by Guest Blogger Leslie Campos, Wellparents.com
No, you don’t have to be passionate about the work you do every day to live a fulfilled life, but it can certainly help! If you’re tired of working a job you hate, it might be time to change course. Here are four practical tips for pursuing a career in something you love.
When you like what you do, you stand to be motivated to navigate challenges and succeed over the long term. Of course, changing your career is a significant decision, and you want to make sure you come at it with the right approach.
The key is to take what you love to do and identify how to turn it into a business or a career that supports you and your family. Below, Beyond the Rut provides a few practical pointers to help you get started!
Table of Contents
When Pursuing a Career, Gauge the Meaning
First of all, if you are making a career change, you must ensure that it will mean something to you and your family. For instance, you don’t want to choose an industry only because people expect you to pursue it. If you go that route, your goals probably won’t stick for the long term.
If you don’t already have a specific job or business idea in mind, evaluate your daily life in recent years. What have been the high points? What activities have brought you enrichment and fulfillment? What have you been spending your time and money on outside of work? What kinds of topics have you been discussing passionately with others? These are the types of questions to ask yourself to help you identify a passion that could earn you a living.
Explore Your Options
Once you have identified a specific passion, it’s time to figure out what career or business you could develop from it. The best place to start is by doing an online search of available jobs related to your passion. For example, you could search “writing jobs” to see the many different job titles associated with writing. You could follow this same routine to figure out what types of companies are currently operating in the field you are passionate about.
Seek the Education and Training You Need
Passion is essential, but you will need more than a passion for succeeding in your new career for years to come. You must have an understanding of your industry and niche and the skills necessary to excel above standard practices. Regularly read books and articles, participate in workshops, and attend networking events and conferences related to your industry. Also, find a mentor who can help you take your knowledge and performance to the next level.
Another way to grow your knowledge and skills while improving your career prospects is to go back to school. If you have never received a master’s degree in business, for example, you could enroll in an online program to learn about leadership, management, and other disciplines associated with business and leadership. And by taking online courses, you will have more flexibility to handle additional responsibilities in your life.
Make a Plan
Whether you are hoping to land a job or start a business in your new field, you must develop a thorough plan that details your goals and the strategies you will employ to accomplish them. For example, you could draft a business plan complete with your mission statement, core values, product or service description, target audience, marketing strategy, funding requirements, and other pertinent information. And you could make a career timeline that states when you will earn a specific position and how much income you will be bringing in within a set number of years.
Sometimes, it’s necessary to work an unfulfilling job to provide for our families. But if you are experiencing burnout and your job is severely impacting your life and family’s well-being, then it might be time to make a change. Figure out what you are passionate about, and follow the tips above for using your passion for forging a fulfilling and lucrative career!
Leslie Campos hopes to provide relief and tips for other busy parents through her site Wellparents.com. Parents can find a variety of information from stress-busters to exercise ideas to healthy eating tips.
Would you like to read more helpful content or learn about our podcast for Christian family men? Visit BeyondTheRut.com today!
