The Interest You Left Behind

We all have subjects that particularly interest us, that capture our attention. It could be a skill, a hobby or just a topic you follow very closely. Try taking note of the articles that attract you online or in the newspaper and you’ll have your answer. Have you incorporated that interest into the job you have today?

As much as we are told, to use a trite term, to “follow our passion”, many times life leads us down a different path and we leave that interest behind. It can be for all kinds of reasons, but they are almost always practical. Maybe you couldn’t figure out how to make a living using that particular focus, or most likely, you reacted to market conditions and something else came along and you took it. No matter how it happened, it’s worth considering whether you want to attempt to integrate it into your work going forward.

We know that market conditions change all the time, and if like me you’ve been in the workforce for 15+ years, during that time the pace of change has sped up more than during any period in history since the Industrial Revolution. Impediments that existed when you first entered the job market may no longer exist. It’s also likely that your goals have changed as you’ve gained experience. Maybe this is the right time to design a new career that favors that neglected area of interest, or at least partially incorporates it into your current path.

In my own life and career, I was an early adopter of romance languages and spent my teens and twenties learning French, Italian and Portuguese while I lived. and later worked, abroad. During years spent in marketing and branding I sought out jobs that would utilize my language and cross-cultural skills. While I love the work I do today and know it uses many of my talents, it is the only time in my career when being able to communicate in a foreign language has not been a specific asset.

Do you have an example from your own life? While I’m working on finding the right intersection between my language skills and my work as a career advisor, I’d love to hear your stories. To get in touch, contact me here.

Photo by Nina Matthews Photography