Finding a Career that You Love in a Tight Economy

By Marcy Morrison, Careers with Wings (www.careerswithwings.com)

We are continually bombarded with the news of layoffs and the economic downturn. So many people are saying that they’ll be lucky enough to find any job let alone their dream job. That said when I look around and I talk to many people, I find people that just recently have had three job offers in their dream field. I find others who see their layoff as an opportunity to pursue a career that they are truly passionate about and are making it happen. What are these people doing to make this happen? They have taken or are taking a few critical steps that include:

• Get clear on your passion and strengths. The key to living your passion is to do what YOU want to do – not what your parents, society, friends and others want you do. When you are genuinely passionate about your career path – your energy and enthusiasm will attract the necessary resources and people you need to find a job that you love. Also take into consideration that all of us are naturally talented in certain areas. Take the time to think about what comes naturally to you and where you excel. Leveraging your strengths is the key to overcoming the hurdles that you may encounter. Once you are clear on your strengths, you will be more confident in marketing yourself.
• Trust your gut/believe in yourself. Especially in this economy, there are many people that will tell you that what you want to do isn't possible. Learn how to block them out and keep moving towards your dream. After graduation, my dream was to work in Latin America saving the world. I graduated in the middle of a recession, so I constantly heard that not only was I not going to find my dream job, I would be lucky to find any job. I didn't let that discourage me; I stayed focused on my dream and landed my dream job with the Inter-American Foundation doing grassroots development work in El Salvador. Also many times our gut is telling us that what we are currently doing isn’t working for us anymore, but we are blocked with moving forward due to fears about the fact that it is too hard to change or we think that we are throwing away years of experience. There are so many ways that we can transfer our skills and knowledge to a new career path that we are truly passionate about. The truth is that it may be hard work to change, but that is only for the short-term in exchange you will be making a long-term investment into doing something that lights your fire each day. What do you choose?
• Networking. This is vital to finding a career that you love. A lot of times, attending events can be expensive but a critical way to meet people in your dream field. Contact the event organizer and see if they need volunteers and if so, take advantage of this golden networking opportunity. When networking, make sure you can articulate what you want to do and what you have to offer in a 30 second presentation. People don't have time to listen to long-winded stories. Plus you never know when this 30 second pitch may be useful. 
• Build a Support Team. Pursuing a job that you love can be discouraging especially in a tight economy and for this reason, it is vital that you surround yourself with a support team of positive people that believe in you. Find a mentor via your networking or seek out someone who is successful in your dream job field. If you are unable to find a mentor, consider hiring a professional coach to help you achieve your dreams. Mentors and coaches are crucial in helping you in many different areas including uncovering areas of weaknesses and providing suggestions on how to overcome them. In addition, seek out inspirational people who have accomplished feats that you thought were impossible. Read inspirational books, such as “The Success Principles” by Jack Canfield, which is filled with amazing stories and examples of how many people have lived their passion and experienced success sometimes against the odds. Check in regularly with people that truly believe in you and support you to keep you on track and your confidence up.

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