Finding Your Passion

Do you want to be able to say: “ I would go to work even if they didn’t pay me.” or “Time just slipped by at work, I was having so much fun.” or “ I love my job.” Many of us are looking to find our passion, feeling that if we could just get a handle on what that is everything else would fall into place. Finding your passion can help set career direction and determine areas of study or work that you would really enjoy and can give your life new meaning.

The big question is: “If I don’t know what my passion is and many of us don’t – then how do I find it?” Our career counsellors offer different approaches to help people find their passion. Tried and true planning strategies - self-assessment, interest inventory, and consideration of values, skills, temperament, and life style factors – are available. In addition, learn how to research educational and career alternatives. Did you know there are over 2500 careers in Canada? How many do you think you could list right now? To begin your quest, take advantage of links to excellent resources through our Career Development section.

Once you have gathered the information, you will need to make a decision. Remember in career planning that doesn’t mean choosing the one right answer. In the event your first choice does not quite work out the way you had hoped, have a few; first choice, second choice, third choice and so on. This may sound simple but really it takes time and energy – you are a complicated person and the world of university/work has many many options (UofC alone has 16 faculties and over 83 choices of majors).

Career counsellors understand that indecision is normal and desirable, look at it as an opportunity to find out more about you and about the world of work. Did you know 50-60% of students change their minds about their major in the first two years of university? Career planning is not sequential, you will probably redo career planning strategies many times and in many different orders. Rely on your own internal knowing, so that means time for reflection and for figuring things out. Use your right brain and let your creative, fun side to figure this out –daydream about the most wonderful career you could imagine and see what that tells you.

Don’t limit yourself to careers of today – in your working life many new careers will be invented. Who would have thought of being a Webpage designer even 10 years ago? Take advantage of serendipity or happenstance, the chance things that come along in life and if we take a chance and try something new you never know you might find out you like it! Peter Mansbridge, the CTV News anchor found his passion when he was working in an airport in Churchill, Manitoba (after taking time out of school to figure out what he really wanted to do with his life) loading cargo. One night he was asked to make the flight announcements, a radio producer heard him and loved his voice. He was offered a job in radio and from there he went upward!

To find your passion, ask yourself these questions:

WHAT DO YOU LOVE TO DO?
Name 10 things you love to do

WHAT ARE YOUR GIFTS?
List 3 skills that come naturally to you

WHAT ARE YOUR CAREER DREAMS?
Name 5 careers that you would enjoy doing

WHAT ENERGIZES YOU?
List 3 areas where you get your energy

WHAT ARE YOU AWARE OF?
List 1 thing that you are sensitive to (like taste, sound, color, design etc)

WHAT HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN?
Name 2 areas of commitment

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT?
List 3 areas that you have knowledge in

For more help with finding your passion and planning your education and career direction consider taking one of our excellent Career/Life Planning Workshops.