Finding the right career path, whether you're a fresh graduate from college or someone looking for a professional change, can be an overwhelming experience. It takes time, research and commitment, particularly for those who choose to go back to school to better their chance of success. While it may seem difficult to make that ultimate decision and enroll in a program that focuses on the subject matter, the outcome of following a job that inspires you is well worth it in the end.
Hard to Come By
Don't be discouraged if you cannot identify your passion right away. In fact, Cal Newport stated in his book, "So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love," that actually having or discovering a work passion is rare, according to The Globe and Mail excerpt.
After polling a number of Canadian students, Newport found that 84 per cent of them could identify a passion, and each of them was not easily applicable to a realistic career. Dance, hockey and reading were some of the top passions, which these students can practice in their daily lives, but not necessarily shape a career around.
Rethink Possibilities
For those who take a few minutes to brainstorm their passions and come up with reading literature, engineering or caring for family and friends as their answer, they can then re-evaluate these results and shape innovative job ideas that they may not have considered at first.
Show Your Love for Others
Passionate about the care and well-being of others? Do family members and friends always come first in terms of priorities? While staying at home with them and not working might not be a feasible option for financial reasons, students can exercise this love of helping others by pursuing a career in the medical field. Working in a doctor's office, hospital or community health centre as an assistant can open students up to a whole new circle of people who have the same career interests as they do. Job seekers can channel their compassion for their loved ones into doing the same for others' friends and family members, and clock out each day knowing that they made a positive impact on the community.
Find an Academic Program
Once students have narrowed down their passion and identified how they can apply it to their careers, they can find relevant programs in their surrounding area, like the healthcare courses in the Medical Office Assistant program at Reeves College. For more information, fill out the form on the right.