Finding a Job That You Love

Katie volunteers at the animal shelter every Thursday after work.  When she arrives and sees the tiny, rescued puppies or the beautiful cat that made a miraculous recovery, she forgets the time.  She forgets she’s already worked eight hours.  She forgets about muddy paws, and beams at the sound of ten dogs barking for attention.

What causes Katie to be so absorbed in what she’s doing?  Passion.

Katie’s passion is love for animals.  Her intense enjoyment for them far outweighs her concern for time.

Wouldn’t it be great if you felt this way about your job?  Well, you can!  You may have already found work that you’re passionate about.  Unfortunately, many people have not.  And they may expect that they shouldn’t.  They’ve convinced themselves work is merely a means to an end—a way to pay the bills.  If you suspect you lack passion in your job, ask yourself these questions:

• When asked what you do for a living, do you complain about your job or change the subject?
• Do you consistently feel uneasy on Sunday evenings and relieved on Fridays?
• Are you resentful and easily distracted at work?
• Are you often told your performance is lacking and feel a sense that you “don’t belong”?
• Do you cringe when your phone rings at work?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, it’s likely you don’t love your job.  If you’re ready to make a change, a critical first step is to identify your passion – then finding a job you love will come naturally.  And, the more you love your job, the better you’ll be at doing it!  To discover your passion(s), consider your:

• Personality traits – how you like to be managed and work with others
• Core values – are your day-to-day activities in harmony with your values?
• Natural skills – those things you are best at and naturally gravitate towards
• Hobbies and interests – how you spend your free time
• Childhood activities and events you enjoyed

“When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece.”
—John Ruskin

Turn your passion into a job you love by following three simple steps:  Research, Sample and Act.  For example, if your passion is “organizing events,” try doing the following:

Research jobs on event planning:

1. Read books and trade journals and surf the Internet (check out www.ises.com).
2. Research the labor market.
3. Identify appealing industries (a wedding event planner differs from a trade show event planner).
4. Obtain practical information from friends or family with experience in this field.
5. Schedule an informational interview with an event planning professional.

Sample jobs in event planning:

1. Find volunteer work or a temporary assignment in event planning.
2. Take classes or online courses.
3. Job shadow with an event planning professional.

Act by seeking and getting a job in event planning:

1. Develop a job search strategy.
2. Determine target companies.
3. Identify key decision makers outside of human resources.
4. Distribute your updated resume and customized cover letters.
5. Follow up with the key decision makers.
6. Learn the newest skills and concepts in event planning.
7. Submit an updated resume to your temporary staffing firm.
8. Apply for temp-to-hire or direct hire jobs in event planning.
9. Join an event planning association.

Doing what you love for a living makes it easy to be good at what you do.  This can lead to more fulfilling challenges and increased responsibility.  Recognition for your passion at work may follow in the form of promotions or other rewards.  A rise in income and status can result until you reach the ultimate job goal: enjoying your labor as well as the fruits of it.  Discovering your passion for work gives clarity to your job search and allows your staffing service to help you find a job you’ll love.

Then every week you’ll say, “Thank God it’s Monday!”