How to Find Your Passion
“Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life”, goes the famous saying by Mark Twain. To choose this job, you should follow your passion. However, it may not always be easy to find one. That’s why I have these five tips to help you discover your passion and start the career of your dreams.
Get First-Hand Experience
It’s good to have an idea of what you want to do in the future and get inspired by books, TV shows, and other media. However, seeing some imaginary characters doing a profession is not exactly the same as knowing what it takes to do the job on a daily basis. That’s why it is crucial to try anything suitable on your own.
For instance, when I was a kid, I thought of becoming a professional dancer. I attended dancing classes daily and was performing in the theatre since I was 8 years old. We were paid a little, but it was a great opportunity to see what exactly it takes to work on stage. By the age of 14, I realized that it’s not something I want to pursue as a career choice. Did I waste these six years? Definitely not. Firstly, I got a perfect fit body. Secondly, I tried this role myself and knew from my personal experience that professional dancing is not for me. No regrets about quitting this path in the future.
You can always try to get the real experience first. An internship, a part-time job, a shadowing scheme, open days, — all these things are created to give you a taste of a particular job or industry.
You will not only understand if the chosen profession is for you but also see which skills and competencies you need to work on the most to succeed in the area in the future. Age also should not be a problem. 16, 25 or even 50, — you can always try to pursue your passion and build your dream career.
Educate Yourself
No matter whether you are a student or a working professional at the moment, if you have a subject of particular interest, you should invest more time into studying it in on your own. When I was a pupil, I discovered that I really love English lessons. I started to buy books in English, went to learn the language abroad, tried to watch TV and listen to music in English.
Years later, it led me to opening my own business, LinguaTrip.com, which helps students from all over the world find language schools abroad and study English online. My passion for foreign languages and my desire to develop my skills led me to my dream job. My company keeps growing and evolving every year, as well as I do, learning more from industry professionals.
With the rise of the Internet, educating yourself has become easier than ever. You can find a tutor, download tests and textbooks online, attend online courses, etc. I’ve described a few good resources for studying and working from home in this Medium post.
Top professionals in any industry have not just taken basic classes and got a university diploma some time ago. They constantly do a lot of additional research and self-studies. They are truly passionate about their work, and that is what makes them so exceptionally good at it.
Look For a Job That Will Inspire You
When you are trying things out, look for the special feeling of inspiration to discover your true passion. You spent 6 hours solving a task and it felt like it was half an hour? That’s it. Being working over the weekends and have never felt happier? That’s it. Cannot stop telling your friends how great your work is? That’s it. When you are into the role completely, it’s the passion we are talking about.
Don’t just go with fads and trends when choosing the profession of your dreams. For example, AI and IT are now the top tech industries that attract the brightest talents and promise the highest salaries in 2020. However, it does not mean you should go into software engineering just because it looks so great right now. Go for something that will make you truly happy. Something that will inspire you on a daily basis. Our life is not only about paying the bills, but it’s also about feeling good and satisfied. And if you find your vacation and devote yourself to it, you will manage to earn a decent sum of money.
A University Degree Is Not A Must
Many people believe that to start the career of their dream, they necessarily need to get a university degree first. However, when you’ve found your passion, it’s more reasonable to start by testing the ideas in real life and getting work experience before investing money and time into a proper degree.
Don’t feel taken aback by the lack of skills and knowledge. Start with a short online course and see what you can achieve in a couple of weeks. If you actually hit your passion, that will give you a better understanding of the next steps and the basis to work on. You’ll be inspired by your small victories and see where to move further more clearly. And if you feel bored or daunted even after a short course, you’ve chosen the wrong idea, and it is not worth pursuing as a lifetime career.
Check my older post about a career change for some alternatives to a university degree.
Be Aware of All The Options
It often happens that we choose the professions we’ve heard of a lot and have personally encountered in our life. However, it’s not necessarily aligned with our interests and passions. We may just feel that we have to put them aside as a hobby and pursue some other career opportunities, e.g. in finance or law.
Do not limit yourself with only the knowledge of the professions of your relatives and friends. Try to think outside-the-box and discover the unusual or rare professions that people pursue. Approach the professionals in the sector of your interest via LinkedIn or other social networks.
Attend some public events and speak to people with rare jobs to understand what roles are out there. This way, you will be able to link your interest and skills with career options that the market can offer. It will help you find your ultimate passion and set a plan with clear goals to get there.
Summary
Finding your passion is not a trivial task. Rather, it’s a way of trials and errors. Don’t be afraid to do internships or shadowing schemes to discover if the chosen job actually makes you happy and inspires you. Don’t be taken aback by a lack of knowledge or expertise. Instead, develop new skills constantly and never stop educating yourself. Stay open to options and go out of your comfort zone to discover all the opportunities.
