Finding your passion to find your job

We talk to the experts on how to match your passion with a job in the NFP sector

For many, the past year has helped put priorities in order – from what you do for work, to how you spend your time. 

This means that recruiters are seeing a rise in employees keen to ditch their corporate gig for something with a bit more meaning. 

Ask anyone in the social change space and they will tell you that if you’re making the switch to the for-purpose sector it’s important to do something you’re passionate about. 

But working out what that passion is, and how you can use your skills to work towards an issue you care about can take some figuring out. 

It’s why we reached out to Lois Freeke from NGO Recruitment for some advice. 

Set your vision      

If you start your job search with a general idea that you just want to help people, you probably won’t have much success. 

Instead, Freeke suggests setting a vision by asking yourself questions such as what is a world problem you want to fix, and what kind of impact would you like to have had at the end of your career? 

“Think about a problem or an issue that you’d want to see transformed or improved to make the world a better place,” she said. 

“If you were looking back on your life perhaps, what would you want to hear about what you’ve accomplished, and how you’ve touched people’s lives?” 

Filter it through reality 

It’s important to be realistic. In the end, you’re only going to be hired for a job that you have the skills to actually do. 

Don’t let this put you off though, it’s just about balancing what your passion is and how you can use your skills to make a change in it.  

“You might want to achieve world peace, but at the end of the day, you need to think about how your skills can contribute to that,” Freeke said. 

“So you’re going to have to think that through and see what is actually within your control. It may be that you need to upskill or fill a skills gap, but you can do it.” 

Go back to basics and trust your gut 

Sometimes, simple is best. Freeke says if you’re really struggling to nail down something, think about what you wanted to be when you were a kid, or what you enjoyed doing the most at school.  

“What you were best at school or what you wanted to be when you were growing up will often give you a clue to where your passions lie, and combining all these things together will help give you an idea of where your place in social impact is,” she said.

If you’re interested in a career in the for-purpose sector, check out our For-purpose jobs board. New jobs, advice and resources added every day. Find your dream role today.