Working at your passion doesn’t have to mean working for a cause or a non-profit
A popular notion among the 50+ job seeking community is that, after years of toiling in the dog-eat-dog corporate
world, maybe now is the time to follow your passion and “give back.” Give something back to your community by working at something you feel in some way devoted to.
At first blush, when this topic arises most people automatically begin to think in terms of working with some non-profit organization. This could be an organization combating a disease or one that is tackling some social problem or issue.
While it’s true that a certain degree of passion can go a long in those environments. Most people who have gone that route readily admit to experiencing a feeling of self-satisfaction or having given something back to their community. While that may certainly be the case, the non-profit world is not the only place or the only way to secure a feeling of accomplishment.
It is possible to work passionately (and enjoy it) while still making a profit. The most obvious of these circumstances is the world of the entrepreneur. Few people will work as passionately for someone else as they will for themselves. Whether it’s creating a new product, a new process, or a new service, many of the self-employed are truly passionate about their work.
Of course, that’s not to say that one couldn’t be just as inspired working as an employee. Many companies have dedicated employees who are committed to going the extra yard to ensure the success of whatever it is they’re working on.
Being in the job market at age 50+ does give job seekers some time to reflect on what is really important to them; what really drives their inner selves. In other words, there are any number of ways to work at something about which you are passionate – profit or non.