What do you want to be when you grow up?
When we were little, we all had amazing answers to that question. When I ask my five-year old daughter (pictured above), every time her answer is different, including a police officer, mermaid, dentist, football player, and ballerina, to name a few.
Now that we’re adults, is it too late? Is it really possible to do what we love for a living? How do we translate our passions into a career?
To get us going, I’ll start with a story. When I was growing up there were two things I loved: music and sports. When I got a little older, I realized what I enjoyed about them was interacting with people, and I’ve been able to implement that aspect into my career. Although I never became a professional athlete or musician, my career has allowed me to integrate these passions into my life.
I took a position with a sports marketing firm that represented professional basketball players. It was an entry-level position that allowed me to further my career while being around one of my favorite sports. While job searching after leaving the sports firm, I met with a head hunter. About halfway into the interview, she asked me if I would ever consider being a Recruiter. Although I hadn’t considered it before, I was immediately interested. I was able to interact with people on a daily basis, and help people with their careers. I’ve been in Recruiting and Account Management for about 10 years, and I truly love it.
What happened to sports and music? I’ve still kept them a big part of my life. I play the drums with my husband on weekends, and I love taking my daughter to sporting events in the spring and summer.
So what is the moral of the story? There is always a way to integrate your passion into your life, whether it’s adding a new hobby, or a full-fledged career change. If you feel stuck in a rut, take some time to reflect on what you wanted to be “when you grew up.” Then ask yourself, what was it about your “dream job” that you loved the most?
Maybe you love traveling, and could ask your manager for more opportunities to travel with work. Perhaps you love your job, but want to change to a more exciting industry. If you’re thinking of picking back up with your favorite hobby, you could switch jobs for a better work-life balance.
If you need some career guidance, feel free to reach out to the Profiles Recruiters. We are happy to give consultation and advice, and guide you through the search process. If you want to have a fulfilling career, go back to basics and discover what you truly love doing.
What do you want to be when you grow up? With a little introspection, you may finally find the answer.
Author Name – Nancy DiSciullo
Title – Senior Account Manager
Location – Washington, DC
Twitter – @ProfilesNancy
Byline – Nancy has been in the recruitment industry for over 10 years placing creative, marketing and communication professionals, both in the traditional and digital space.
