What comes to mind when you think of inspirational careers? Do you ever sit at your desk daydreaming of a more fulfilling career? Or perhaps you struggle to get out of bed in the morning because your day job simply doesn’t motivate you anymore? Whether you feel like you’re stuck in a career rut or you’ve come to a crossroads in your professional life, sometimes a radical change can be the best medicine. If you’re looking for a more fulfilling and inspiring career pathway that will enable you to make a real difference in the world, you’ve come to the right place.
Read on to find out more about 5 of the most rewarding and inspirational careers and how you can start developing your skillset and working towards a brighter future.
Veterinarian
Calling all animal lovers! Training to become a veterinarian could be your ultimate dream job.
With some educational training and a lot of hard work, you could be spending your days diagnosing and treating animals who are poorly or injured. Not only will you be making a difference to the lives of pets, farm animals and zoo animals, but you would be bringing their owners’ joy too.
Of course, there will be upsetting aspects of the job, so you would need to be able to strike that important balance between sensitivity and professionalism. You would be involved in the final moments of many animals’ lives, should you pursue this rewarding career pathway. If you think you could handle the sad moments (and you’re not too squeamish), this could be the perfect career option for you.
In order to become a registered Veterinarian, you must first obtain a Doctorate degree in Veterinary medicine, and then become licensed in the state you wish to work in.
Veterinary schools in the United States are accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). The four-year courses provide students with a broad education in animal science, as well as the specialized skills needed to work as a veterinarian.
If you think this could be the perfect job for you, you’ll want to find out a bit more about the top veterinarian schools in the U.S and also find out whether you meet the course requirements, or if you need to complete some additional training first.
It might take a bit of hard work to get yourself through the training, but you will be rewarded with the most wonderful career and will be lucky enough to spend your working days with loving animals!
Family nurse practitioner
If you’re more of a people person than an animal lover, and also have a keen interest in medicine, you might want to consider training as a family nurse practitioner.
Working in this profession would involve dealing with patients of a variety of different ages with a broad range of concerns, injuries, or ailments daily. You may see patients who have scheduled appointments, or also receive drop-in patients at a healthcare center. You will need to be able to diagnose and treat patients accurately and efficiently while also demonstrating communication skills that are second to none.
Your day to day medical duties will vary slightly depending on the state you’re working in, but you could be performing a wide range of tasks. For example, you could be undertaking physical exams, ordering diagnostic tests and procedures, diagnosing illnesses, prescribing medication and treatment, or educating patients about ways to develop healthy lifestyle regimes.
Family nurse practitioners can specialize in a specific area of healthcare and can choose to work in a hospital, clinic, private practice, school, or urgent care center.
It’s certainly a diverse role where every day is different, but the work is always important and ultimately extremely rewarding.
If you’re interested in becoming a family nurse practitioner, you’ll need to obtain a master’s or doctorate degree in nursing. In addition to this, you will need to undertake comprehensive clinical training.
It might take a few years to get all of the training and experience under your belt, but once you do, you’ll be rewarded with a brilliant career in which you get to work with a diverse mix of people and enjoy a varied role, where each day is different and exciting.
Classroom teacher
Perhaps education is your calling? Classroom teachers provide a vital service in educating and sculpting young minds. However, teaching is about much more than simply education.
A career in teaching is extremely demanding, and the hard work that comes with it shouldn’t be underestimated.
Not only do teachers have to plan and deliver engaging lessons, teach all of the topics and skills on the curriculum and provide detailed and useful feedback to pupils, they must also provide a safe environment for children to learn in.
It’s fair to say that the role of a teacher by far exceeds simply being an educator; teachers must adopt the role of a social worker, a counselor, a mentor, a role model and much more. That old saying that teachers must have eyes at the back of their head rings true; behavior management is a key part of effective lesson delivery.
Qualified teachers must hold a bachelor’s degree and must then complete a teacher education program which will enable them to gain experience in the classroom.
If you think you would relish the opportunity to inspire others, you can choose to work within early childhood education, elementary education, middle school, secondary education or specialized teaching (such as special educational needs or English as an additional language).
The hours might be long and the work challenging at times, but the ultimate reward is feeling as though you have really made a difference in people’s lives. If you’d like to give classroom teaching a go, check out the teaching courses available in your local area or elsewhere and consider which education stage you think you would prefer to work in.
It will take a few years of intense training and hard work, and at times, your patience will probably be tested. But you’ll be able to enjoy the ultimate reward of watching children’s knowledge and confidence grow.
Clergyman/Clergywoman
If your religious beliefs and spirituality are an integral part of your life, a career as a clergyman or clergywoman is a role that you would likely find very fulfilling.
In this crucial role, you would be offering advice and guidance to people within your local community, as well as helping to lead religious worship.
The core focus of the clergy is upon caring for others. Therefore, to excel within the role of clergyman or clergywoman, you would need to thrive from helping and educating others. Qualities that might be useful for this sort of role would be patience, organization, communication skills and selflessness. Plus, it goes without saying, that you would be passionate about your faith and eager to share this passion with those around you.
Some of the typical duties required in this role might be planning educational or recreational activities with a religious or spiritual focus, devising creative ways in which congregation membership could be expanded, participating in fundraising activities, referring members of the community to support services or medical professionals where necessary, as well as various administrative duties.
One of the most popular routes into a career in the clergy is to study a relevant subject at college. For example, many clergymen or clergywomen have majored in subjects such as classical studies, religious studies, or theology.
You may want to investigate potential scholarships available to you and search for current opportunities for clergymen/women in your area if you are seriously considering a career in the clergy.
Conservation Scientist
As the concern regarding environmental issues is rising, there is likely to be an increase in environmental or conservation-focused job opportunities. One such career option is that of a conservation scientist.
A conservation scientist is basically someone who helps to protect the planet. They aim to manage and protect natural resources, help to safeguard the environment, and research new ways to use the land.
Another aspect of the role of a conservation scientist is to conduct studies of the landscape surrounding them, such as forest and soil quality. A large part of the role is recording and analyzing data, which is used to devise plans and find solutions to problems that have a negative impact on the environment.
Usually, a conservation scientist holds a degree in a related field such as environmental science, agricultural science, or rangeland management. It may be beneficial to study for a Masters or Ph.D. too to show you’re an expert in the field.
Conservation scientists work closely with agricultural managers, such as ranchers and farmers while also ensuring that government regulations are complied with.
To succeed in this role, you’ll need analytical and critical thinking skills, plus physical stamina and communication skills.
This is a role that can really make a difference to future generations and help to protect wildlife and habitats. What could be more rewarding than that?
If you’re wondering which other professions nearly made the top 5 list, firefighters, doctors, dentists, psychologists, and human resources managers all came very close. Of course, your own definition of a rewarding career will very much depend on your individual personality and characteristics and what makes you tick.
Why not create a mind-map or bullet journal to define your specific career goals and make a plan of action as to how you can achieve them? Good luck!
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