my career choice essay

The Ideal Career Choice Analytical Essay

Making a career choice is one of the most difficult decisions that people are faced with in their lives. Many considerations should be made before making a career choice. For instance, a person may want to choose a career that he or she has a passion for, but the career may not be rewarding moneywise. On the other hand, a person may want to choose a career that is rewarding in terms of finances, but this may force him or her to do something that he or she does not love to do.

The ideal career choice would be the case in which a person pursues something he or she really loves to do, and luckily the same turns out to be financially rewarding. “In most of these cases, the person actually has a natural flair for the career and thus, he or she does not encounter major difficulties while working” (Rides).

For instance, a person with a natural flair for athletics would make a perfect career choice if he or she chose athletics as a career, and it turned out to be lucrative. Another example would be a person with a flair for computer programming.

If this person chose computer programming as a career and it turned out to be lucrative, he or she would have made an ideal career choice. “As such, career choice is a decision, which entails critical thinking of the diversified choices available to an individual” (Smith).

However, there is common knowledge that people will not normally get financial benefit from doing the things they really love doing. There are many reasons behind this. One of the main reasons is unemployment, among others such as poor career planning. To explain the latter, it would be unwise for an introvert to study a course in a college that would lead to a career that involved public speaking.

Therefore, an introvert who studied political science or communication might pursue unrelated careers even if he or she has a passion for political science or communication. Such kind of people, together with those who lack employment opportunities are therefore, forced to make more pragmatic career choices.

Most people make career choices that are not related to what they love doing, in other words, their passion. This has been fuelled by the high rate of unemployment in the world, which has seen people pursuing careers that are unrelated to what they study in college. “For instance, it is common to see an engineer working as a human resource manager, a social scientist working as a journalist or even a teacher in an unrelated career” (Rides).

This has been because of unemployment making people indulge in careers that are unrelated to their subjects of study in college in order to make a living, as they wait to get a perfect job. The sad reality is that some of these people wait for a lifetime to get those jobs.

On the other hand, people who stick to what they love doing in most cases get frustrated. This is because it may take a year or two to get a job after college. After a long period of unemployment, one may get a job that is not worth writing home about. “The job may have limited financial rewards and it may lack opportunities for growth” (Rides). This has contributed to the occurrence of the aforementioned career-switches.

From the discussion above, it is clear that career choice should ideally be dictated by a person’s passion and natural talent. However, it is good to be dynamic in career choice in order to ensure that one balances life’s demands with passion. If one is able to secure a well-paying job related to what he or she love to do, then that is okay.

However, a person may be unable to secure a well-paying job that is related to his or her natural flair, something that disappoints most graduates after college. This makes people indulge in jobs that are not in their line of career. However, such decisions bring about major limitations, in that the person may not be satisfied with the job that he or she settles for. This will obviously lead to stress and burnout that may affect the quality of work that he or she delivers.

Despite this, the main consideration when choosing a job or career path should be one’s passion and not financial benefits that come in hand with the career. “This is because with passion, one is able to produce quality work, as they love what they are doing and end up being happy in life regardless of the benefit package associated with the career they are doing”(Smith).

Works Cited

Rides, Dark. Tips on choosing the right career for you. Hub Pages. 2009. Web.

Smith, Tim. How to Choose a Career That’s Best for You . On Careers. 2010. Web.

• The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
• Related vs. Unrelated Diversification
• Introversion in the context of personality
• Human Resources of a Hotel in the Swan Valley
• White Collar Crime: Embezzlement Another High Dollar Scheme
• The Concept of Human Resource Management and Its Issues
• The Strategic Competencies of Delivering Gifts
• Critical Thinking Application Paper
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2018, June 12). The Ideal Career Choice. https://ivypanda.com/essays/career-choice/

"The Ideal Career Choice." IvyPanda , 12 June 2018, ivypanda.com/essays/career-choice/.

IvyPanda . (2018) 'The Ideal Career Choice'. 12 June.

IvyPanda . 2018. "The Ideal Career Choice." June 12, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/career-choice/.

1. IvyPanda . "The Ideal Career Choice." June 12, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/career-choice/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "The Ideal Career Choice." June 12, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/career-choice/.

Career Essay

Career essay generator.

How do you see yourself 5 or 10 years from now? That question kicks start your imagination and make you visualize yourself in your future career. Maybe you are thinking about it now, but you are likely confused about expressing it in words. Unlike other essay writing , writing your career essay is exciting because you are writing about yourself, your plans, passion, and aspiration. Learn how to make your career essay impressive by reading this article.

10+ Career Essay Examples

1. career pursuing essay.

Size: 324 KB

2. Career Interest Essay

Size: 642 KB

3. Career Goals Essay

Size: 429 KB

4. Career Research Essay

Size: 186 KB

5. Career Scholarship Essay

Size: 96 KB

6. Career Personal Essay

Size: 95 KB

7. Career Needs Essay

Size: 73 KB

8. Career Teaching Essay

Size: 59 KB

9. Formal Career Essay

Size: 42 KB

10. Career Project Essay

Size: 29 KB

11. Career Plan Essay

Size: 230 KB

What Is a Career Essay?

A career essay is a text people write to detail their goals or plans for the future. In this essay, people talk about the career they want in the future and the things they have achieved so far. People often ask you to write a career essay when you send an application letter for a scholarship or submit your resume for a job.

How To Write a Rousing Career Essay

You should write your career essay seriously because it might be a deciding factor for your future. That said, in writing your essay, there are a lot of things to consider and a process you need to follow. Your end goal in writing your essay is to convince people that you are determined to walk the talk and make the things you wrote in your descriptive essay to reality.

1. Devise an Engrossing Title

The first thing to think about when writing an essay is coming up with an attention-grabbing title. When people read your essay, they pay the most attention to your title. Also, another benefit of coming up with your title first is that it will serve as a guide for you for the whole essay. 

2. Introduce With a Hook

After devising a title, deliver the next blow with an introduction that piques their curiosity. To do that, begin your essay with a hook. Your hook can be a quote, a question, or you can even provide a statistic. If your introduction is good enough, it will secure the engagement of your readers.

3. Organize Your Ideas

Writing an essay is like taking your readers for a ride. You need to set the vibe and organize the flow of your thoughts. Don’t start too strong it might make the rest of your essay bland. You need to properly build up the development of excitement and make sure the order of your ideas makes sense. 

4. Polish Your Essay

Finalize your essay by proofreading it. When people talk about their passion, they tend to talk too much and include several unnecessary things. Make sure not to do that. Omit all the details that don’t contribute to the overall impact of your reflective essay. Also, don’t forget to review your text for grammatical errors. 

Why is career planning important?

People hustle every day to reach their dream careers. Having a target career gives you a direction and sets your path. Planning your career is essential because being indecisive about it might negatively impact your life. Not having a fixed goal is like not having an end destination. Preparing for it would also make your career action plan achievable.

What is a career genogram?

A career genogram traces back an individual’s family tree and examines the career timeline they pursued. The scope of this genogram reaches the grandparents, extended family, and even the person’s close friends. This graphic representation is helpful when a person has a hard time deciding about his or her career development plan .

What is career assessment?

Career assessment is the process of identifying what career would work best for you. Most assessments are in the form of a questionnaire . It includes questions about your interests, your skills, your hobbies, and your strengths. These are some examples of questions that would help assess your future career. The result of your career assessment might give you ideas on what path to take.

