As the effects of Covid-19 spread globally and the working environment changes, it is vital to adapt to these changes in order to succeed.
With the number of people working from home increasing, one question that many people are asking is “How can you turn your passion into a career?”
This generation has witnessed record number of students entering universities. As a result more graduates are trying to join the work force.
So as thousands of qualified people compete for those highly sought after available jobs, this means that job search stress is rising.
However, with dwindling prospects of ‘a job for life’ and the increase in zero-hours contracts, there has been a notable paradigm shift in how many people choose their jobs in comparison to previous generations.
One result of this mind shift is that more and more people are considering turning a passion or hobby into a career.
Can You Really Turn Your Passion Into A Career?
The simple answer is that yes you can turn your passion into a career.
According to Tom Stanley, author of The Millionaire Next Door, about 20% of millionaires became that way through inheritance.
The other 80% are ‘first-generation rich’. In other words they started from nothing and made their wealth.
More and more people are now inspired and motivated to work on their skills because it is always best to work in a field you absolutely love and feel passionate about rather than continuing to work in a job or industry you dislike.
As the famous Confucius quote says, “Work on what makes you happy, and you would never have to work in a single day for your entire life”.
But, following your dreams is easier said than done. Most people are not ready to step out of their comfort zone and chase their dreams.
According to research, at least 85% of the working-class worldwide hate their jobs. Many employees are simply in jobs for two main reasons: security and a paycheck.
While we all dream of being the next Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates or Elon Musk, the chances are not many will! These examples of amazing success don’t happen every day.
When you first start out, the chances of instantly making vast amounts of money and hitting it big may not be great.
Let’s face it, pursuing your dreams can mean leaving your comfort zone and trying to take on tasks and responsibilities that you may have little knowledge about.
This can be scary for many people, as the uncertainties are too many to fathom. Don’t be daunted.
Yes, you have to be realistic. There are numerous failures on first business start ups, therefore many people end up discouraged and quickly give up as things go from fun to frustration.
However, that is not to say that your idea will fail. Keep reminding yourself that you are not in this to fail.
It means that you have to really want to make a success of your idea. Allow yourself time to build and grow your business.
Remain positive. Watch the Les Brown Chinese Bamboo Tree motivational video to inspire you to success.
Here are some steps you need to keep in mind if you believe you can successfully turn your passion into a career.
Here are some steps you need to keep in mind if you believe you can successfully turn your passion into a career.
7 Tips To Help You Turn Your Passion Into A Career
1. Think about what excites you the most
Before you jump into anything, ask yourself one simple question: what would you be rather be doing if you were not stuck in your current job?
Think in terms of things that really excite you and fill you with enthusiasm. Or activities that inspire you and give you the purpose to live.
Maybe you enjoy coaching others, cooking or writing. Perhaps you are motivated in a social cause that you are really passionate about.
The key is to understand that any activity that you enjoy doing can be transformed into a successful full-time career.
It might take some time for you to decide on what you really wish to pursue, but all you have to do is be willing to follow your guts.
A great example of this is Footprints Through The Lens photography.
2. Combine your skills
Combining your skills means looking at what you are good at and learning how you can put them to the best use to make your business successful.
If you are thinking about a career in writing because you love playing around with words, are there other specific skills that could enhance your success?
Maybe you are also good at photography or graphic design? Using all 3 skills you could capture and develop great visuals and at the same time promote them in your social media accounts as a way of marketing.
It is important to understand that all successful people, in various fields, have a success mantra that they abide by.
So, your task is to figure out your secret ingredients of success that would be made up of different sets of skills and experiences that are specific to you.
This would definitely make you stand out in your field and earn you credibility.
3. Invest in networking
With the advancement in today’s technology, there are a myriad of ways to build your circle and reach out to people who would be of value to you.
Think about how you can offer your services to the people who are in need of it. Are there people who could connect you to your target audience?
For instance, if you enjoy teaching, you need to have a clear idea of ways you can reach institutions that would require your services.
Organizations such as Transition To Teach can help you gain the necessary qualifications and also help you identify how you can apply the skills and expertise gained through your previous work history.
Teaching abroad may be a viable option you are considering and can also reduce competition for your services. This is crucial when you want your career to flourish in the long run.
Getting necessary certification such as TEFL certification for becoming an English teacher in Thailand and other countries in South East Asia would greatly give you an edge over your competitors.
