Looking for a Career Spark?

It can come from the unlikeliest places! Consider these ideas for discovering your career passion.

Take a class for fun.
We're not talking about the kinds of classes you slept through in high school. If science was never your strong suit but you've always been interested in learning a foreign language, sign up for an adult education course. Or if history bores you to tears but tinkering with computers sounds fascinating, take a computer class. Even if the classes don't lead to a new career, you'll still have fun and stimulate your brain in the process.  

Complete a career aptitude test.
You may have taken one of these tests when you were younger, but it can be worthwhile to take one now that you're older and maybe a little wiser. And you may be surprised by the results - tests like the Campbell Interest and Skill Survey, Keirsey Temperament Sorter, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, and Strong Interest Inventory tend to reveal aspects of your personality as well as career passions that you may have never uncovered.

Talk to a professional life coach.
Have you ever called a friend when you were in a quandary, and you figured out what you needed to do just by talking out the problem? A life coach offers the same service, but from a professional, objective standpoint. Life coaches are trained in vision casting and goal setting, and they can help you pinpoint your interests and discover your career passions.

Go on a job shadow.
You're not a kid anymore, and the prospect of being stuck in a new career that you'll hate doesn't sound inviting. Why not test the waters by spending a day with someone in a job that intrigues you? Many professionals will be more than willing to give you an inside look at life in a particular industry. It may just be a career snapshot but, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Get an adult internship (yes, they do exist!).
If you're ready to take your career search to the next level, apply for an internship at a company that interests you. If you feel silly about taking a potentially unpaid internship where you might be working alongside people much younger than you, consider this: employers are desperately seeking the experience and maturity that adults can bring to the table. As an adult intern, you could have greater opportunities to truly experience what a new career would be like.  

Take a vacation.
A vacation might sound like a detour in your career search, but getting away from it all could be exactly what you need to gain perspective on your life and your career passions. After all, it can be difficult to analyze a situation when you're stuck in the middle of it. So give yourself some time away from your career questions. Once you stop trying to figure it all out, you may just find the answers you seek.

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