The moment people read your career essay, they often rate how likely you are to succeed. Show them a piece of your mind that would erase all their doubts about your success. They say manifesting works wonders, so manifest the future that you want best by composing a rousing career essay. 

Text prompt

• Instructive
• Professional

Write a career essay on the benefits and challenges of a career in medicine.

Discuss in a career essay the skills needed for success in the digital marketing field.

Essay on Career for Students and Children

500+ words essay on career.

Career is a very important thing in one’s life. Whatever career path you choose to follow, it will impact your life greatly. Your career will define your status in a society in addition to your lifestyle. In other words, your career will determine your social circle and relationships.

Therefore, it is extremely important to choose the correct career path . From a very young age, we aspire to be something or the other. While someone aims to be a doctor, some wish to become a painter. Our career choices depend on a lot of things. Thus, it is important to consider all factors before choosing a career path.

How to Choose your Career?

You must consider a number of factors before deciding on your career. Each factor plays a significant role in your choice. Firstly, always assess yourself thoroughly. You must understand your area of interest to choose a career. For instance, someone who dances well can surely become a doctor, but his interest will always be in dance. Thus, ensure that you have the caliber to perform well in the field you choose. This will come from your area of interest itself.

After that, you look for the opportunities available as per your area of interest. Now that you are aware of what you like and dislike, you can easily look for occupations matching your passion. Make a list of the occupations you can get into following your interests. Furthermore, shorten the list you have prepared. You must do so as per what suits you best. Consult with your seniors and parents to make informed decisions.

Most importantly, acquire the skills for the career option you are interested in. Ensure you earn the qualifications and degrees for it. Try taking training programs to enhance your skills. This will give you an upper hand in knowing whether you are correct in choosing the specific career plan. Furthermore, create an impressive resume which can help you get the right opportunities.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

How to Achieve your Career Goal?

There are steps you need to take before achieving your career goal. As they say, success doesn’t come overnight. You must work along the way to accomplish your goals. There is always hope if you have the will. Firstly, create profiles on different job portals to attract the employer’s attention. When you maintain your profile well, you will be able to get good career opportunities.

Moreover, always maintain your network. Build a solid network and create sources in the field. This way you can update yourself with the latest happenings in the industry. In addition, try to attend the related seminars and workshops that happen related to your career choice. You will meet influential people of the same field who can broaden your thinking.

In short, always remember to stay determined. You can easily achieve your career goal if you set your mind to it. In other words, people usually distract themselves easily. You must not do so and focus on your career path to achieve your goals efficiently.

Customize your course in 30 seconds

Which class are you in.

• Travelling Essay
• Picnic Essay
• Our Country Essay
• My Parents Essay
• Essay on Favourite Personality
• Essay on Memorable Day of My Life
• Essay on Knowledge is Power
• Essay on Gurpurab
• Essay on My Favourite Season
• Essay on Types of Sports

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Download the App

How to Write an Awesome Essay About Your Career Goals

• Before you begin, ask yourself a few key questions like:
• What are my short-term and long-term career goals?
• Where do I see myself in ten years?
• What events in my life have led me to have these goals?
• What major will help me reach my goals?
• What skills do I need to reach my goals?
• What impact do I want to have on society?

Career Goals Essay Template

Need more inspiration.

After you brainstorm the responses to these questions, look for common themes, or pick out the most interesting stories. You can build your main essay “thesis” or idea around this.

Once you’ve got the main idea, create an outline to put your ideas into essay format. This will give you a general idea of structure.

You can use the career essays template below to give you some ideas. But remember that some rules are meant to be broken, so don’t be afraid to be innovative and think outside the box!

Also, when you’re done, head over to Going Merry to apply for the Career Goals scholarship essay bundle (one essay, one application, multiple scholarships!). You might as well make that essay count. Sign up for Going Merry to apply for scholarships more efficiently.

Here’s a paragraph-by-paragraph breakdown:

Paragraph 1 : Establish the main theme of what you’re going to talk about. It should also grab the reader’s attention. For example, instead of starting your essay with something generic (e.g. Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to be a zoologist), get creative with it! Try something like My greatest memory as a young girl was going to the zoo for the first time or While most kids play house or school, I always wanted to play zookeeper.

Paragraph 2 : Elaborate on what inspired your career goals. Perhaps it was a relative, a TV show, or simply an experience that you had. Remember that old writing adage, “Show, don’t tell.” In other words, try to demonstrate your interest with story or description. 

Paragraph 3 : Discuss your short-term career goals and your intended major. How will your intended major help you reach these goals? What skills do you need to learn to reach them? At the end of the paragraph, try discussing how your short-term goals can help you achieve your long-term goals.

Paragraph 4 : Focus on your long-term goals and the impact that you hope to have on society. If you’re not sure what your long-term goals are, don’t sweat it; they’ll probably change anyways. You can instead focus on the difference you’d like to make overall. And don’t worry too much about the size of the impact…remember that just doing what you’re truly passionate about has a massive impact on those around you.

The last paragraph is your conclusion. You can use this paragraph to summarize what you discussed in the previous few paragraphs. If you want to be even more creative, try ending your essay with a question for your readers or a new insight. Good luck!

And now that you’re ready with that essay, put it to good use! You can recycle that same essay, when applying for the Career Goals Scholarship Bundle. We’ve joined together multiple scholarships (all requesting essays on career goals), into just ONE simple application! See more info here , or just sign up to get going.

Check out examples from other students just like you. Here are links to some great career goal essay examples:

• Example 1  
• Example 2  
• Example 3  

Or maybe you’re looking for help with an academic goals essay — we’ve got you covered there too.

Also, check out this helpful list of the 10 most common scholarship essay topics !

Sign up for Going Merry today, and upload your career goal essay right to your profile. It’s that easy!

• Recent Posts

• 7 Outstanding Oregon Scholarships for 2021 - November 6, 2020
• Great Scholarships for Students in Ohio for 2021 - November 4, 2020
• Great Scholarships for Students in Texas for 2021 - July 30, 2020

Ready to find scholarships that are a match for you?

Presentations made painless

• Get Premium

113 Career Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

Choosing a career path is a significant decision that can shape our lives. Whether you are a high school student exploring your options or a working professional considering a career change, writing a career essay can be a valuable exercise in self-reflection and goal-setting. To help you get started, here are 113 career essay topic ideas and examples that can inspire your writing:

Why I chose my current career path.

The influence of my family on my career choices.

Exploring unconventional career options.

The impact of technology on the job market.

The role of internships in career development.

How to navigate a successful career in a competitive industry.

Strategies for finding work-life balance in a demanding career.

The importance of professional networking for career growth.

Challenges faced by women in male-dominated industries.

The role of education in career success.

The pros and cons of freelance work.

How to turn a hobby into a career.

The future of remote work and its implications for careers.

The impact of automation on job opportunities.

The benefits of pursuing a career in the nonprofit sector.

The role of mentors in career development.

The importance of continuous learning in a rapidly changing world.

Exploring careers in the healthcare industry.

The challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship.

The impact of globalization on career opportunities.

The role of personal branding in career advancement.

The benefits of cross-cultural work experience.

The role of emotional intelligence in career success.

Exploring careers in the creative arts.

The challenges and rewards of a career in the military.

The impact of social media on career opportunities.

The importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

The benefits of pursuing a career in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM).

The challenges and rewards of a career in education.

