When I knew that I was going to leave my job, I started looking for jobs relevant to my degree. They were all offering low wages, long hours, a lack of job security, no benefits, and a ton of responsibility. Why on earth would I ever want to leave that field, right? Wrong.
I took a risk and decided to change career paths- entirely. Yes, you read that correctly. After my four years of university, 43 essays, 35 final exams, and countless sleepless nights of hard work, I decided to leave behind all of it and move on to something new.
The thought of this terrified me, so I would understand if it would terrify you too. It's safe to stay where you are. It's safe doing what you know. It's comforting to be safe- to feel safe. But maybe being safe isn't always a good thing. Maybe risks can be a good thing.
I believe that if you aren't doing something you love with your job, why do it at all? Life is too short to work day in and day out doing something you have partial feelings about. You should be passionate about your career! Just imagine waking up every morning EXCITED to go to work! What a dream that would be! Well, believe it or not, that dream can actually be a reality.
It's important to look for a lifestyle, and not just a career. Do you want to work 9 to 5? Do you love being around people? Do you love to travel? Cook? Be outdoors? Read and comment on strangers blogs? What ever you love to do, what ever your passions are, you should try to incorporate them into your career. And believe me, the dream career is out there, just waiting for you to grab it. For example, I have a big passion for helping at-risk youth in my community. However, I found it really stressful to work with them every day- especially because I took the work home with me. Luckily, I came up with this genius plan to go into public relations. Now I can work for youth instead of with them, and I'll still be doing something that I'm passionate about.
Making the change to public relations was the best decision I've made in a long time. Yes, it was a risk, but it's been so worth the risk. I've found a career within the lifestyle I love. I can write, be creative, meet people, and I have the opportunity to work for youth in my community. It's a win-win situation!
I encourage you all to analyze yourself. Think about who you are, what you love, and what you would want most out of a career. Be honest. If you want to lay around on a beach, or stay at luxury hotels, there is actually a career out there that targets those things. Make your career about the lifestyle you want. Make changes to your career path if you need to. Take risks. And always remember that life is too short to not love the career path you're on.
