You may be surprised to learn that we spend one-third of our lives at work. Thus, it’s incredibly important to find a job that you love; life is too short to be dragging yourself out of bed to your job every day, waiting for the clock to tick 5pm again.

In the current education system, we’re encouraged to choose a career path early on in our lives. This has its benefits: it provides focus, goals and ambitions. Yet, what happens if you don’t know what you want? Or change your mind? Or decide once you’ve left school that the job you’re in isn’t truly the one for you? It is possible to find a job you love. Here’s how:

1. Consider what you love doing

As the old adage goes, if you find a job you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. So, your first consideration should be: what do I love doing? If you take great pleasure in meeting new people, socialising, throwing parties and having a full and busy social calendar, then perhaps a career in events could work for you. If you love animals, then searching for a job in the veterinarian world via a reputable job search site such as vetpetjobs.com.au may be a good route.

2. Look for overlap between what you love, and what you’re good at

Ultimately, you’ll be successful in a career if you have the hard skills to be good at it. That’s why you should look for overlap between what you love and what you’re good at. Fortunately, we often enjoy the tasks and activities we are naturally competent at. Reflect upon your day, to notice when you found yourself in ‘flow’: when time flew by because you were engrossed in the task at hand. Now, think how that task could apply itself to a job role. If you
lost track of time when you were making decorations for a birthday party, it may be that you’ve got some design skills you could be using professionally.

3. Ask for advice

Never be afraid to ask for help and advice when it comes to embarking on a new career. Find someone who’s currently employed in the role you’re coveting, and ask to take them out for a coffee. Think of it as asking for directions; quiz them on how they got to where they are now  did they have to do specific training or attain qualifications?), what they love about the job, what they wish could be different, etc. You’ll likely find they are more than happy to help.

4. Get yourself out there

The truth is, you won’t find a job you love by sitting on the sofa. You’ve got to throw yourself into the job search, go to interviews and look for networking opportunities. You may not be successful in your first attempt, but don’t let that deter you. Securing a job you love may be hard to come by, but will be well worth it in the long run.