The role of leadership skills in career advancement.

The impact of climate change on future career opportunities.

Exploring careers in the hospitality industry.

The benefits of pursuing a career in the environmental sector.

The challenges and rewards of a career in law enforcement.

The role of communication skills in career success.

The impact of artificial intelligence on job displacement.

The importance of financial literacy in career planning.

Exploring careers in the fashion industry.

The benefits of pursuing a career in public service.

The challenges and rewards of a career in the entertainment industry.

The role of resilience in overcoming career setbacks.

The impact of social entrepreneurship on career options.

The importance of work culture in career satisfaction.

Exploring careers in the sports industry.

The benefits of pursuing a career in the technology sector.

The challenges and rewards of a career in the aviation industry.

The role of adaptability in navigating a changing career landscape.

The impact of artificial intelligence on job creation.

The importance of work-life integration in career fulfillment.

Exploring careers in the tourism industry.

The benefits of pursuing a career in the financial sector.

The challenges and rewards of a career in healthcare administration.

The role of organizational skills in career success.

The impact of online learning on career development.

The importance of workplace diversity for innovation.

Exploring careers in the film industry.

The benefits of pursuing a career in engineering.

The challenges and rewards of a career in social work.

The role of negotiation skills in career advancement.

The impact of remote work on employee well-being.

The importance of emotional well-being in career satisfaction.

Exploring careers in the gaming industry.

The benefits of pursuing a career in marketing.

The challenges and rewards of a career in nonprofit management.

The role of time management in career success.

The impact of social media on personal branding.

The importance of cultural intelligence in global careers.

Exploring careers in the culinary industry.

The benefits of pursuing a career in journalism.

The challenges and rewards of a career in architecture.

The role of problem-solving skills in career advancement.

The impact of remote work on team collaboration.

The importance of work-life harmony in career fulfillment.

Exploring careers in the music industry.

The benefits of pursuing a career in psychology.

The challenges and rewards of a career in event planning.

The role of decision-making skills in career success.

The impact of artificial intelligence on job satisfaction.

The importance of mentorship in career development.

Exploring careers in the automotive industry.

The benefits of pursuing a career in entrepreneurship.

The challenges and rewards of a career in graphic design.

The role of creativity in career advancement.

The impact of remote work on organizational culture.

The importance of work-life boundaries in career satisfaction.

Exploring careers in the publishing industry.

The benefits of pursuing a career in human resources.

The challenges and rewards of a career in interior design.

The role of teamwork in career success.

The impact of artificial intelligence on job security.

The importance of self-reflection in career planning.

Exploring careers in the education technology industry.

The benefits of pursuing a career in healthcare research.

The challenges and rewards of a career in social media management.

The role of adaptability in overcoming career obstacles.

The impact of remote work on employee engagement.

The importance of work-life integration in career success.

Exploring careers in the renewable energy sector.

The benefits of pursuing a career in data analytics.

The challenges and rewards of a career in public relations.

The role of critical thinking skills in career advancement.

The impact of artificial intelligence on job recruitment.

The importance of lifelong learning in career growth.

Exploring careers in the e-commerce industry.

The benefits of pursuing a career in healthcare policy.

The challenges and rewards of a career in software development.

The role of adaptability in navigating a changing job market.

The impact of remote work on work-life balance.

The importance of personal development in career success.

Exploring careers in the renewable energy industry.

The benefits of pursuing a career in user experience design.

The challenges and rewards of a career in cybersecurity.

The role of emotional intelligence in career advancement.

These 113 career essay topic ideas and examples cover a wide range of industries, skills, and challenges. Whether you are passionate about a particular field or looking for inspiration, these topics can help you explore various aspects of careers and find your own unique path. Remember, writing a career essay is not only about showcasing your knowledge and skills but also about understanding yourself and the world of work. Good luck on your writing journey!

Want to create a presentation now?

Instantly Create A Deck

Let PitchGrade do this for me

Hassle Free

We will create your text and designs for you. Sit back and relax while we do the work.

Explore More Content

• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Service

© 2023 Pitchgrade

• Search All Scholarships
• Exclusive Scholarships
• Easy Scholarships to Apply For
• No Essay Scholarships
• Scholarships for HS Juniors
• Scholarships for HS Seniors
• Scholarships for College Students
• Scholarships for Grad Students
• Scholarships for Women
• Scholarships for Black Students
• Scholarships
• Student Loans
• College Admissions
• Financial Aid
• Scholarship Winners
• Scholarship Providers

Student-centric advice and objective recommendations

Higher education has never been more confusing or expensive. Our goal is to help you navigate the very big decisions related to higher ed with objective information and expert advice. Each piece of content on the site is original, based on extensive research, and reviewed by multiple editors, including a subject matter expert. This ensures that all of our content is up-to-date, useful, accurate, and thorough.

Our reviews and recommendations are based on extensive research, testing, and feedback. We may receive commission from links on our website, but that doesn’t affect our editors’ opinions. Our marketing partners don’t review, approve or endorse our editorial content. It’s accurate to the best of our knowledge when posted. You can find a complete list of our partners here .

Examples of Scholarship Essays for the “Career Goals” Question

Emily Wong is a writer at Scholarships360. She’s worked as a social media manager and a content writer at several different startups, where she covered various topics including business, tech, job recruitment, and education. Emily grew up and went to school in the Chicago suburbs, where she studied economics and journalism at Northwestern University.

Learn about our editorial policies

Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.

Writing an essay is often the trickiest part of the scholarship application, not to mention the most time-consuming. However, the essay section also allows room for creativity and individuality. If you can communicate effectively, you can use the essay portion to stand out from the crowd. Let’s go over some tips for writing, as well as a couple of scholarship essay examples about career goals.

How to write a scholarship essay 

At this point, you’ve probably gained plenty of experience writing papers for school. However, it may still take a couple of tries to nail the scholarship essay. Since scholarship teams often have to get through a lot of applications, it’s important to stand out while staying concise. Here are some simple guidelines for writing scholarship essays.

See also: How to write a winning scholarship essay (with examples!)

Take five minutes to brainstorm

Before you even start your essay, take some time to gather your thoughts. Think about what you’ll want the paper to focus on. Why did you choose to pursue your career path in the first place? Where do you want to be in five years? How would this scholarship help you further your studies and work toward your goals?

Once you’ve jotted down a few ideas, choose one or two to center your essay on. Identifying the focus of your paper, it’ll make it easier to keep your thoughts organized. In turn, it’ll make it easier for the reader to follow.

Related : How to start a scholarship essay (with examples!)

Stay within the word limit

Unlike the four-page essays that you may have written in English class, scholarship essays are often only a paragraph or two. In order to respect the selection committee’s time, be wary of going too far about the specified word count. A general rule of thumb is to stay within 20 words above or below the limit. That may entail a few rounds of edits to get the wording just right.

Stay positive!

Feel free to use part of your essay to talk about your life’s challenges. After all, the selection committee often wants to give the award to a candidate who needs it. However, make sure your anecdote doesn’t devolve into a sob story. If you’re going to bring up hardships you’ve endured, try to balance it by talking about how you’ve overcome them. By demonstrating resilience, you can show readers how you would use the scholarship to succeed in your current situation.

Leave time to proofread

Especially for a short scholarship essay, proofreading can take as little as 5-10 minutes. Still, it can be tempting to just hit “submit” after your first draft. However, being too impulsive can leave your essay riddled with typos and grammatical errors.

