March 18, 2020 | Awake & Dreaming

Is your current job unfulfilling? Perhaps you’re getting tired of the daily grind? After a certain period in a career, it’s easy to start getting itchy feet and wanting to do more. So why not do something that matters to you? Switching careers or starting a new venture is a daunting process that takes a lot of work, but your drive and commitment will get you there. Choosing a career that you’re passionate about will soon feel less like work, and help you find the fulfillment you’ve been looking for.

Are you ready for a change? Here are some tips for pursuing a career that you really care about.

Turn your interests into a career

What are your hobbies and your interests? Is it possible to turn them into a career? Many people give up their jobs to pursue music, sell collectibles and more – doing the things they love and taking a chance. But there could be other ways to pursue your interest too, including finding jobs in the relevant industry. Think about the things you love and brainstorm different paths you could take to find out what excites you and what you could see yourself doing. Making a successful career change isn’t easy, but it helps when you find something you love to do.

Invest in a new passion project

What is your dream project? Perhaps there’s a store or a cafe you’ve always dreamed of owning or somewhere you like to visit as a kid? Could you turn your dream into a reality? Investing in a business can help you realize old ambitions, as well as make a difference in your community. This is what David Meinert has done with Seattle’s 5 Point Cafe, restoring an aging business and making it great again. Who knows where your vision could lead you?

Do something to help others

Being able to give back and contribute is important for your community, but your own self-growth too. You could try volunteering your time, or pursuing a venture that makes a difference to others. Once you’re no longer driven by money or the prestige of a job title, it’s amazing what you’ll be able to do to help others.

Not quite ready? Start a side hustle!

A career change can seem like an exciting new step, but it’s not easy if you have financial commitments, family and uncertainty to deal with too. You don’t have to make a career change overnight, you can do it bit by bit. A side hustle alongside your full-time job can help you see what’s out there, and could lead to a great new venture for your future.

Finding your dream career isn’t something that happens easily, which is why it can take time to figure out what you want to do. Finding something that you’re passionate about will make work much more enjoyable, helping you to have a long and happy working life.

Gaming is now a bigger industry than Hollywood, so it should come as no surprise that it attracts a range of personalities. The average gamer is no longer the greasy-haired teen, mashing buttons on his control pad, night after night. It’s all of us.

Recently, researchers at Newzoo decided to look at the makeup of gamers a little more closely, so see whether there were different “types.” Their research threw up some thought-provoking results. The vast majority of players fit into eight categories.

These categories are:

The time filler
The popcorn gamer
The hardware enthusiast
The conventional player
The cloud gamer
The all-around enthusiast
The backseat viewer
The ultimate gamer

You can probably guess what some of these gamers are like, but others will need a little explanation. According to Newzoo, the most common type of gamer is the time filler – people who don’t really care about gaming per se but use it to fill time, anyway. These are the people you see on the bus with their eyes hooked on Candy Crush and bitcoin casino games. They need something to divert their attention from the monotony of their situation.

The second most popular is the “cloud gamer.” As you might guess, these guys like getting their video games piped to them through the internet. They’re not bothered about having the best hardware or even a pleasant experience. All they want is to try the game in all its glory and enjoy it at a low price. This group of people is in luck. The launch of Google’s Stadia and other cloud streaming services means that gaming just got a lot cheaper.

The next most common gamer was the so-called “ultimate gamer,” comprising around 13 percent of the total population. These people dedicate their time, money, and energy to gaming. For them, it is not just a way to burn a couple of hours on a Saturday afternoon, but a reason for living. After that came the popcorn gamer, also comprising 13 percent of the total population. These guys are a little different from regular gamers. Instead of playing games themselves, they prefer spectating. These are the people who are responsible for the growth of esports – competitive video game competitions.

The hardware gamer was the next on the list. These are the people who don’t mind going out and blowing $5,000 on the ultimate gaming rig. For them, nothing but the very best experience will do. Don’t be surprised if they drop more than $1,000 on a graphics card. The backseat gamer is the person who used to play a lot of video games but doesn’t do so as much anymore. They knew all the games ten years ago, but now they’ve been out of the loop for too long focusing on other priorities to be any good.

The all-around enthusiast is somebody who likes playing video games but has more of a balanced life than the ultimate gamer. They don’t mind seeing friends, whereas the latter sees it as a waste of time.