Everyday, thousands of people wake up and prepare to go to work. And for many of them, it’s just that: work — a chore, something they really dislike and would abandon in a heartbeat if something better came along.

For these people, what they do hardly qualifies as a career choice, it’s just something they do to pay the bills. The word career implies a life-long journey in one’s chosen pursuit. By choosing their own job path, some people feel motivated, inspired, energetic and look forward to the challenges the day ahead promises.

Today’s WomanWise is all about careers. Our profilees are women who have all found their happiness in their chosen pursuits. There’s our cover story on Lt Leslie-Ann McLeod-Mohammed (pg 6), who was among the first batch of women to enter the army. At 19, she left a teaching job, lured by the prospect of being a pioneer for future female soldiers. The army, she says, is a way of life, one that she has lived for 25 years.

Then there’s former Miss T&T/Universe beauty queen Leah-Mari Guevara (pg 4), who has chosen to turn her love for dogs into a dog-grooming business. A model who does seasonal work in the United States, she says her business is something she does out of choice not necessity. That alone, makes getting out of bed worthwhile, she says.

It was illness that made Cynthia Guevara (pg 2) realise that she wanted to be in control of her own time rather than letting her job control her. She quit her job of 15 years and established her own real estate company.

When Betty Bianca Long’s mother persuaded her to become a nurse, she was reluctant (pg 13). Today, 32 years later, Long, a clinical nurse specialist in obstetrics, is fiercely passionate about nursing and giving the best care and service to others.

If you are yearning for a success story similar to these amazing women, you should to take a critical look at yourself.

Assess yourself, look at your skills and talents. What motivates you? What makes you feel proud? What makes you happy to get out of bed? What were you rewarded for in the past? What kind of activities do others always encourage you to perform?

These are some of the questions www.careerplaybook.com says you should ask when thinking of building a career.

Once you have decided on your career path, then look at all the other things needed to realise your goal. Do you have proper business etiquette? Do you have the right image? Are you properly and practically groomed for your job? These questions and more are answered in today’s WomanWise.

Good Luck!