Think about how much time you spend working. The average U.S. adult works 2,012 hours per year and an estimated 90,000 hours throughout their lifetime. That’s a whole lot of time to spend doing things that don’t bring personal and professional fulfillment, or that lead you to burnout. There’s a better way if you choose it!  

It’s true that if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life – and we’re totally on board with that at Goodwin Recruiting. We believe you should not only love what you do, but also where you do it. We are big proponents of helping people explore jobs, career choices, and companies that they may not otherwise think of or consider. In other words, your dream job could be hiding in our plain sight!  

There’s just one thing we’d like to know. What is your dream job or career? With our knowledge of the job market and open positions, we can look at your resume, spend time talking with you, and identify good-fit jobs that align with your skills and experience. But what we really want is to see you happy and fulfilled in your life and career.

Here’s how you can make that happen.  

Find your passion!  

What truly energizes you? You might have one, a few, or many answers to this question. Write them all down. You’re exploring deep interests here, so there’s no pressure or time limit. And while making your list, ignore any negative thoughts about whether you could make a living doing that. Where there’s a will, there’s a way – and there are plenty of people and resources to help you get where you want to go.  

For now, concentrate on things that pique your enthusiasm and energy level the most. What prompts you to work hard? What is your proudest achievement? If money were no object, what would you do all day? If you could have any job in the world, what would it be? Now we’re talking!  

Use these important tips to help you identify your strongest interests and desires, to separate what you’re passionate about from your hobbies, and best of all, learn how to explore career paths and jobs that are directly related to your passions.  

If you focus your sights on seizing a profession that energizes you at your core, you’re going to enjoy heading to work each day, you’ll devour the projects you work on and the conversations and collaboration you engage in with your peers and co-workers, and you will find success in doing work that you love!  

“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.” — Steve Jobs  

What motivates you?  

When choosing a career or making a career change, individuals are motivated by many different factors.  

Some people are motivated by money, and so they choose jobs and careers with the highest earnings potential. Others are drawn to work that challenges them to continually advance and grow and offers opportunities to climb higher in an organization or industry. Many of today’s professionals need to know they are making a difference in society or the world, and these individuals gravitate to careers in which they can make meaningful contributions. Still others prioritize jobs and careers that ensure a solid work-life balance, allowing them to spend quality time with family and friends, while still loving what they do. 

What are your priorities? Knowing your goals will lead you to a job that will help you realize them.   

Consider a variety of jobs and industries   

Making a change in your career path is a lot easier than you might think! We work with job candidates every day who move with great success from one industry or type of job to a completely different one. How do they do it? Many skills and leadership traits are transferable from one industry to another. For example, people with experience in the hospitality industry are exceptionally well suited for any company’s customer-facing and decision-making roles, and in nurturing existing and new customers.   

Open your mind to the possibilities! Your ultimate happiness will depend not only on finding fulfillment, but just as important, satisfying your personal preferences and working style. So, as you look at the following types of careers and jobs, imagine doing them in your ideal industry and job setting. This should get your adrenaline pumping! 

• If you love being with people: Consider careers in which you’ll be surrounded by other professionals or involved with the public – or both. Extroverts excel in jobs in the hospitality and cruise industries, human resources, teaching, healthcare, marketing, public relations, business management, sales, customer relations, meeting planning, event management, product management, financial consulting, business consulting, social work, counseling, talent recruiting, and many other disciplines that also pay well.  
• If you love being on your own: Consider careers and jobs that are more solitary in nature, such as remote work, which is available across many industries and functionalities. For introverts and people who just prefer to work on a solo basis, there are countless high-paying job opportunities that fit the bill here, from writers to graphic artists, data analysts, engineers, software designers, researchers, language translators, medical and legal transcriptionists, virtual assistants, mechanics, photographers, digital marketers…the list goes on!   

Connect with people in the world that energizes you  

Almost no one gets where they want to go without support. In business, as in life, support and career advice come through our connections with others. We can’t think of a better place for you to connect with people in your desired field or industry than LinkedIn – the world’s largest professional network with more than 900 million members in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.  

Don’t be afraid to connect with people on LinkedIn. This is how you build your professional network. Also, search for and join professional and special interest groups there, too. LinkedIn Groups (there are more than 1.2 million!) provide a place for professionals in the same industry or with similar interests to share their insights and experiences, ask for guidance, and build valuable connections.  

Send a simple note with your invitations to connect, such as, “I see you’re an expert in the XYZ industry. I’m looking to build my network and expand my knowledge of the industry and would love to connect with you.” LinkedIn offers great advice on how to write attractive connection requests.  

You’ll be pleasantly surprised by how many people love connecting back, who see themselves in your shoes and want to help you progress in your life and career.   

Learn all you can   

Knowledge truly is power – and on your career journey, it’s the power you will use to transcend from where you are to where you want to go.  

Research the latest developments and trends in your chosen field or industry. Find out who the movers and shakers are and why they’re making a mark. Learn everything you can from people you connect with and seek out mentors along the way. Are there workshops, certifications, continued education, or annual conventions that you could take advantage of to increase your knowledge? Go for it. 

Continuous learning will keep you relevant, give you confidence, increase others’ confidence in you, spark ideas, and greatly expand your perspective in your area of interest.  

Never stop dreaming or chasing your happiness  

No matter where you are in life or your career, it’s never too soon or too late to choose a new path. When you surround yourself with the right people and the right knowledge, and have a genuine love for what you do, the sky is the limit! Chase what’s right for you professionally and the money will indeed follow. You’ll find yourself naturally working your way up and will enjoy your day-to-day experiences.  

If you already have a good idea of what you want to do, and even if you don’t, check out our job board to see what openings we have that could be the right option for you. Always feel free to contact one of our expert recruiters who can help you strategize the next step in your career. We are great career coaches and would love to help you seize your passion!