The old adage ‘Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life’ sounds appealing but, for many, unrealistic. Those entering the work force, often with debt in hand, don’t have the luxury of waiting for (or the time to search for) the perfect role. However, whenever possible, I recommend holding onto this mantra to help ensure a happy, healthy and rewarding future.
Like many, I spent a long time being unsure about what career was right for me. This feeling of uncertainty is extremely common amongst young adults, especially since we are often forced to make impactful decisions at an early age that have the potential to significantly alter our career paths.
I remember having career days at school where we had to discuss our plans for the future and being told time and time again, “keep doing what you enjoy most, and the right career will find you eventually”. I didn’t find this helpful at the time as I enjoyed most subjects at school. Little did I know that this advice would one day lead me to a career that I would become so enthusiastic about.
When the time came to apply for university, I was still unsure of what my next steps would be. I went to countless university open days, attended their talks for a variety of different subjects – and if anything, there was too much choice. I decided to go to Northumbria University to study Human Geography; the key factor in this choice being that I enjoyed geography most, and that was the only thing I could base my decision on at the time. Little did I know that this would guide me to what I love, the human factor.
I set aside planning for the future and focused on my studies, again trying to follow the advice of my previous teachers and reflected on the parts of my course that I enjoyed most, and for me that was the social element of human geography. I loved learning about people, how we interact with one another and why society functions in different ways. Therefore, I chose to study human activity through a different lens and started my conversion master’s in Psychology. Before I knew it, I was handing in my thesis, and I had some serious decisions to make of what jobs I was going to apply for.
I considered many people-orientated careers, such as teaching and HR, but I was struggling to visualise myself in these roles. I stumbled across the idea of recruitment whilst reading various job adverts, and I soon realised how exciting of an opportunity this could be for me - fast-paced career collaborating with successful individuals and helping them find their next steps in their careers.
When I found DMJ, I was delighted to see the emphasis that the company put towards career progression, staff wellbeing and EDI policies. Even through reading DMJ’s values, Collaborate, Communicate & Cultivate – I knew instantly that this was a company to aspire to work for. I am now a few weeks into my role as a researcher for the company secretarial/governance recruitment team, and I can’t believe how fast the time has flown. Everybody has been so welcoming and has made me feel part of the DMJ family since day one. I am excited to continue my journey here at DMJ.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by not knowing what direction to take in your career, I implore you to keep doing what you enjoy. Clichés become popular for a reason and they’re often accurate.
It’s okay to not have your whole career planned out from the day you leave school, but be open to trying new things, take advantage of opportunities presented to you and you will eventually find a career that is right for you. Especially if you follow those things for which you have zeal and passion.
Posted 22/09/2022 By Edd Cass