Like or lump it, a full third of your life will be spent doing your job. I don’t know about you, but considering that it seems abundantly important to me that you love what you do. ‘Working for the weekend’ isn’t a popular catchphrase anymore, and frankly, was never a great song. Yeah, I said it. So how do you ensure you love your work?
Chose The Right Career For You
This would be the most obvious place to start, yeah? But I know it can be easier said than done. Write down your passions and work backward from there to discover jobs relating to it. Ask around for people in the field you’re considering to find out what it’s really like, and try taking a volunteer position to get some hands-on experience.
“Talk to people already in the career that you want to get into and pick their brains about the role and the requirements,” suggests Tina Monk from Sydney Career Coaching, “Most importantly, ask them how they got into the career as this could well inform your next steps.
Finding it hard to make a choice? Here’s some more help for you:
And don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Outside pressures might be pointing you towards one career, but if your heart isn’t in it, find other options, life is too short. Same goes if you don’t get into the course you were originally going for, or if uni just isn’t your jam. There are always alternative pathways.
Make A Change If You Need To
Yep, you’re not locked in forever! Thank god, because frankly who knows if you’ll still love the same things in 10 years time? Whether you’re studying or you’ve started working in your chosen field, if you truly hate it you can change.
But no job is amazing all the time – unless you’re crazy lucky, in which case please tell me what you do immediately – so how do you tell the difference between a bad day and a bad job?
Tina reckons it’s about honestly assessing how you’re feeling, like whether you’re dreading going to work in the morning, and whether that continues once you get into work. Is your heart in it? For more advice from Tina on switching careers, give the below a gander.
Change Your Mindset
Sometimes it’s not the work that’s at fault, it’s your mindset. If you’ve followed Tina’s advice and you’ve realised you don’t actually hate your job, it’s time to reset your head. It might be as simple as catching yourself out when you start with negative thoughts in the morning and changing them to positive ones. Or making sure you take your lunch break and head outside for some natural healing. Or maybe it’s about your workload or the types of projects you’ve been given lately. Perhaps you’re just ready to take on more responsibility.
Whatever it is, think seriously about it and then take steps to change it. Talk to the right people and ask for their suggestions.
