the first try in today’s world. She said, “There are many more global opportunities. Most people stay at accompany for five years and move on. During my time that was not acceptable. Now moving around is accepted and expected by some companies. Also, kids today travel so much more and aren’t afraid to look for job opportunities in other places around the U.S. and world. People are willing to take chances and go for opportunities. People are less afraid to leave.” Bohannon advised against being guided strictly by money in making a career choice. “You have to make a fair salary,” she said, “but…money is not the crucial element in happiness in your career.” Bohannon believes that, unfortunately, not everyone will experience the “aha” career choice moment. She said, “The majority of people do, but there are so many options these days that some people search and never find what truly makes them happy.”