As a career expert at Indeed, I'm
frequently asked the question: how do I find my passion?
The candid answer: you don't find it, you uncover it!
It's already within you.
In this video, I'll give you 5 practical exercises
to help you uncover your passion.
And by doing these exercises, you
can gain clarity about where you want to go in life
and be one step closer to a career that you love.
Be sure to stick around until the end.
And I'll share a Pro Tip for bringing your passion
into your work life without making a full career switch.
Are you ready?
If so, grab a pen and paper.
For these big life questions, it's
important to have a conversation with yourself, jotting down
your thoughts and feelings as we go.
Let's get started with Exercise #1: Know thyself.
Now, the broadest tactic to tackling this question,
what is my passion, is to ask yourself
some simple everyday questions.
What websites do I frequently visit
when I want to relax and be entertained?
What area of a bookstore or genre of movies
do I browse first?
When was the last time I put extra effort into something,
at work or on a personal project?
What was I doing the last time I lost track of time
and was in a state of flow?
What hobby or topic have I been curious
about throughout my life?
While these may seem elementary, looking at ordinary answers
may uncover some extraordinary patterns and themes.
With your list, use a highlighter
to mark any words that feel promising.
And know that I'm using the word feel intentionally.
Your feelings need to be employed when
digging into your deeper self.
Don't overthink it.
Just try to feel it instead.
And keep the sheet as we continue
to the second exercise.
Exercise #2: Ask your tribe.
Who are 3 people you can be honest and vulnerable with?
Only choose people you respect and trust?
They're part of your tribe.
These 3 individuals may not be the people
that are closest to you day-to-day,
such as your spouse, a parent, or even your best friend.
Oftentimes, those people in your inner circle
may be too close to be helpful and objective.
It's best to think of 3 people who know you well enough to be
insightful, but not so close that their answers might
have hidden agendas.
Email or, even better, call them to ask them these questions.
What do you think are my greatest passions, and why?
Examples could be hobbies, work activities which
I'm enthusiastic about, etc.
What do you think are my natural strengths and talents?
Examples could be being well organized, outgoing, patient.
Have you ever thought, I'd be great at another career
or volunteer role, even if it might be something far-fetched
or seem improbable?
And here's the big one.
Is there any talent, skill, or thing
you would pay me to teach or help you with?
Looking at your tribe's answers, do you
see some patterns or common themes?
Highlight any words that feel motivating.
And again, go with your gut.
Don't overthink it.
And keep the sheet as we go onto our third exercise.
Exercise #3: Explore the impossible.
Next, we're going to use the highlighted words that you've
been collecting to see what kind of opportunities are out there.
Now is the time to pull out the computer and get to work.
Start by picking words or phrases that you're
curious about exploring.
Enter those words into the WHAT search bar on indeed.com
in addition to a website that seeks
volunteers for local needs.
Look for organizations with work that
aligns with your interests in your preferred work location.
Here's a Pro Tip.
If you plan to be remote, type "remote" into the WHERE search
bar.
Instead of searching by job titles,
plug in words or phrases such as animals, pets,
or highly organized.
And make a list of all the jobs for each word that comes up.
Now, there could be hundreds of them.
And even if you think you're not qualified,
be sure to list them.
Using an Excel spreadsheet to track the roles
can be really helpful here.
Next, skim your list, and look for jobs
that pique your interest.
The vast majority will be no's.
But are there 5 to 10 jobs that intrigue you?
Look for standout opportunities which really excite you.
Highlight those jobs or volunteer opportunities that
are worth exploring further.
If this exercise has been helpful
and you're thinking about applying for one of the roles
that you found, that's great.
Be sure to check out this video to learn more about how
to write a standout resume.
Now, I'll dive into an exercise to help you fully
uncover your passion in life.
Exercise #4: Let's get real.
Returning to your trusty pen and notebook,
ask yourself the following questions:
What are the practical needs of any job I consider?
What salary do I need to support my current lifestyle
and obligations?
And what salary do I want long-term?
Another way to ask this is, what does success
look like for my future self?
What do I personally need to be successful?
For example, "do I prefer to work remotely,
or do I enjoy the office environment more?
Do I have geographic barriers, such as a commute
or willingness to move?
What are the realistic odds of returning to school
or gaining the credentials needed for a new career?
What are other personal goals that
might impact my career, such as starting a family
or my intended retirement age?"
When you have answers to some of the real-life questions,
it's time to pick up the phone and make some calls.
Exercise #5: Meet some new friends.
Now, networking can have an insincere connotation,
but it is incredibly powerful at this stage of passion-seeking.
Using professional social media sites
and your personal connections, find
others who are doing the jobs that you're
curious about from exercise #3, and ask them questions.
At this point, you're testing the assumptions
that you've made based on the job descriptions
that you found online.
Questions to ask should center around the practical needs
from exercise #4, which you've already
identified, such as, "what should someone
expect in terms of pay in an entry-level role in your field?
What do you wish you knew starting out in your career?
What personal traits makes someone good
at this type of job?
What do you see for the future of this industry?
Are there others in your field that you'd
be willing to connect me to?"
Be persistent and open to learning from as many people as
possible about the unknowns of an interesting career path.
As uncomfortable as reaching out to people might feel,
you want to be sure that your passion in life
equates to a practical career for your lifestyle.
And remember that people love to talk and share
their experiences.
You may not get an answer from every person
that you reach out to, but those that do respond
can be a treasure chest of information and hope.
They may even help you land a job once you've
committed to a switch.
And here's another Pro Tip: As you learn more
about alternate roles, if no career change seems
doable for you right now, consider shifting the industry
that you work in, but not the actual job function.
For example, if cooking is a passion, and you're in sales,
are there any food-related companies
that you could join with your sales background, which
also tie into your interest and your experience?
It might be more satisfying to sell food
than computer software.
And if it's clear that staying in your current job
is the best choice for you right now, even
if you don't feel passionate about it, please,
don't lose hope.
This is really just a season.
The most important thing to remember
is that you are not your job.
There are many areas of life in which you can grow in the ways
that you crave.
You can look for volunteer opportunities
to do more of what you love, or you could even
take up a new hobby.
Be intentional about making time to do more of what you love,
whether or not you're paid to do it.
If you found this helpful, please hit the Like button
down below, so that we know that it's been useful to you.
You can subscribe to our channel right here.
And for more career tips, I recommend
checking out this playlist.
Finally, for a video on how to answer the interview question:
why did you leave your last job, I
recommend checking out this video right here.
I hope that you found this helpful
and that you're able to integrate passion
into your life!