Career Advice: Doing What You Love

Dear Debbie:
I could splash around in the retail end of the swimming pool for the rest of my life if my parents didn’t care. I love people and making them happy makes me happy, plus the commissions are great! But my parents did put me through college and now expect me to “do better” than retail, and get a “real job”. How do I make them happy while still being happy myself? Liza T.

Dear Liza:
When you are working with your passions, you are happy, time flies by, and others benefit by being around you and feel inspired to be like you. The enthusiasm and positive attitude of your letter indicates to me that you are great with customers, which means you will be great at retail! Large percentages of people are so unhappy in their work – it’s refreshing to hear that you are not one of them. To convince your parents that you are already doing what you love to do, I recommend you create a retail career plan that proves your commitment to utilizing your education and to your passion. This is for them, and more importantly for yourself to plan your future and develop your career with specific goals and action steps. Start by looking at management and growth opportunities within your current employer’s organization. Talk to your supervisor, the Human Resources department, and the Store Manager. While leveraging your experience where you already are is a wise idea, also look outside at other retail companies to compare and see what they offer. You can then make the decision to stay put or get your resume out to other companies. Put your findings on paper, plot out what your career path will look like and where you’ll be in 1, 3, and 5 years from now. Develop goals and action steps for each one and begin your journey to making this work you love into your life’s career.
Good luck!

If you are in need of career advice, please post your question as a comment. I will address it in a future Smart Career Moves blog post. Enjoy your work day!