No one knows what they want to do when they're 18.

I certainly lacked the self-awareness to make an informed career choice in high school. After having a variety of different types of jobs and having broad academic experience, I have nailed down the factors to consider when choosing a career.

Here are three considerations to make:

1: Align Your Interests

You should have an intrinsic interest in your field of choice.

In the modern world, when you have many choices, choosing a career for the money just isn't sustainable for long-term fulfillment. Obviously, work is work, but you should consider what interests you and what problems you want to solve. For example, someone who loves science and data could look into biostats.

All jobs have aspects you don't like, but the nature of the roles vary widely.

2: Consider Your Temperament

You should consider your social battery when choosing a career.

Everyone has different thresholds for socializing, and everyone needs both social time and quiet time. Some may be better suited to be in presentations and think on their feet constantly, while others don't mind sitting behind a computer for a long time.

It's important to choose a career that will bring out the best of your personality.

3: Evaluate Your Lifestyle Needs

With lifestyle, the two main considerations are income and personal time.

In many cases, there is an inverse relationship between how much you earn and how much free time you have. This is especially true for careers like medicine, law, and investment banking. Some don't mind putting their career first, but others want more of a balance at the expense of income.

Balancing these factors is not easy, and you will rarely have a perfect balance.