The U.S. Bureau of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook lists over 250 different occupations, each of which covers scores of job titles. How do you decide which one is right for you?

The first step is to identify what you most like to spend your time doing.

Most of us can count on spending well over half of our adult lives at paid employment. That represents an enormous part of your life. You may as well spend that time doing something you enjoy.

There's also a financial reason to find the work that's the right fit for you. It's human nature to excel at the things you enjoy. No matter how disciplined you are, if you have to struggle and push yourself to do something, chances are you're not going to do it well over the long run. Someone who enjoys that same activity will always do it better than you do – and earn more money from it than you do, since people are always willing to pay more for something done well than they are for something done poorly.

Step 1: Getting started

Step 2: Identify your career interests

Step 3: Look beyond money

Step 4: Evaluate your career choices