Try to avoid unnecessary mistakes by finishing your draft at least 24 hours before the scholarship deadline. That way, you can proofread it with fresh eyes before you submit it.

If you’re struggling to close out your essay, read how to end a scholarship essay in five steps .

Apply to these scholarships due soon

$10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship

$2,000 Sallie Mae Scholarship

$40,000 Build a College List Scholarship

Niche $25,000 “No Essay” Scholarship

$25k “Be Bold” No-Essay Scholarship

$10,000 CollegeXpress Scholarship

$1,000 Appily Easy College Money Scholarship

$5,000 Christian Connector Scholarship

$2,000 No Essay CollegeVine Scholarship

How to write a 100-word “career goals” essay.

When writing a 100-word essay, you’ll have to choose your content carefully. Since space is limited, you’ll want to identify the most important details to include beforehand.

First and foremost, make sure to clearly communicate your current pursuits. Talk about your academic and extracurricular activities related to your career goals. Additionally, it’s important to be specific about what you plan to do in the future. Then, if you have extra room, you can talk about how the scholarship will help you reach your goals.

My name is Alison MacBride, and I’m a sophomore at the University of Illinois. I’m currently pursuing a major in Journalism with a minor in Natural Resource Conservation. After completing my program, I plan to combine my areas of interest to become an environmental journalist.

During high school, I volunteered at an eco-conscious farm, where I learned about how our actions affect the earth. Since then, I’ve been set on raising awareness for the environment. This scholarship would go a long way in helping me finish my degree with the skills I need to investigate and report about critical issues.

Word count: 100

How to write a 250-word “career goals” essay

For the 250-word essay, you can go into more detail. Give the readers some context by talking about how you first got interested in your chosen career. Storytelling can be especially effective in engaging your audience. Try to capture their attention by choosing one or two concrete examples and relaying them vividly.

Additionally, you can spend more time talking about the scholarship and how it’ll make a difference in your studies. Go into more detail about how and why you need the award, but remember to keep it positive! For more help, check out how to write a 250 word essay . 

I first decided that I wanted to pursue a career in environmentalism in early high school. The summer after my freshman year, I joined a volunteer program at an eco-conscious farm in my community. In addition to helping out with the operations, I learned about current environmental issues related to farming and other consumer industries.

After learning about the agricultural industry’s impact on the planet, I was inspired to make a difference. The next year, I started a monthly earth magazine at my high school in which we broke down environmental issues and offered tips on how to be more eco-friendly. When I started college, I founded an on-campus publication with the same mission.

In recent years, I’ve been troubled to see how some media outlets downplay the gravity of issues like climate change and deforestation. I’ve admired reporters who publish trustworthy and comprehensible information about environmental issues, and I aim to follow in their footsteps.

When I entered college, I was initially concerned that I wouldn’t have enough money to finish my degree. Fortunately, I’ve been able to cover most of my tuition using merit scholarships and paychecks from my part-time job on campus. Receiving this scholarship would allow me more time to focus on acing my classes and pursuing environmental advocacy work on campus.

Word count: 261

Final thoughts

Planning is essential in making your “career goals” essay clear and concise. Hopefully, these scholarship essay examples about career goals can be your guide to writing a scholarship-winning essay. Good luck!

Additional resources

Maybe you need to write a longer scholarship essay? We can help with our writing a 500 word essay guide ! Be prepared and learn how to write essays about yourself and how to craft an impressive personal statement . Learn the differences between a personal statement and a statement of purpose as the terms might come up on college websites. If you haven’t decided on a college already, check out our guide on how to choose a college . No matter where you are in your educational journey, make sure that you apply for all the scholarships you qualify for!

Start your scholarship search

• Vetted scholarships custom-matched to your profile
• Access exclusive scholarships only available to Scholarships360 members

Scholarships360 Recommended

Top 64 No Essay Scholarships in May 2024

Top 256 Scholarships for High School Juniors in May 2024

$20k+ in Exclusive Scholarships from Scholarships360

Trending now.

Top 55 Easy Scholarships✅ to Apply For in May 2024

Top 1,324 Scholarships for High School Seniors in May 2024

Top Scholarships for Current College Students in May 2024

3 reasons to join scholarships360.

• Automatic entry to our $10,000 No-Essay Scholarship
• Personalized matching to thousands of vetted scholarships
• Quick apply for scholarships exclusive to our platform

By the way...Scholarships360 is 100% free!

Explore Jobs

• Jobs Near Me
• Remote Jobs
• Full Time Jobs
• Part Time Jobs
• Entry Level Jobs
• Work From Home Jobs

Find Specific Jobs

• $15 Per Hour Jobs
• $20 Per Hour Jobs
• Hiring Immediately Jobs
• High School Jobs
• H1b Visa Jobs

Explore Careers

• Business And Financial
• Architecture And Engineering
• Computer And Mathematical

Explore Professions

• What They Do
• Certifications
• Demographics

Best Companies

• Health Care
• Fortune 500

Explore Companies

• CEO And Executies
• Resume Builder
• Career Advice
• Explore Majors
• Questions And Answers
• Interview Questions

Career Goals Essay For Scholarships (With Examples)

• Apply For A Job
• Applying To Multiple Jobs At The Same Company
• Applying for a Job In-Person
• Personal Mission Statement
• Corporate Titles
• Career Goals Essay
• Internal Applicants Only
• Vision Statement

Find a Job You Really Want In

Scholarship programs often want you to write a career goals essay to see that you have a clear plan for how you’ll apply your education to a specific career path. This helps show a scholarship committee why you’re seeking funds for the next step on the path toward your success.

Answering “what are your career goals” effectively can help increase your odds of impressing landing a scholarship opportunity. If you’re a prospective student applying for scholarships, this article will provide tips on how to write a career goals essay, along with essays on career goals examples to help you get an idea of what scholarship committees are looking for.

Key Takeaways:

When you’re writing a career goals essay, make sure to write about the goals that are relevant to the scholarship.

Be honest and use your own voice to stand out in your scholarship essay.

Go into detail about how the scholarship will help you achieve your goals.

What is a career goals essay?

Why scholarship essays ask about career goals, example career goals essay prompts, career goals essay examples, tips for writing a scholarship essay about career goals, what to write in a career goals essay if your goals have changed, career goals essay for a scholarship faq.

• Sign Up For More Advice and Jobs

A career goals essay is a personal written explanation that discusses your background, why you’re interested in participating in the program, and what career you’d like this degree to lead into. A scholarship essay functions to explain why you want to achieve your professional goals and how you intend to get there.

In almost every application process, a portion asks the candidate to answer an essay question. When applying to an educational program, like an MBA, the essay prompt usually relates to your career goals .

Scholarship essays ask about career goals to assess your enthusiasm for the program, learn more about how the scholarship will help you, and ensure that you’ve considered how the program will help you achieve your goals for the future:

Assess your enthusiasm. Passion is important for scholarship administrators, and if you’re able to articulate your enthusiasm for a specific career path , it will show that you’re determined to meet the requirements to reach that goal. The most specific and well-thought-out your essay is, the easier it will be for a reader to understand your devotion and commitment to the program and the field it will allow you to enter.

Learn how the scholarship will help you. Having a firm grasp of your career goals is great, but it’s equally important that you express exactly how the specific program relates to those goals. This shows that you’ve researched the merits of the program and understand exactly how it fits into your professional goals.

