HAVE you ever heard of the saying, ‘Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life’?
For many, it is a dream to work on things that they love and enjoy doing as much as they do with their hobbies.
Apart from enjoyment, hobbies are important for personal growth and provide a sense of escapism from the grind of everyday life.
As such, there is usually a divide between your professional life and the hobbies you pursue outside it.
However, if you are thinking of swapping your current nine-to-five job for a career based on any of your hobbies, here are some questions to ask yourself.
When is the right time to do it?
Some might say that now is the right time for you to start, but easing your hobby into a career or a business actually requires a lot of thought.
For instance, if you are not ready to let go of the stability of your current job, you might need to spend more time on your hobby to lay the foundation for future professional growth.
You also need to take your personal circumstances into consideration.
For example, if you are planning to purchase your own home or are still paying your student loan, now might not be the best time to make the transition as it requires a lot of time and money.
Will I be strong enough to take criticism?
Chances are when you first turn your hobby into a profession, the people around you such as your family, friends, and significant other will have opinions about your endeavour.
Regardless of whether these opinions are positive or negative, it can be challenging to be open and accepting of their criticism.
You should prepare yourself to be receptive because sometimes it is possible that your enthusiasm and passion are keeping you from discovering what might actually be obstacles that must be addressed.
How can I monetise it?
This is perhaps the most common reason that prevents most people from turning their passion into a career or business.
While money is not a priority for some, you could not help but wonder whether your hobby can earn an income on which you can survive in the long run.
For this, you need to have a solid career or business plan as it can give you a clear direction towards your future and get yourself ready for any potential problems.
Will I still enjoy it?
Turning a hobby into a profession could remove any sense of spontaneity it used to have.
Thus, the best way to maintain the interest you have towards what you love doing is to keep learning and be innovative.
This is a weekly column by SarawakYES! – an initiative driven by Faradale Media-M Sdn Bhd and supported by Angkatan Zaman Mansang (Azam) Sarawak – to provide advice and stories on the topics of education and careers to support Sarawakians seeking to achieve their dreams. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.