As someone who’s decided to follow a career in journalism I am often asked: why do you want to be journalist? The answer for me is simple - because I want to pursue my passion: writing about the things that matter.
Though I generally get that what are you thinking? look when I answer this question, I tend to think about a quote from the late Apple CEO, Steve Jobs: “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” Wise words to live by, here’s why:
In a recent study by GALLUP, “71 percent of American workers are ‘not engaged’ or ‘actively disengaged’ in their work.” This is largely attributed to a general unhappiness with their line of work that creates a rift between the employee and their job. As a result, they are less productive and we all know where that leads. A company can’t be as successful as it could be if they have employees who are unsatisfied with their job.
Another article found on the Fast Company website, discusses the fact that in order for our brains and bodies to “think clearly” and work to their “full potential,” our emotional state needs to stay positive, because the suppression of our emotions in the workplace “greatly inhibits human functioning.”
It goes without saying that our emotional happiness in the workplace matters, and how can you be unhappy if you’re doing something you love doing? This can get tricky.
It’s easy for people to say they are passionate about X when they really like doing X, but a lot of the times this so-called passion is merely a hobby, and that’s probably not a good thing to pursue. I’m not saying hobbies can’t be turned into careers, but I am suggesting for you to tread carefully because:
Passion vs. Hobby
I’m going to borrow a quick exercise (with my own twist) from Jeff Haden in an article he recently wrote. Ask yourself, what were some of the things you thought you were passionate about when you were younger? Now, think about the things you’re passionate about now. Are they any different?
Chances are your passions have changed, right? That’s because they weren’t passions. They were merely interests or hobbies that entertained you or were leisurely activities you simply enjoyed. And as I’ve already pointed out, hobbies change, which is why it’s important to make this distinction early on before attempting to turn your hobby into a career.
What About Passions?
Hobbies are not exclusive to change, this can happen with passions, too. However, it is less likely for the following reasons:
Passions are more than a mere interest. They’re a strong interest for something. If you have a passion for something, you’re spending all, if not most, of your free time on your passion. Strengthening it in any way you can, and always thinking about what you’re going to do next with it. It’s hard to want to stop doing something you truly love, when you don’t ever want to stop doing it.
When you have a passion you’re not afraid to work for it. This is where passion trumps hobbies the most. Pursuing your passion is more than likely going to take some time and it’s going to take a lot of effort. It will be easier to give up on your career goals if you’re not willing to put in the hours or the work, and no one is going to do this for something that’s only a mere interest like a hobby.
So the next time you think you love something and should make a career out of it, sit down and really think about whether you really love it or simply like it. If it will keep you from becoming part of the 71 percent of disengaged Americans, it’s definitely worth looking into.
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Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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