Show you’ve considered your future. This goes along with the first two points — show that you know how to set goals and consider the path toward achieving those goals, and you’ll have an easier time convincing the reader that you’ll know how to set goals while participating in the program. They’ll see that you know how to prioritize education because you have a clear vision for navigating your career path.

While some scholarships might come right out and simply ask, “What are your career goals?” most will rework the question into something different that still accomplishes the same goal.

Below are some examples of career goals essay prompts that a scholarship program could pose to its applicants:

Discuss your career goals. Many scholarships prefer the most direct approach when giving an essay prompt to their applicants. This type of question gives the candidate a lot of wiggle room to discuss their passions, motivations, and career goals.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years ? This question is often used as a prompt for a career goals essay because it gives the applicant a timeline to describe their aspirations. It forces them to be realistic about where their career will be and how they will accomplish this within the next ten years.

How will this scholarship contribute to your professional success? A scholarship committee wants to be sure that the money they’re giving will contribute to a student’s overall professional success. This question asks about the applicant’s game plan in the long-term and evaluates how this program is going to assist in their future.

What is your dream job ? Since a dream job is often categorized as a person’s career goals, this is a common question phrasing in scholarship essays. Asking about a candidate’s dream job answers whether this program aligns with the student’s long-term career goals.

What matters most to you and why? Sometimes, a scholarship essay prompt won’t ask about your career or future at all. Instead, they’ll ask a question like this that assesses your motivations , values, and character.

Use these examples of career goals essays for scholarships to help write your own. Pay special attention to how they’re organized, rather than the content, to inspire your own career goals essay:

Career goals essay example 1 – Discuss your career goals

When I was six years old, I was riding bikes with my older sister around our neighborhood. She had just taught me how to ride, and I was excited to have to freedom to explore with her. When she was rounding a particularly difficult bend to see around, a car happened to be coming along at the same time. It struck her. That bike ride changed our lives forever. Over the next year, I went with my sister every Tuesday and Thursday to her physical therapist ’s appointments to help her regain walking strength. Watching her physical therapist patiently assist my sister back to becoming herself awoken something in me. A passion for helping others in the same way eventually turned into a career goal of becoming a physical therapist myself. I decided to get my bachelor’s degree in exercise science. After graduating in 2019, I knew that the next step for me was to attend a graduate program in physical therapy. I was accepted to Lassell University Master of Science in Rehabilitation Services. This presented me with my latest goal along my career path, and I’m eagerly waiting to start. This scholarship would help me afford the wonderful opportunity to be a part of the Lassell University class of 2023, allowing me to continue working towards my ultimate career goal of becoming a physical therapist and helping others to become themselves again.

Career goals essay example 2 – Where do you see yourself in ten years?

In ten years, I will have been successfully running my own construction business for about five years. I’m currently a second-year student at the University of Texas, pursuing a master’s degree in business administration. I decided to get my MBA because I knew it would be a positive asset toward my long-term career goal of owning a construction business. In my high school years, I worked as a construction apprentice for a local business. I loved many aspects of the business, such as building something from nothing. I knew that I wanted to incorporate this work into my long-term career, but I didn’t want to work as an apprentice . This led me to pursue business. In ten years and with the help of this scholarship, I will have graduated with my MBA almost a decade prior . After graduation, I plan to take a business administration internship with a carpentry business to help myself get a footing in the field. After about two years of this, I will have started my own construction business.

Career goals essay example 3 – What matters most to you and why?

The people I surround myself with matter most to me. Whether it be my relatives, friends, or professional acquaintances, I always care the most about the happiness of the people around me. Making the people around me happy matters the most to me because I truly because we find our happiness through others. I believe that this drive to make a positive impression on the people around me is what drove me towards a career as a nurse . I always thought of hospitals as places where people need someone to support them and make their day a little happier. I wanted to be one of those who spend their careers positively impacting people in need. This scholarship will enable me to finally afford nursing school and go after my dream job full force.

Career goals essay example 4 – What are your short- and long-term career goals, and how will earning this degree contribute to achieving those goals? Please provide a minimum of 200 words.

My short-term career goals involve working directly with underprivileged young people to increase the literacy rate in my community. As a student of an underfunded and understaffed school, I’ve seen firsthand how much of an impact early literacy education makes on long-term achievement. It broke my heart to see my peers embarrassed at their struggle with reading at an advanced age, and this shame added another dimension to their lack of opportunity. Being a literacy educator for young people would allow me to serve this community directly to show them not only the necessity of strong written communication skills, but the joy of reading for pleasure. This program focuses specifically on early literacy, and would provide me a direct route to a career in serving the community I hope to serve. As for long-term career goals, I hope to one day create a program where socioeconomically parents can bring their children for literacy education, not only to increase their ability to navigate the world of language, but also to instill confidence and joy in the written word. What drew me to this program was that it also has administrative, legal, and business dimensions that would set me on the path toward achieving this goal.

Here are some tips to keep in mind for writing a career goals scholarship essay:

Write about goals relevant to the scholarship. Although you may have many different kinds of goals for your personal and professional future, a scholarship essay only discusses objectives that are relevant to the program you’re applying for.

Be honest. Applying for a scholarship is stressful because the applicant’s education is usually reliant on receiving these funds in one way or another. Even though it’s tempting to exaggerate your skills or pretend you’re more passionate about something than you are to make yourself a more competitive applicant, it’s a bad move.

Use your own, unique voice. The essay portion of a scholarship application is your chance to stand out by using your voice. Nobody else, regardless of their academic or professional achievements, is you. Make this clear in your career goals scholarship essay by keeping your unique written voice engrained in the words you produce.

Be specific. A big reason that scholarship committees ask applicants to write a career goals essay is to determine how prepared they are in planning their long-term professional goals. They aren’t interested in providing a scholarship to students who aren’t going to follow through with their career plans.

Explain long and short-term goals . Even if the essay prompt asks you to describe where you see yourself in ten years, you still need to tell them the steps leading towards this picture of success.

Include the short-term goals that add up to your larger career objectives in your essay response. Explain how accomplishing the smaller goals gives you an advantage when tackling long-term ones.

Explain how the program and scholarship will help you. Before writing your career goals essay, consider how this program and scholarship will help you in your career. The answer to this question is essential.

Follow the essay formatting guidelines. This may sound obvious, but it’s surprisingly easy to forget this step when your essay is finally flowing and when you’re scrambling to get it submitted on time.

Check, double-check , and triple-check the essay guidelines for content, word count, and formatting requirements. If you miss any of these steps, your essay may be immediately disqualified no matter how good it or the rest of your application is.

Many times career goals essays are written by students who have already completed at least some college or are applying to a post-graduate program and need more money to continue.

There’s a good chance that your career goals have changed since you started or graduated college. For example, say you wanted to be an engineer , so you got your undergraduate degree in engineering but realized you didn’t like it after working in the industry for a few years.

You decided that nursing would be more up your alley, and now you’re applying for a scholarship for a nursing program. While this isn’t unusual, it can make it more difficult to write a career goals essay since your past work doesn’t necessarily match your future goals.

In this case, you’ll simply need to explain why you changed your career path and why this next one is the best choice for you. Share your decision-making process to show that you haven’t taken the switch lightly, and talk about what you’ve already done to try to pursue this path.

How do you write a career goal for a scholarship essay?

