Many people want to work in careers that improve the well-being of others or pursue a vocation that improves lives. But getting into these lines of work can be challenging. It’s not always clear ahead of time what you should do.
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Fortunately, this post is here to help. We run through some of the tactics and strategies you can use to get to the top of your game in these fields and thrive. So what do you need to know?
On this post, let's take a look at the expectations you need to know if you'd like to follow a path or a vocation that improves lives.
Understand Who You Are And What You Can Do
The first step is often to consider who you are and what you can offer your customers. Start by thinking about what makes you passionate and can maintain your interest long-term. Consider your strengths, weaknesses and where you can punch above your weight against the competition.
Also consider your work environment. What type of setting do you want to work in? Once you have answers to these questions and considerations, you’ll be in a better position to think about which direction you want to go in. ‘
Think About Your Values
While you’re going through this process, also consider your values and what really matters to you. Again, this can help inform your “why” and the reasons behind what you want to do.
For example, you might want to help people because someone working in the healthcare sector inspired you and you want to do the same. Or you might want to support people like you when you were struggling in the past.
Going deeper, it also pays to think about the underlying values that guide what you do already in your life. Understanding these enables you to find a career that chimes with your ethics and philosophies.
Assess Your Skills
You also want to consider your skills and how they fit into the broader picture of what you want to achieve. You might not have to consider these at all if you’re simply moving around in your existing field. But you may need to level up if not or transfer to a different career trajectory.
For example, let’s say you want to help do something about the current obesity crisis and want to find new insights into what works. One option would be to take some nutrition courses to learn more about what works and why so many people struggle.
Alternatively, you could go into the therapy space and provide talk-based approaches to people suffering mentally. Going into a niche, such as counselling those with life-changing injuries can be highly effective.
Think About Which Profession You Want To Get Into
When it comes to professions, you have a lot of choice. There are so many ways you could help other people in society. The most obvious avenue is healthcare. Nursing has medium entry difficulty but often a high payoff, both personally and financially.
Doctors do even better in terms of money and lifestyle (once their loans are paid off). But the time involved in becoming a full physician is extreme.
Then, there is the option of becoming a therapist. There’s currently a massive requirement for professionals with these skills, and many are required at short notice during emergencies.
Health, of course, isn’t the only option. You could also explore roles in the educational field. These are also inspiring and help people to live their best lives.
Teaching in conventional schools is one option. However, these careers can be stressful. Alternatively, you could also arrange courses online. Delving deeply into a subject and then teaching what you know to other people can be emotionally and financially rewarding.
Tutors are also an option. These tend to focus specifically on helping students with academic subjects. The high-school end of the spectrum is relatively saturated, but if you can get into the higher levels, particularly those affecting university students, then you can often make a lot of money.
Finally, many people get into various public services. Government officials, for example, often do what they do because they want to help their communities thrive. The same is true of law enforcement and firefighters.
Vocation That Improves Lives – Finding Work That Suits You
Finding helping-based work that suits you can be challenging because you don’t always know what you want to do. Specific jobs might seem like a great match for you in theory, but they may pan out differently in practice.
One approach is to simply volunteer somewhere and try work that’s similar to what you want. Exploring different fields in this way makes it less likely that you’ll wind up making a mistake.
If there’s someone you can shadow, that’s even better. Observing a competent professional doing the sort of work you want to do in the future can provide you with pointers and tell you whether it is something you could eventually do.
Then, of course, there are internships. These give you a more detailed introduction to particular professions and often pay you at the same time. You can then put these on your CV and use that as leverage to impress future employers.
The power of networking is another strategy you can use to get a leg up in your chosen field. If you know the right people, that can act as a golden ticket into the profession and the career you want.
Research Your Career Path
Once you find an opportunity, the next step is to research a career path that appeals to you. Often, a particular role or opportunity will stand out.
During the research phase, learn about the role’s educational requirements. These can vary substantially. The earlier you can wrap your head around these, the more prepared you will be.
You should also think about the practical aspects of the career path you want to take. Are you able to work the hours required of you? Do you want to be face-to-face with patients or children?
Develop Your Social Skills
You also want to think honestly about your social skills. Knowing how well you can deal with other people tells you about your ability to perform a specific role.
For example, if you have strong empathy skills, then helping professions is probably an excellent option for you. However, if you’re more analytical or data-driven, then you might want to think about a different career type.
Be Patient
Whenever you want to pursue a helping profession, it also pays to be patient. The more you can bide your time, the better. Unfortunately, building a career in most helping professions takes several years. It could be five years before you’re at the point you want to be.
However, if you cultivate patience, you can make the process more relaxing and rewarding. Accepting that these things take a long time is often the first step toward sustainable and measurable progress towards your goals.
Making You Your Mind
The final step is to make up your mind on whether you want to commit to a specific career path. Changing direction can feel like a big decision, but the payoff is often worth it in the end.
Many people embarking on this journey start by forming a professional, supportive network or community. Working with others in the field is often the best approach. These individuals can provide you with help when things get tough or you’re not sure whether you want to take the next step forward.
You can also commit to trying a new role for a couple of months to see whether you like it. This approach reduces risk and allows you more time to see whether a specific role is something you want in terms of gut feeling.
