A fulfilling career is the intersection of something you find fascinating and something you are good at.
This article is an excerpt from our BizTV video, which can be viewed online, simply click this link.
In a fascinating Forbes article, Why you can’t find a job you love, author Louis Efron points out some reasons why so many Americans are unhappy at work. Setting the “my boss is a jerk” issues aside, much of the problem comes from a misalignment between passion and skill. That misalignment leads to communication and performance problems but also to boredom, a real career killer.
Passion alone is not the single path to career fulfillment. Passion might point us in a direction but skill and curiosity has to figure into the equation.
Here are five tips to find opportunities for career growth:
- Start with passion. Identify one idea, activity or concept you find interesting about your current role. It could be a problem you see that others do not. This could be your niche.
- Dig deeper. Can you see a solution that other people cannot? Do some research, identify resources, then put your idea in writing. Become the expert in your passion.
- Raise your hand. Say “yes” to new experiences, particularly those related to your passion.
- Share your ideas with a mentor for insight into how to put your ideas into action.
- Stay positive. You can’t grow if you are grumbling about that glass being half empty.
Build career growth on something you find fascinating and something you are good at. The opportunities are all around you if you keep your eyes open.