You write a career goal for a scholarship essay by sharing your passion, explaining both your long- and short-term goals, and relating your goals to the scholarship.

Explain why you want to pursue the career you’re pursuing, where you hope to be in the future and how you plan to get there, and how the scholarship will help you do this.

How do you describe your career goals in an essay?

You describe your career goals in an essay by explaining what you want to do in your career, why you decided on this career path, and what you’ve done so far to make that a reality.

You can usually work these factors into any prompt you receive, so think through them before you start writing so that you can use them as an outline of sorts.

What are career goals examples?

Examples of career goals include:

Working as a grant writer for a nonprofit organization.

Becoming a department manager and eventually an executive in your field.

Owning your own plumbing company.

Caring for underserved communities as a nurse practitioner .

What are some goals for success?

Some goals for success include growing in your role, building your network, and finding joy in the job. Most careers don’t just happen overnight and require you to set the right milestones that work best for you. Not everyone will have the same goals for success.

How do you start a career goals essay for a scholarship?

You can start a career goals essay for a scholarship by directly answering the prompt. Most scholarship prompts include a word count of between 200 and 500 words, so it’s essential that you immediately respond to the prompt. Attention-grabbing sentences and narratives can be helpful for setting the scene, but an efficient and direct answer will show a clarity of mind that helps enhance the quality of your answer.

BLS – Career planning for high schoolers

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating / 5. Vote count:

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

Sky Ariella is a professional freelance writer, originally from New York. She has been featured on websites and online magazines covering topics in career, travel, and lifestyle. She received her BA in psychology from Hunter College.

Recent Job Searches

• Registered Nurse Jobs Resume Location
• Truck Driver Jobs Resume Location
• Call Center Representative Jobs Resume Location
• Customer Service Representative Jobs Resume
• Delivery Driver Jobs Resume Location
• Warehouse Worker Jobs Resume Location
• Account Executive Jobs Resume Location
• Sales Associate Jobs Resume Location
• Licensed Practical Nurse Jobs Resume Location
• Company Driver Jobs Resume

Related posts

How To Write A Letter Of Inquiry (With Examples)

15 Tips For Email Etiquette In The Workplace

A Guide To The Starbucks Application Process

What To Bring To A Job Fair (With Examples)

• Career Advice >
• Apply For Jobs >
• Application >

• Entertainment
• Environment
• Information Science and Technology
• Social Issues

Home Essay Samples Life Career

Choice of Career Narrative: Tracing the Footprints of Destiny

Table of contents, a glimpse into the dreamscape, guided by experience, the canvas of passion, a symphony of aspirations, conclusion: the unfolding narrative.

*minimum deadline

Cite this Essay

To export a reference to this article please select a referencing style below

• Valentines Day

Related Essays

Need writing help?

You can always rely on us no matter what type of paper you need

*No hidden charges

100% Unique Essays

Absolutely Confidential

Money Back Guarantee

By clicking “Send Essay”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement. We will occasionally send you account related emails

You can also get a UNIQUE essay on this or any other topic

Thank you! We’ll contact you as soon as possible.

• SUGGESTED TOPICS
• The Magazine
• Newsletters
• Managing Yourself
• Managing Teams
• Work-life Balance
• The Big Idea
• Data & Visuals
• Reading Lists
• Case Selections
• HBR Learning
• Topic Feeds
• Account Settings
• Email Preferences

How to Make Better Decisions About Your Career

• Timothy Yen

No, it doesn’t involve a Magic 8-Ball.

Making decisions is hard — especially when you’re trying to make big career decisions. This five-step framework can help you focus on what’s important.

• What are your feelings telling you? Think about the kind of work you’re doing now, or the kind of work you’re planning to do. Brainstorm and jot down ideas of different careers you’re considering. What feelings come up?
• What matters to you? Take a psychological assessment or complete an exercise that will help you identify your values.  Understanding your values will allow you to make choices that align directly with the things you care about.
• What matters to other people? Just as it’s important to get clear on what matters to you, it’s also important to consider how your decision will impact your loved ones. Ask them for their own thoughts, input, and feelings.
• What is the reality of the situation? Be objective and consider the realities surrounding your options, not your assumptions. Otherwise, you might end up having false expectations or feeling disappointed by your choices.
• How do I put the pieces together? Once you’ve answered these four questions, review all the information you’ve just discovered. You should come to your final decision. If you don’t revisit the previous steps.

Where your work meets your life. See more from Ascend here .

Picking your college major, choosing the perfect career, trying to decide if you should leave your job and move to a new one — decisions like these can feel daunting. We all spend a huge amount of time at work, and we all want (and deserve) to love what we do. But the path to finding that work isn’t always clear.

• TY Timothy Yen is a clinical psychologist with a doctorate from Azusa Pacific University, practicing in the East Bay area, and leading conferences and retreats around the globe. Between his years in private practice and another eight years as a Mental Health Staff Sergeant in the US Army, he’s empowered hundreds of individuals, families, organizations, and teams to develop authentic relationships and grow into their best selves. He currently resides in Northern California with his wife and son.

Partner Center

Essay on Career

A career is the future of our job or education that later determines our success.

Who doesn’t want to have a luxurious life, who doesn’t want to be rich? Who doesn’t love to be famous or to be liked and respected by society? Everyone loves this stuff and wants themselves as well as their family to be happy and prosper all time. In order to achieve all these things, everyone works hard to make a better career. Life wouldn’t be complete without a career. Since childhood, every child thinks of what he wants to become in the future. Today we will focus on the career in detail.

Short and Long Career Essay in English

Here I’m presenting long and short essays on Career for students. This topic is useful for students who are at the stage of choosing their careers.

Career Essay 10 Lines (100 – 150 Words)

1) A career is a journey that a person makes through learning, work, and other aspects of life.

2) Career will help to turn all dreams into reality.

3) Choosing a career is the most critical task of our life.

4) Career should be chosen according to our interests.

5) Students can make their careers in many fields like medical, engineering, teaching, art, etc.

6) Hard work, confidence, and determination are important to achieve good career goals.

7) One should choose a career that gives joy and pleasure.

8) Students can make their careers according to their skills.

9) A good network and guidance will lead you toward a good career.

10) Students should take help from their parents, elders, teachers, and well-wishers while choosing a career.

Short Essay on Career (200 – 250 Words)

Everyone has a dream to have a luxurious lifestyle full of comfort. To enjoy this lifestyle we have to make a good career. Developing a career plan is an integral part of managing personal development and learning. Anyone can set themselves up for a fruitful, fulfilling career if they put in some hard work, do some planning, and conduct some serious self-reflection. Choosing a career involves a number of factors like future scope, skills required, etc. These factors have an impact on a person’s final decision. Before selecting a career, it is important to identify the areas of interest.

It is well known that academic studies lead to a wide range of careers. One needs to study hard for better career prospects. A hobby or thing that anyone loves to do can easily be turned into a career. A number of hobbies correlate well with actual career positions.

Like, if anyone enjoys drawing or arts, a career as a graphic designer is ideal, or if he likes sports, he can choose his career as an athlete or a sports trainer/coach. However, one should also think of the future aspect of that field. A career is an important factor that enhances your societal importance and relationship. Do not give up on your dreams, choose your career wisely.

