If You're A Cancer, These Are Careers You Should Consider

For a Cancer, trying to decide on the right career can be a pretty overwhelming proposition. Cancers tend to be among the more sensitive of the signs, and so much emphasis is placed on the importance of choosing the perfect career in order to live a meaningful life. Okay, Cancer, let's take time out for a brief reality check before we go any further: the proposition that your career choice is a make-it-or-break-it life decision is vastly overstated. 

As long as you are able to keep a roof over your head and food on the table, there's no one career that is intrinsically better than another. Yes, jobs come with higher or lower paychecks, that is true, along with varying stress levels, but not everyone has the option to pursue any given "dream job." If you find that you need to get by in a  line of work that's maybe not your perfect fit, that's okay — do what you have to do. Just bear in mind that your job does not define you, nor does it determine your worth.

That being said, if you do have the time and the resources that can enable you to pursue your chosen path, certain careers are well suited to your unique Cancerian abilities. According to WikiJob, Cancers are extremely loyal and are willing to put in endless amounts of hard work and effort in support of their teammates as well as the people they serve in their professional capacity.

Of all the signs, Cancer is the one most at home, well, at home. Cancers love nothing more than to make their living quarters into a warm, welcoming space where guests and family members alike can relax in comfort. Their ideal home also serves as a private, peaceful retreat for those times when they want to crawl back into their shells and have some alone time. What better job for a Cancer, then, than helping others to find the homes of their dreams?

If the thought of having to compete for commissions in a high-pressure position such as real estate agent does not appeal to you, Cancer, Metropolitan Girls suggests that you may wish to work as a home stager, instead, as this pays by the gig. This means you won't have to wait until the client's home sells in order to cover your own mortgage payment! Other home-related careers you might enjoy include interior decorator or professional organizer (help people get in touch with their inner Marie Kondo!), or you could always combine Cancer's passion for history, home, and HGTV by exploring a career in home restoration.

When people are traveling, whether for business or pleasure, wherever they lay their head for the night, that is their home away from home. WikiJob says that the best hotelier may be a Cancer, since a host born under the sign of the Crab wants to make every guest's experience as homey as possible. Cancers want nothing more than to make everyone feel welcome, and we suspect it may have been a Cancer who came up with that whole "mint on the pillow" concept.

Cancers are also well-suited to work in the restaurant industry. Even if they can't stand the heat in a high-pressure "Hell's Kitchen"-type atmosphere (don't look for Cancers to be taking part in too many high-stakes cooking competitions), they may enjoy working in smaller establishments or in catering, or perhaps making their own small-batch artisanal food products. Another food-related career recommended for Cancers by Metropolitan Girls is that of dietitian, especially for Cancers who've also got a strong Virgo presence in their charts. Dietitians are all about taking care of the health and well-being of their clients by enabling them to make better food choices.

Cancers are often described as the "moms" of the zodiac despite the fact that roughly half of them are men. What this means is that of all the signs, Cancers are the most apt to be the ones looking out for their friends and family. When it's cold out, it will be a Cancer who makes sure you bundle up tight, and a Cancer host won't pour you a second glass of wine unless they're sure you won't be driving home.

Cancers don't limit their kindness and caring to those in their own inner circles, however. They are able to tap into nearly endless reserves of empathy and compassion in their work lives as well. WikiJob says Cancers can make wonderful nurses, therapists, and social workers, while Monster suggests the childcare field may be a good fit, too. The downside of all of these professions is that, while they do allow Cancers to make a positive impact on the lives of others, the work can be quite draining. The caregiver Cancer may need to retreat back inside their hard shell from time to time to practice some self-care, as well.

Sometimes the most important aspect of a job is where you'll be working, and the natural habitat for a water sign like Cancer is one that is in close proximity to their ruling element. In other words, Cancers may find the most career satisfaction in a job that takes place in or around water. Cancers interested in joining the military would do well to consider the Navy, while Your Zodiac Sign suggests such varied fields as shipbuilding or working on a cruise ship for Cancers preferring to retain civilian status.

Even if you don't want to be quite that directly connected to the nautical life, Cancer, keep in mind that nearly all beachfront locations in the U.S. (and many other countries, for that matter) have one thing in common: a tourism-driven economy. There is no shortage of hotels, restaurants, theme parks, saltwater taffy stores, swimsuit boutiques, and other such oceanside enterprises in which to seek work.