Turn Your Passion Into Your Job

For many of us, our passions and our jobs are two separate things. We may work for 40 (or more) hours a week at a job that brings in a paycheck, and spend our time outside of work thinking about something completely different.

As kids, we’re told to “follow our dreams,” but as adults we know that it’s easier said than done. However, with a little planning and dedication, you can close the gap between your passion and your career.

Do Your Homework

If you’re passionate about something, chances are you already know at least a little about it. But do you know how that skill performs in the job market? The first step toward turning a passion into a career is determining how you can market those skills and eventually profit from them.

Research your competitors and maybe even talk to them to find out how they got started. Rather than going solo, you may have the opportunity to partner with someone who shares your passion.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Even if you have been doing a particular hobby for a long time, you might not be good enough to make a living from it. In a crowded marketplace, you’ll need to make sure that you are ready to stand out.

For example, let’s say that you are passionate about photography. In order to turn it into a job, you may need to decide what type of photography to focus on and begin building up a portfolio of work that will convince someone else to pay you for your skills.

Build a Safety Net

The change from passion to income-earning job won’t happen overnight. Unlike actors in a movie, most of us can’t afford to quit our jobs one day to follow our dreams.

It’s important to start slow and make sure you have a backup plan in place in case things don’t work out. A good way to begin is by devoting time to working on your passion on evenings and weekends (or whenever your work schedule allows), then gradually building up from there.