“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”―Confucius

Do you dream of having a job that you absolutely love, but aren’t sure what exactly what you want to do or how to go about finding out?  Then you are not alone – a huge number of people struggle through their work lives wishing that their career was a little more interesting, a little more fulfilling and ultimately a lot more enjoyable!  But could that elusive dream job that you so desperately desire actually be staring you in the face?

Think about it…your hobbies are something that you do out of choice in your free time, because they bring you a sense of joy and fulfilment…is there any law that says they cannot be converted into a great career?

In the hope of inspiring you to take a more objective look at your own hobbies and the employment possibilities they may hold, here are a few which we think have great potential to be turned into careers!

Writing and Editing

There is a tired old cliché of the struggling professional writer, earning a meagre wage, and failing to gain the notoriety required to be considered a success.  But the truth of the matter is that there are a large number of people who earn a very decent living by plying this particular hobby in a productive and useful way.

Firstly you must broaden your horizons and be realistic… you may very well be the next J.K. Rowling but for the time being, focus on finding ways in which your love of writing could bring in a decent and reliable wage. Some jobs which will make the most of your passion and skill as a writer include; web content writer, creative contributor, writing coach/creative writing instructor, travel writer, newspaper columnist, novelist, etc.

Here we have deliberately only included roles which can provide you with full time employment, but don’t forget that there is as much money to be made through freelance writing, particularly once you have established yourself as a reliable source for content. Websites, magazines and newspapers are always on the lookout for high quality articles and will normally pay a flat fee for your submission. The internet is packed full of information on how to “make it” as a freelance writer but unfortunately there is no tried-and-trusted way of ensuring your success.

Photography

There is now a huge variety of photography “sectors” including publishing, photojournalism, fashion, fine art and advertising and as such, the possibilities for professional development are quite considerable.

There are a number of routes into a photography career which can be taken, but the majority of people today follow the academic route which will normally consist of a A-levels/BTEC qualifications and a BA degree however these qualifications are certainly not essential.

A potential employer will be more concerned with the quality of your work than your level of qualifications, so building up a portfolio of freelance work and getting an entry level job as a photographer’s assistant can be a great place to start your career.

We’ve written a guide on how to become a photographer which has lots of useful information and handy tips.

Cooking

OK, so we know that there is a huge difference between enjoying cooking Sunday lunch for your family and becoming a chef in a large restaurant kitchen, but for some it really is a possibility. If you fancy finding out a bit more about how to become a professional chef then check out our guide.

Don’t forget though that having a career in cooking doesn’t necessarily mean working in a high pressure restaurant kitchen under fire from a Gordon Ramsay-style chef.  There are plenty of other options to choose from including;  personal chef,  catering services for small events, bread baker, cooking mentor, research chef, recipe writer, recipe developer, food stylist etc.

Music Performance/ Acting

Well any kind of hobby in which you ‘perform’ is what we really mean. It’s very easy to go through your life with a hobby like playing music or acting, that you are brilliant at, but have never pursued as a viable career option due to fear of failure or the assumption that you simply are not good enough to perform professionally.

Whilst we can’t personally vouch for your proficiency with a piano or your mastery of Macbeth we can suggest that you look objectively at your hobby and assess (realistically) whether you are good enough to make a career out of it.

But don’t forget that performance is not the only way in which to make a living out of hobbies such as these. Some other careers that you might consider are; instrument repair, music teaching, songwriting,  music composing.

Hopefully this has given you a bit of inspiration to have a think about how you can turn a hobby into a career… but if not don’t despair, there’s plenty more guides in our career directory.