"Education doesn't end with graduation. The first position out of college should provide learning opportunities that will serve as building blocks for future career success."

Sometimes there is no harm in stating the obvious. The obvious is success at your choice of career is so very essential for happiness in life.

So the question is: Do you educate yourself first and then decide on a career path or you decide on a career path and decide on the relevant education?

Does your choice of career tally with your educational qualification? You spent at least 15 years getting that degree and then another 2-3 for a post graduate diploma or a degree. And yet are you in a job that requires the qualification that you possess?

While the basic minimum bachelor's degree has become absolutely essential to secure a job; many a times the work itself has very little to do with what you learnt through the books in universities. Most of the things that you learn about your job are those which you learn by being on the job, not when you were in school or in college or at an institute.

Of course your education makes you capable of learning, it makes you receptive to the demands of your job, and also it also clears some fundamentals about dealing with people, or accounts, or chemistry or biology and geography and history in your mind. It helps you at times, at least in not making you look stupid in the eyes of those who are experienced on the job.

But let us see the difference between 'career' and 'doing a job'. Career, as the word implies, is a very conscious choice that you make. "Getting a job' and 'Doing a job' is something that you land up with after passing exams, getting degrees and applying at various places.

You are a 'career person' when you plan in advance what you want to do in life, very consciously, by listening to your inner voice, by identifying your inherent talents and skills and then go about taking up educational courses that qualifies you for that particular career choice.

That means you have a career in mind and then give yourself an education that commensurate with that choice and not the other way round.

For example if you are interested in making a career in 'new farm technology' may be you should seek qualification in 'technology' that relates to 'farming'.

When you make a career choice consciously you are aware of it and you follow your own heart rather than a crowd. While following your heart is very important but knowing your own strengths and weaknesses are equally important. Your choice of career should be based on these important factors. Once you do that, there are umpteen numbers of courses, colleges and universities that may be training you for your career choice.

You can make your career choice with the help of a career counselor also if you are not sure about what your choices should be or you have two to three choices and want to select one.

For your own happiness and to build successful happy relations in your life, you need to be happy with your work life and your career. And for that you should choose a career and relevant education.