How do people find jobs they love and are passionate about? First, they start by selecting an area in which they are interested. Hobbies can be very rewarding and can lead to new, second or even post-retirement careers. Many business owners confess to having a hobby that eventually turned into a career. I know many writers who began working on their craft at night or on weekends, eventually doing some freelance articles that led to a whole new career. Your passion can be a starting point by either volunteering, by just doing the work for fun or a few extra dollars.
Eventually, everyone who wants this kind of success must decide to get serious about making an avocation a true career. To begin, moonlight and learn on somebody else's dime. Use spare time to educate yourself. Read books on business, take classes and get training so that you can develop a new "paying" career. Even five hours a week can be a start on learning new skills and making money using them. Next, perfect it. Master the skills involved.
You will need to carefully develop an action plan, outlining and defining the steps you will need to take to make a living from your hobby. This is what I do with my career counseling clients. When Mary Christianson tired of the daily drain from her hospital social work duties, we uncovered her true passion and artistic talents. She began to pursue graphic design. She had natural talent and really made sacrifices to go to college at night, work four days a week, and handle the demands of two young boys. Her first graphics job was at less money than the old career, but building a new career on top of her already developed management skills she excelled quickly. Within two years, she had fast tracked into a well-paid position earning $15,000 more than the old career had paid. Many people experience a pay cut if they switch to a whole new field, but by building on your transferable skills (i.e. managerial, computer, organizational, etc.) you can leverage yourself into a better paying job rather than starting over at the bottom.
If it is a new business your hobby is leading you into, develop a business plan. Detail the product, service or idea you will be selling; identify who the potential buyers and competitors are; research sales and marketing options, pricing, revenue projections, etc. Look for models of successful companies doing what you want to do. Use the Internet to research these. Learn from others who have succeeded so you can benefit from their trials and errors. Finding a mentor or simply networking can help too. And, remember if you are starting a new business, it can take months or even years before there are any true profits to take home. Your start-up business needs capital, so you must budget your resources to allow you to cover your bills while the new career grows and blossoms.
A new trend is beginning to emerge with baby boomers. They are planning a post-retirement second career by selecting and preparing to enter another occupation before they quit their current employer. They get training, explore employment options, and even set a budget since many may choose to pursue this second career part-time, willingly earning less but still wanting the challenge of paid work and the rewards that come from doing a job well.
Many careers are born from pursuing hobbies or avocations. When you are working at something you love it can enrich your whole life, making you and everyone around you happier. Eventually you have to take some risks, overcome your fears, and just do it. The key to moving the hobby forward is to predetermine exactly how much time, energy and effort you can and will put into it. Then plan, plan, PLAN. Implement gradually and your action steps will eventually enable you to work at the career of your dreams.
Copyright 2007 Robin Ryan. All rights reserved.