Long Essay on Career (500 – 600 Words)

Introduction

When we take admission to school we don’t have much idea about our future. We generally concentrate on our studies. We enjoy this stage very much. Later when we are promoted to a higher standard, we understand the importance of studies. After a few years when we are at the ending stage of our school days, we realize the importance and meaning of a career. At this time we really have the pressure of choosing a good career. A career is a future path that leads us toward the path of success.

Importance of a good career

A career plays a crucial role in everyone’s life. From childhood, we are instructed to study hard and score good grades. We are told to work hard to make a better career. A good career leads to a good life. A career is important to attain success in life. From personal to professional life everything is affected by a career. A good career develops your personality and quality of living.

Society also respects people who have a good career. Your lifestyle and future also depend on your career. A career affects your entire life and hence it is considered important to choose your career wisely. Many students aim to become a doctor, engineers, teachers, etc in the future. To attain this profession first we need to study hard.

Choosing your career

Choosing your career is a very critical decision. There are many factors that affect the decision of choosing a career. The first thing that we should consider is our area of interest. Students should make their careers in the field they are interested. Our interest makes us more perfect in our job. Another thing is the future prospect, students should also take care of future opportunities. The field you are opting for must have a good future scope so that later it gives you fruitful results. Everything in the world is continuously changing. So keeping this in mind is very important when choosing your career.

Other things like working environment, salary, extra benefits, etc should also be concerned. One must feel satisfied with their career. You rarely get a chance to correct the mistake you have taken while choosing a career. Therefore, students should think twice before proceeding toward the future.

What helps in making a good career?

A career cannot be built overnight, you have to focus on it beforehand. The below given factors will help you to achieve good career goals.

Hard work: Nothing can be achieved without hard work. Continuous hard work and studies will help you to achieve your career goal.

Confidence: Today, confidence is important in both personal as well as professional life. Confidence will give you the power to show your skills and also help you to do well in your career.

Determination: Determination toward your work will always give you a profitable result. One should never lose hope and always remain determined.

We have to take many decisions in life but the most critical decision is to choose a perfect career. The option to choose a career comes only once in life. Therefore, we should start thinking about our career way before so that we do not make any mistake. We can also take help from parents, elders, teachers, and relatives. Today, we have the internet, the solution to all the problems. Students should collect proper knowledge and choose a career that suits their interests and future.

I hope the above provided essay on Career will be helpful for every student in making their career decisions.

FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions on Career

Ans. A career is a long-term goal while a job can be done for earning money.

Ans. Frank Parsons is considered as the “Father of Guidance”.

Ans. Career planning is a process that helps in choosing the best career that matches your interest, skills, and talent.

Ans. A career counselor helps you in choosing a career. Doesn’t matter whether you are new or working, you can take help from a career counselor to build a good career.

Related Posts

Essay on digital india, cashless india essay, essay on child is father of the man, essay on causes, effects and prevention of corona virus, essay on dr. sarvepalli radhakrishnan, durga puja essay, essay on summer vacation, essay on my plans for summer vacation, essay on holiday.

Home — Essay Samples — Life — Career Choice — My Ideal Career Choice

My Ideal Career Choice

• Categories: Career Choice Dream Job

About this sample

Words: 1667 |

Published: May 24, 2022

Words: 1667 | Pages: 4 | 9 min read

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Dr Jacklynne

Verified writer

• Expert in: Life

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

1 pages / 559 words

4 pages / 1642 words

2 pages / 1046 words

3 pages / 1579 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Career Choice

As a passionate and enthusiastic individual interested in the field of dentistry, I am excited to share my personal statement with you. Throughout this essay, I will provide insight into my educational and professional [...]

I want to become an accountant not only for its promising career prospects but also due to my passion for numbers, analytical thinking, and the essential role accountants play in the financial success of businesses and [...]

Choosing a major is a pivotal decision that can shape one's academic journey and future career path. For me, the choice was clear: I decided to pursue a degree in Criminal Justice. This essay explores the personal motivations [...]

As a college student, I have decided to pursue a career in social work. My interest in this field has been sparked by personal experiences and academic coursework, as well as a passion for social justice and advocacy. In this [...]

Right from my childhood I am fascinated towards technology whichever communicates each other. Being a kid, I loved playing with the telephone lines in my home and unwittingly listen to my cousin” discussions with the help of [...]

What is a software engineer? Software engineers create software and systems for businesses. These products include software for businesses, games, and network control systems. Software engineers may also have the following [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

LAFCU essay winners: How my environment molded me into the person I am today

Here are the four winners of LAFCU's Write to Educate essay contest. The students were tasked with answering this question: How has the place you have grown up molded you into the person you are today and impacted your life?

The winners each received a $5,000 college scholarship and another $500 was donated to each winner's designated charity.

My community shaped and expanded my worldview

Nature vs Nurture. How much does the environment a person is placed into have an effect on their character versus how they were born?

I have contemplated this question many times when it comes to myself and how much I have allowed myself to be changed by the people around me. From a young age I have always had a strong sense of self. I have known who I am and what I need to do to accomplish my goals of becoming smarter and stronger. I have had little care for the judgments from my peers.

This has been an asset because it has allowed me to reach heights beyond what I thought was possible but that does not mean I always know my path forward. That doesn’t mean I have not changed. As much as I, and every other human on the planet, resists change, it is impossible to grow without changing.

Becoming older means expanding one’s view of the world from a simplified version to a messy one. A world full of complexity and inconsistency which each and every one of us must navigate and find our own path through the shroud known as our future. The community that I have grown up with are my paddles allowing me to navigate the treacherous river, giving me advice and a wider world view of things I never thought existed.

My morality is the first thing that was shaped by my community. Every person has the basics of morality sewn into them from birth but when it comes to more complicated situations, my community has changed my view.

My younger self was much more cut and dry where I would label something as wrong no matter what, with no exception. My community has taught me to view these situations with more context to make more informed decisions.

For example, a kid beats another kid because he was being bullied by him. My old self would say the kid who got into the fight should be punished because he laid his hands on another person and should have taken other outlets to resolve the problem. The way I see it now is that even though his decision was wrong to hurt the other kid, no one was able to stop the bully from bullying him and the system itself has failed the kid by allowing the bullying to happen. I have no wish for anyone to get hurt, but I see that situation as much more nuanced than I once did.

These ideas have been shaped by my own experiences and by the people around me who have been put into tough situations. I have learned from the diverse community around me that the choices people make are rarely simple ones.

My political views have also been shaped by my community. I am growing up in a community that largely has different political views from my own. Having different people to communicate with that have grown up in ways different from my own, has allowed me to find where I stand on certain issues.

Within my community I have been able to find people that I respect, and I take note of the things they believe and challenge their ideas versus my own. Even if in the end our ideas of how the world should be run may differ, I have been able to find common ground with tons of people and I have been able to refine my views into a more well-rounded, multi-faceted, diverse view of the world.

My community is full of people from all different races and cultures, and by combining perspectives from all those different people, we can find a way to have a more united world with the basic necessity of finding common ground and understanding which can unite us all. Where I have grown up has shaped the way I think and how I act. Even though I have always had a strong sense of self, there are parts of my personality that have been changed and molded by my experiences, and my community has influenced the way that I view different situations. Without my community I would not be as accepting and open-minded as I am today.

