Help! I Can’t Find a Career That Interests Me!

“Do what you love!”

“When you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life!”

“Just pick a job doing something interesting.”

Who has ever heard these gems of wisdom about choosing a career?

For some people, this advice and similar inspirational quotes about choosing a job serve a purpose.

If you’re not one of those inspired souls, you may have different feelings about the advice and further questions altogether, like “what if I can’t find a career that interests me?”

Even if you’re confident that you are not passionate about anything, don’t give up yet!

The tips and tricks in this guide may help you discover a hidden passion that changes everything!

Break Away from Boredom

It’s easy to fall into a job that pays the bills and provides some semblance of routine.

Maybe you make more than a decent living, but the job bores you to tears, and no amount of caffeine can get you through a day, then it’s not a good fit.

Quit that tedious job and move on!

Seriously, it sounds crazy, but quitting your tedious job may be the best thing you can do for yourself and your career.

Taking a break from the boredom allows you to regroup and reconsider what you want out of life.

You may find that you were too exhausted and distracted by the dull job to discover an alternate career.

Once you remove the distraction of unsuitable jobs, you can start on the real work.

Losing that burden and weight lets you see the world, and yourself, through fresh eyes.

Refocusing your energy is the first and most significant step toward a more fulfilling career.

Create a Personal Career Profile and Plan

Without the weight of a tedious job holding you back, you should be free to explore yourself and your interests.

First, you need to create a personal profile to identify things about you, including what you like in a workplace and activities you enjoy.

Then, you can build a career plan around that profile.

No, you don’t have to do personality quizzes to discover your strengths and weaknesses, but you do need to be honest and dig deep.

Your strengths and weaknesses can help you narrow down the field of potential careers.

For example, if you prefer a routine, organized schedule, you may want to remove jobs that require flexible or erratic hours.

Building a personal profile and mapping a career plan can help you sort out your strengths, weaknesses, assets (like education or certifications), and desires.

Take your time creating your profile and strategy.

Ask People Who Know You Well

Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Nobody said you have to do this alone.

Discuss your concerns and frustrations with the people who know you best.

Your family, friends, and teachers can provide valuable insights that you might not recognize about yourself.

We are our own worst critics, meaning we may not see ourselves as clearly as those around us.

Even if you think you’re not passionate about anything, somebody who knows you may point out something you hadn’t considered.

Consider Your Heroes

Who do you look up to? Our heroes can tell us a lot about our values and interests.

Consider their career paths and skills that make them excel in their field.

Think about what skills you share with your hero and how you could put them to use.

Don’t forget to consider those skills you could learn or develop.

Admittedly, if your hero is a professional athlete, you probably won’t follow in their exact footsteps.

However, if you look at the qualities that draw you to that individual, you may identify a potential career path.

For example, maybe your hero does a lot of volunteer work or dedicates time to a specific charity. You could explore work with those ventures.

Look to the Future

Don’t forget to imagine your future self and the type of life you want to live.

Though you can’t say for sure where you want to go, think about what you want to do.

For example, if you crave the freedom to travel, you probably want to consider that when building a career plan.

You need flexibility or plenty of vacation time to make travel possible.

Try a Career Aptitude Test

One of the best options for finding a viable career is taking an aptitude test.

When you’re not passionate about anything, career aptitude tests can show you job options that fit with your preferences, skills, and personality.

Career aptitude tests ask you questions about your job preferences.

For example, would you rather be a television producer or a TV anchor?

Consider yourself in each of those roles and identify which sounds better to you.

You may also see questions addressing how you feel about work-related situations, like whether or not you should speak up in a particular situation.

Ultimately, your results reveal a selection of jobs that could work for you.

Usually, the results include a range of jobs that you can explore in more detail.

You may want to try a few different roles across various industries.

One thing to note about career aptitude tests is that there are many tests online.

Some promise results in a few minutes because they only ask a handful of questions.

Other tests dig deeper and take longer but tend to yield more accurate listings.

You may want to avoid tests that ask fewer than twenty questions, even if it seems like a fast, easy way to get answers.

Do Something Different

When you get stuck in the “can’t find a career that interests me” rut, it may be time to mix things up a bit.

Take a step back and consider new options, even if they don’t initially interest you or don’t sound like viable money-making gigs.

You never know what can happen until you try, and your next “experiment” could lead to the career of your dreams.

Explore a New Hobby

Jump into something new, even if it’s not technically a career.

Pick up a hobby you always wanted to try or take a class in something that interests you.

Local businesses, libraries, and even public parks offer various courses that might spark a hidden passion.

If nothing else, you get to meet new people who share your hobby and interests.

Connecting with new people is a great way to expand your network and open new doors.

You never know when one of those new acquaintances could lead you to a dream job.

Go the Non-Traditional Route

Maybe your lack of passion stems from working in a traditional setting.

If you crave something different, including a work-from-home arrangement, then you may want to pursue a non-traditional route.

You have more options than ever to explore non-traditional options in your career search.

• Try freelancing and offer your services as a contractor. Tutoring and teaching English online or providing office support through freelance sites are popular options.
• Volunteer at an organization or cause that inspires you. It’s a great way to make connections and meet people with shared goals.
• Don’t overlook being an intern at a business that interests you. Even if the position begins as an unpaid or low-paying role, it could open the door to something down the line.
• You could try direct sales for a company you believe in and want to share with your community and beyond.
• Start your own company out of a favorite hobby or skill, like a homemade candle business.

Consider a Career Counselor

What do you do if you have all of this information, maybe even a notebook full of data, but you can’t find an answer?

When we get too close to something or can’t get out of our own way, it may be time to ask for help.

Contacting a professional who can help you make sense of your research and results is an excellent option.

Career counselors help job seekers of all ages answer the tough questions and find the right type of work.

They can help you switch gears, refine a career path, filter out the noise and isolate your key traits and desires.

Career counselors can even identify and point you toward promising job fields with more opportunities and stability.

Conclusion

Doing a job just so you can pay the bills is honorable enough, but it’s not fulfilling.

Survival is necessary, but money can’t meet some of your basic needs, including happiness and self-worth.

When you need to pay bills, it’s easy to fall into the “can’t find a career that interests me” trap, but it’s important to remember that you have options.

Take a step back and reevaluate your situation.

Exploring new careers may be the harder road, but it generally pays off long-term.

You may have a long and winding road ahead, but careers should build over time.

Each step you take forward could set you on the path to a job that pays your bills and makes you happy.

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