If you love blogging, then you can use social media platforms. Once people are familiar with your work and get value from it, you can now focus on building your portfolio for prospective clients.
Make sure to advertise your work to your friends and followers on the various social media platforms in order to build your audience effectively.
4. Be brutally honest with yourself if you want to turn your passion into a career
In the pursuit of your dreams, it is normal to undergo a period of adjustment. Just like in any other ordinary job. These adjustments present one important aspect: identifying what works for you and what does not.
For instance, if you had settled on blogging as a supplement for your content writing career but have realized that your blog posts do not gain much attention, you can swiftly switch to your Facebook account if it is generating more engagements.
Always remember, change is as good as rest.
5. Gather information and insight into the demand for your skills and services
Once you have decided how you want to turn your passion into a career, the next step is understanding the demand for your skills or services.
Taking a plunge in a field with low demand is like diving into the deep end of a pool: It is very dangerous. However; you may offer a specific skill or service that could be just what people are crying out for.
The same can be stated with one with a large number of competitors. Just because there are others in your field doesn’t mean that you cannot be successful.
Always make sure you carefully and objectively assess the demand. Conduct market research to find out if your services are in demand.
A great way of empowering yourself is to research successful people in your chosen field. Read about them and see how they made their businesses work.
6. Be willing to offer free services
This is one area where many people fail. Before you embark on pursuing your dreams, it is imperative that you must have honed your skills first.
As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. If you are new to your chosen career, be open to offering voluntary services, so that you can gain from the experience, and also sharpen your skills too.
For example, if you love teaching, you could start by volunteering in your local schools.
If you intend to start a coaching business, hone your coaching style without worrying about charging fees at first.
It takes time and adequate preparations before turning skills into a career. Sharpening your skills and building confidence should be your initial goals.
These voluntary or free options not only build your experience, but serve as a reflecting time to see if you actually enjoy what you do.
Chances are, if you do not enjoy doing it for free, you may not enjoy doing it for money either.
7. Turn your passion into a career with a ready made plan or blue print
A blue print is a plan or a road map that shows you how to do something.
A good blue print or plan will give you the detailed steps necessary to achieve a goal.
As mentioned earlier, we are living at a time when many people are considering or are already having to make a transition from employment to self-employment and they obviously want that transition to be as smooth as possible.
WAHM BAM! The WORK AT HOME MOTHERS’ Guide To Succesfully Building A Real Business, is just such a blue print.
It’s a 56 page E-book that offers some thought provoking suggestions and some great opportunities that you can get involved in.
WAHM BAM! is written as a step by step action guide that gives you clear instructions on exactly what you need to do.
Some of the chapter titles are:
What Field Do You Want To Freelance In?
How to Market Yourself as a Freelancer
Freelance Resumes
Meeting Your Freelancing Deadlines
WAHM Freelancers Do Not Need To Be Techies
The Wealth Niche
The Health Niche
Writing as a freelancer
Writing Copy For Internet Sites
Blogging Tips for The WAHM Freelancer
Within it’s pages are several ideas and links to literally hundreds of ideas for things you can do as a career.
It also contains and examines the very necessary questions you need to ask yourself in order to determine if turning your passion into a career is something that you are ready for now.
Available at Amazon US and Amazon UK
A great book that offers real solutions.
Bottom line
Turning your passion into a career is not an easy journey. You have to be prepared for setbacks, disappointment and frustrations.
In order to turn your passion into a career that is successful, you must keep up your belief and remain confident. Eventually, you will emerge victorious.
Turning your passion into a career can be done.
Remember what Thomas Stanley found out – around 80% of millionaires started with nothing.
If you want proof that you can turn your passion into a career, here’s an amazing fact – more than 4 of the world’s richest people did not inherit their wealth, but earned it from businesses they had started.
Now is the time to think creatively and broadly. Some great suggestions here.
The lockdown has taught us so much and we need to channel this learning and now seek out the alternative possibilities.
The future is uncertain right now, so we have no time to waste dwelling on how great things were before the pandemic.
Our focus needs to be looking forward and using all the transferable skills we have to carve out our own paths.
Great and thought proving article.
Thank you Dawn.
While many people are in limbo during this pandemic, it could be the perfect time to re-assess or re-evaluate the possibilities going forward.
If you are passionate about something, why not consider making it a future income stream?
You don’t have to put all your eggs into one basket. Indeed being ‘stuck at home’ can allow you to start small and test the waters.
Again thanks for your comment.