How to Find a Career That Makes You Happy

Over 70,000 hours of the average person's life is spent working. Does that statistic encourage or depress you? In this article, I will give tips on finding and pursuing a career that does not feel like "work" to you.

1) First, you need to figure out what you really want out of life and the type of work you'd like to do long-term.

Take some time on this. For most people, the time around high school and college goes by so quickly--and with so many snap decisions--that they really have not thought their career goals through.

Just as you wouldn't plan a vacation without knowing where you're going, this needs to be approached with a similar process. You need to do some research and write down your skills, hobbies, personality needs, and your interests. From this, you should begin to see a pattern of ideas. Use these to brainstorm careers that match your traits and that you would enjoy.

2) For most career changes, you don't have to immediately stop what you're already doing.

Just take some of your free time and begin to take steps towards job searching. You may be able to find something part-time that can eventually turn into full-time, but you'll have your current job to still pay living expenses. If what you want to do is going to require you quit your current job, take a few months to prepare financially and do as much as you can to get experience before taking the leap. Even volunteer work can help you get a better feel for certain positions.

Part-time businesses are another option for certain fields. You will likely make more money over time this way, but keep in mind you'll have to be more patient and wait for your income to build up before transitioning to full-time business ownership/self-employment.

3) Try to get around people who are in the field you'd like to explore.

They may be able to give you insight that you wouldn't normally get otherwise, and it will help you know what to expect.

Also, don't let it bother you if your first idea does not work out as expected. Sometimes it take trying different things before you find what's right for you. It's all right to make mistakes, especially when trying to avoid the biggest mistake of staying in a position where you're miserable.

More Tips:

• There are several online sites with free personality tests. If you've never taken one, it may help give you a starting point if you're having a hard time figuring out careers that will fit your personality.

• Don't let fear or money keep you in a position you hate. Fear can be overcome, and money will come when you do what you love better than the people doing it only for money.

• Just because you're good at something doesn't mean you have to like it. You want to keep your skills in mind, but they should not be the only factor you consider.