— Antonio Rojas of East Lansing High School is headed to the University of Michigan. Chosen charity: Cristo Rey Community Center

Lansing Hmong community encouraged my success

Many things in life are taken for granted. During my childhood, I was very active in the Hmong Lansing community. The community would occasionally hold multiple annual events for gatherings. I would meet many new people there and hear their stories, advice or opinions on life. The younger me at the time didn’t know what to take from these experiences and failed to appreciate these moments.

As I matured, I understood what these opportunities meant when I grew around the community. It was the experience of learning from others. The learning experiences growing up in the Hmong Lansing community have molded me to become a person of ambitions, someone who gives back, and the love of cooking for others.

In the Hmong community, the place has molded me into a person of ambitions. I am a first-generation Asian American coming from Hmong immigrants. My parents came to America for a better opportunity. Within my community, most do not have a college education. People from the Hmong community had to adjust to the culture, language, and way of life in America. Born in America, I adjusted to the culture there easily compared to my community.

I felt the need to carry their dreams of being successful. I wanted to take the opportunity that wasn’t given to my community and achieve greater heights. I want to strive for success within the Hmong community.I have grown into a person who gives back to their community. I can always remember the events that brought the community together all over Michigan. It was a yearly cultural event called the Lansing Hmong New Year. It was an event of celebration, bonding, and opportunity to connect with others. I wanted to help continue thisongoing tradition. I started doing community service to involve myself.

Even though it may not have been much, I felt a sense of accomplishment in giving back to the community. Seeing the joy of others is what truly motivates me to give back to my community.

The place I had grown up in created a love for cooking. I vividly remember the times when my parents would have a barbecue for various occasions for the community. I would always ask my dad to teach me how to grill. It was until one particular day that pestering led my dad to teach me how to grill. It was my brother’s graduation event.

Graduation from high school was important in the Hmong community; it was the time for people to gather for the success of one’s education. My dad guided me in the process of grilling until he thought I was ready by myself. I took my first step in grilling, and it was a success. People in the community for my brother’s graduation thought my cooking was delicious. I was filled with joy and pride. I liked having that feeling and having others enjoy what I make. Learning that skill gave me a passion for cooking for others.

Throughout my life in the Hmong Lansing community, it has taught me many valuable lessons in life. Whether it was basic knowledge or insights, these life lessons were appreciated. Without the love, guidance, and support from the community, I wouldn’t have grown into the person I am now. The Hmong Lansing community holds a special place in my heart.

— Elvis Vue of Waverly High School will attend Ferris State University. Chosen charity: Hmong Family Association

Rural upbringing influenced my career choice

Did you know that rural students are now officially recognized as an under-represented group in colleges?

For decades, rural students have faced unique barriers in getting into the best colleges, but in recent years, people have started to realize that the lack of rural representation in academia is a problem. From my own experiences growing up in a small, rural town, I have gained skills vital to my future career as a plasma physicist, allowing me to collaborate with my peers in the scientific community to better the world.

One of the key things that Napoleon has offered me is a close-knit community, which has given me social skills that I would not otherwise have, allowing me to effectively collaborate with others when the time comes to work as a group. These skills will serve me well in my future career, where I will be collaborating with scientists both in my own field and related disciplines.

As a smaller, rural school district, Napoleon had not always had the resources of larger schools. Despite this, my teachers have helped me to develop creative ways to solve problems when not all the tools are available, allowing me to effectively function in situations where I do not have the same opportunities as other students.

For instance, though my school doesn’t offer advanced physics education, I was able to seek out opportunities like the Academically Talented Youth Program at Western Michigan University or Physicists Inspiring the Next Generation (PING) at Michigan State University, which allowed me to gain knowledge I would not otherwise have, and I was supported in this endeavor by my school.

As a student in ATYP, I had to leave school early once a week in order to gain an accelerated honors education in English − not only was my school able to accommodate my periodic absences, they were also willing to accept my ATYP credits in lieu of the school’s English classes. This flexibility let me have more time at school to pursue other modes of education such as dual enrollment.

Similarly, my upbringing in a more rural area has given me a perspective on the world and how it works that is beyond what my more urban peers are familiar with. Growing up in a forest, I have always been surrounded by nature, and I have a deep love for the woods around my home. This has spurred my intention to enter the field of plasma physics, where I can make a difference by working towards the end goal of nuclear fusion energy, a clean and safe source of electricity that will keep the woodlands I have loved safe for centuries to come.

Already, I am able to apply this perspective to the community around me. In my role for the Jackson Community Foundation’s Youth Advisory Committee, I have had an incredible opportunity to serve as a mediator, helping to resolve issues that occur in my group of students working towards a better future for the youth of Jackson County.

— Thomas Hays of Napolean High School will attend Michigan State University. Chosen charity: Jackson Community Foundation

Success comes from overcoming rural limitations

Livingston County has always been my home. Despite continuing development, the area where I live remains rural. Growing up in a rural area is equal parts wonderful and frustrating. Rural means fewer people per square mile with smaller communities and less diversity.

My school is not known in the area for its diversity. There is not much variety when it comes to everything from what grocery store your family shops at to what school you attend.

My education has been limited by my rural community because my school has fewer class selections and availability. For example, both last year and this year I signed up to take classes (AP English Literature and Pre-Calculus) my school offers but I was unable to attend these classes because the only availability conflicted with my other classes. To combat this struggle, I committed to learning these classes online through a virtual education platform with whom my school partners.

One of my other choices, AP biology, did not have enough student interest to schedule the class and I had to change selections. This has been a limiting challenge for me as well as other students in my district. To broaden options, many students participate in dual enrollment classes with community colleges in the area. Limited variety and availability has encouraged me to stretch my idea of traditional school to take the classes that will help shape my future.

Activities like archery and horseback riding are local to me. I attended horse camp at age 6 and have been involved with horses ever since. Currently I am a member of my school’s equestrian team and own my own horse, Gingersnap. Horsemanship has taught me selflessness, hard work, responsibility, and perseverance. Without access to local barns and camps I would have missed out on developing important life skills.

My school’s archery team was started by another student in my grade who had a passion for archery, the outdoors, and hunting. I joined immediately. In addition to memories and friendships, archery has taught me how to set and achieve realistic goals, that practice makes progress, and teamwork. I am grateful for my community being in an area that supports and fosters growth in clubs such as these.

Despite the lack of variety, I strive for excellence in every opportunity to reach my full potential. My classmates and l help encourage each other in many areas from academics to sports and clubs. A friend of mine created the Environmental Club, of which I was a member, to help promote recycling and decrease wastefulness. She also created Students for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Our club not only recognizes diversity but we find solutions to problems in our community every day. We spread awareness at school through bulletin boards displaying achievements by a variety of groups in hopes to foster change and inspire others in our community and the world beyond.

With a smaller school population, there is less diversity but we do have an inclusive program called Peer to Peer. Neurotypical students are paired with neurodivergent students (called “links”) to assist them with participation and making friends. These “links” are often the only friendships these students have at school. I helped encourage my “link” to communicate with me by starting conversations, asking questions, and playing games.

Our school is small enough that our Peer to Peer class was able to meet and play Braille Uno during lunch. The more intimate setting including our whole group may not be possible in a larger district. While we may not have the diversity of a larger school, I embrace any available opportunities to learn about others.

I would not trade growing up in a rural area as I feel I made the most of my opportunities and developed skills that will support my transition to a larger college community and beyond.

— Vivian Hansen of Pinckney High School will attend Eastern Michigan University. Chosen charity: Bountiful Harvest Pantry