How much of your waking life do you spend in work? Add to that the time you spend thinking about work, planning for work and getting to and from your day job. Needless to say it's a big old chunk of your week.

It's a sad fact that many people simply 'make do' with a job that pays the bills, but doesn’t light their fires. At a certain stage in your life paying the bills, putting savings in the bank and reaching the next pay day is an overriding motivation to settle for something less than we deserve, but we wouldn't be doing our job if we didn't give you the tools to push for, and reach, your absolute potential.

So, we've put together a quick-fire guide to help you identify exactly what makes you tick.

1. Pinpoint your strengths: A great place to start is by looking at what you’re good at! Whether it be baking or biophysics. Could you make a career out of a passion you’ve not yet explored?
2. Look beyond the salary: We are not suggesting you live your life as a volunteer (unless you can afford to) but money isn’t always the key to happiness. Sometimes it’s about fulfilment.
3. Remember what you loved as a child: Our passions manifest themselves in childhood; then life gets in the way. Were you a keen writer, an animal lover or great with the elderly? Revisit that time.
4. Ask your nearest and dearest: It’s not always easy to be objective about such a close subject, so ask the people around you what they think puts a spring in your step.
5. Look to your professional heroes: Who are the people that inspire you and why are they so great? How could you emulate their approach to life and business in your career?
6. Tune into your passions: You might have a hobby that gives you untold enjoyment, but it could be your key to a new career – from piano playing (teaching) to throwing parties (event planning)
7. Think about what you hate: One of the most important factors in finding a job you love is eliminating the things you don’t enjoy doing - whether that’s data, working in the city or micro-management. But remember, even your dream job might entail some less enjoyable duties.
8. Start saving: If you have to retrain or start from scratch, life will be a lot easier with some savings behind you. So even if you’re not yet sure what you want to do, start putting away those pennies.
9. Use social media: Visit forums, read blogs, connect with people who share your interests and you’ll be amazed at how much inspiration is out there. You could even find your next career opportunity.
10. Consult a career counsellor: Sometimes you need to just sit down with someone who knows about the different avenues out there and what it takes to get there. They could even suggest jobs you might have never heard of based on your strengths and interests!



We're here to help you every step of the way. If you try out the points above and still have no idea which way to turn, don't give up. We love nothing more than working with our candidates to unleash their full potential, so please do get in touch!