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Explore your options and learn how to find a career you love

Artwork by: Antonina Kasyanikova

Working is a necessity, but that doesn’t mean you can’t love what you do for a living. In this article, we’ll take a look at how to find a career you love and some of the options you have for discovering your passion.

Finding a great job is always a high priority for a job seeker. However, it’s even more important to land a job you can enjoy doing. In this article, we will be looking at how to find a career you love and discovering some of the ways you can figure out exactly what your passions are.

Here are some of the areas we will be covering:

  • Is it possible to find a career you love?

  • How do you discover your passion in life?

  • How do you choose a career when nothing interests you?

  • Should I pursue my passion or be practical?

Is it possible to find a career you love?

Most people enter the job market due to necessity. However, this doesn’t mean that you have to dislike the work you do for a living. It’s possible to find work that you enjoy and that you find rewarding and fulfilling. 

When you begin your journey on this path, here are some of the things you will want your career to offer you:

  • Security: One thing that can make a great job even better is job security. Finding a career you love and that has opportunities for growth and longevity is crucial regardless of your industry. 

  • Work/life balance: Regardless of how much you love your career, it is important to be able to spend time away from it. Choosing a career with a good work/life balance will make you happier in the end.

  • Sense of belonging: When you have a career that you love, you should also feel as though you are part of the team. You should also feel heard, appreciated, and confident in sharing your opinions and advocating for yourself.

Explore your options and learn how to find a career you love

How do you discover your passion in life?

Not only can discovering your passion benefit your career, but it can make a world of difference in your personal life as well. When you are happy at your job, you are much more likely to be happy away from work, which can give you a better overall quality of life.

When learning how to find a career you love, here are some of the ways to first find your passion.

  • Take an assessment of your skills and talents. Focus on the things you not only are good at but that also make you excited and happy to complete.

  • Consider how you spend your time and your money. The things you freely use your resources on can help you recognize what brings you joy in life.

  • Think about what areas of your knowledge you would love to share or teach to others.

How do you choose a career when nothing interests you?

As you are learning how to find a career you love, one issue you may run into is not fully recognizing what interests you. If you find yourself in this situation, here are some tricks you can try to narrow down what type of career would work best for you.

  • Career quiz: A career quiz can provide you insight into the types of jobs that might be good for you based on your skills and personal interests.

  • Get advice: A role model or someone important in your life can help provide insight into the types of jobs where they believe you can excel.

  • Get creative: Don’t be afraid to think completely outside the box or try something new. A fresh perspective could help you discover hidden talents and passions.

  • Make a list: Listing out your hobbies, everything that interests you, and the types of jobs that correlate with those activities can help you discover a career path.

Expert Tip

When thinking about how to find a career you love, be sure to consider what you are good at plus what you like to do and how those things can provide companies with the skills they need in a great employee.

Should I pursue my passion or be practical?

Not every passion can provide you with a practical job opportunity. However, that doesn’t mean that many passions you have can’t turn into a practical career. When you choose a career based on your passions, you tend to work harder and with more skill. The result of these actions can transform your passion into a very practical career that you can be successful at.

However, when you do consider your passions while looking for a career path you will love, you shouldn’t follow them blindly. Instead, take into consideration the following so you aren’t stuck in a career without the growth and opportunity you need to be successful.

Do
  • Look at the full career path, including what jobs you can grow into and what salaries and benefits come along with them.
  • Consider the industry as a whole and what the future may look like.
  • Analyze the competition and determine how many struggle to find work in the career path you are passionate about.
Don't
  • Sacrifice necessities for a career path you are passionate about if there isn’t room to grow into something better in the future.
  • Only consider a job’s salary when choosing a career path.
  • Choose a career that appeals to someone else but that you aren’t very excited about.

Key takeaways

  1. When seeking a career you love, seek guidance from those who know you most, take career assessments, and examine your interests and strengths.

  2. Consider your passions and the things you like to do when you aren’t working.

  3. Let your passions guide your job search, but also consider how practical a career related to your passions will be for your future.

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