There’s a career out there for all of us. By finding your calling, you could lead a happier and more fulfilled life. If you’ve been struggling to find a career that you enjoy, consider these four factors.
Before that, do come back to check out these related posts:
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Consider your interests
It can definitely help to be in an industry that you have an interest in. You’re likely to be more passionate about your job if it’s related to your interests and you may already have a decent amount of useful knowledge.
Examples of interests could include travel, animals, or music. You may be able to find a job that relates to one of these interests (e.g. travel agent, zookeeper, music producer…) or you may be able to find a job that combines these passions (e.g. safari tour guide, cruise ship musician, or even a pet music therapist!).
Consider your personality
Certain roles can be better suited to certain personalities. Some of us are more logical, while some of us are more creative. Some of us enjoy working around people, while others prefer to work alone.
A personality test such as the Myers Briggs Assessment could give you a better idea of what your personality is and the types of careers suited to it. For instance, ENFPs can make great entrepreneurs, actors, teachers, social workers, and brand managers, while ISTJs can make great accountants, judges, inspectors, dentists, insurance underwriters, and military officers.
If your personality isn’t suited to the job you do, you may find yourself easily bored or lacking enthusiasm in that role.
Consider your education
An education isn’t necessary for all careers. However, there are some careers where it can be essential such as in medicine, law, and finance. If you already have a degree or you’ve completed an apprenticeship, consider which careers are likely to find this education valuable.
Education is something that you can build on at any time to help you pursue careers that may be relevant to your passions and personality. For instance, perhaps you have the passion and personality to become a personal trainer – taking a personal training course could help you to get your foot in the door. Formal education isn’t always necessary and you may be able to simply build knowledge by reading books and attending workshops.
Consider your experience
Many employers value experience. Experience could show that you already have certain relevant skills and knowledge – or at least a familiarity for the field – which could put you in a better place than other applicants that don’t have experience.
Experience doesn’t have to be work-related. Experience such as traveling the world, playing a sport at a competitive level, being a parent, or playing an instrument can show certain skills and traits, some of which could prove valuable to certain careers. For instance, being a parent could show that you’re capable of responsibility, multi-tasking and having to exercise patience which could be useful if you’re a teacher, a secretary or a realtor.
As an education, experience is something that you can easily build upon. Volunteering is one of the best ways to get industry-specific work experience.
Are you in it for the long haul?
I enjoyed my teaching career for most of the 30 years that I was engaged in it. After a while though, I just couldn’t see myself carrying on into retirement! You might want to consider changing careers after a while. It is up to you and getting some relevant experience and training should help you in this regard.
My first published book below has some great ideas for living your best life, whatever your career choice.
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