The workforce is a real contradiction. A huge majority of the population work for a living. They get up each morning, go to an office they don’t want to be in and do something that’s not fun. Meeting someone who truly enjoys what s/he does is a rarity these days, and finding your passion gets drowned out by all the bills, debt and other responsibilities that seem to pile up the longer you work.
This is when a lot of people wonder if they took the right course in college or make the right career moves. The truth is, there are no wrong choices, and whatever decisions you made that led you to this point is moot because it’s never too late to start over. There are no hard and fast rules for starting over, so there’s no reason why you can’t call it a day and look for an alternative career.
Listen to Your Soul
There’s a way out of the stress-filled rat race if you’re willing to take a chance on what your gut tells you. If you have an artistic soul that wants to break free from the chains of the office cubicle, you hold the keys to your freedom. All you have to do is listen to your soul. Ask yourself where you want to be and what you’d rather be doing.
Your alternative career choices don’t have to be drastically different to what you’re currently doing. In fact, you can use all your current skills to help you in your new chosen field. Just make sure you do something you love and are passionate about, otherwise you’ll just get stuck in the rat race again.
Need help zeroing in on your soul’s message? The following alternative careers may be right up your alley:
Music
Let’s say you’re an office worker, but you love and appreciate all types of music. You can take a vocational course at a music training school like Musitechnic and become a Sound Engineer. You can then work in a studio, go on tour with a band or on work in stage production. You’ll get to work in an industry you love, surrounded with the audio you crave.
Photography
If you love photography and have invested a sizeable amount of money in DSLR cameras and other gear as a hobby, you should consider turning it into a full time endeavor. Start with family events and offer your services to friends. Don’t charge anything for your first few salvos into it because you’re just building your portfolio. Once you have covered enough events, go to trade shows and wedding fairs so you can show people what you can do.
Writing
Writing is another passion that you can turn into a full time career. If you have something to say and if you’re somewhat of a guru in your field, start a blog and share your thoughts with the world. You can offer consulting services, monetize your blog or write articles for online publications. If your writing provides value for others, your advice will be sought after.
Arts and Crafts
Do you love arts and crafts? You can turn your hobby into a business with Etsy. The site is home to thousands of creatives, showcasing all their artsy products. Sell your paintings, home made furniture, knitted items and anything else hand made. There’s a cost to post items and maintain your page though, so make sure you read the fine print to avoid overextending your budget.
Health and Fitness
Do you have a passion for exercise and staying in shape? You can turn this into a career by becoming a personal trainer. The world is suffering from an obesity epidemic and people need all the help they can get. You can take certification courses on fitness and nutrition to boost your credibility and land more clients. If you’re looking more at healthcare, taking a nursing course is advisable as there are good routes into the industry with nursing recruitment agencies like Day Webster.
A Word Before You Go
Being able to do what you love doing and make money out of it is great and all, but you have to make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons and you must have contingency plans in place for any “just in case” moments. If you’re so stressed out and in need of a change of pace or die of a heart attack, by all means, pack up and go!
But if you’re quitting your job just for the sake of quitting, or if you leave without knowing what you want to do and having a plan to accomplish it, you may regret your decision. Take baby steps, and once you have a plan for the next six months of your life out of the rat race, you can then cut the chains and start your new journey.
There are a ton of other things you could be doing right now, instead of being stuck where you are, hating every minute of it. Look deep inside yourself and find what you really love doing. It should be something that you don’t mind doing for the rest of your life and it should always make you happy.
Good Luck!
