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<p>From childhood, we're told to do what we love, and with good reason.</p><p>"It's important to love what you're doing at work, because if your income is the only reason you're at your job, it's unsustainable and unfulfilling in the long term," says Grace Chon, an art director turned professional pet photographer. "In an ideal world, you should feel happy, fulfilled and purposeful with your career."</p><p>The demands of a busy schedule and a desire to do work that was more reflective of her values led Chon to seek a stress-relieving creative outlet. She found it in taking photos of homeless pets at her local adoption center, a hobby which eventually morphed into a successful photography business.</p><p>The things we do for sheer enjoyment can offer the sense of personal meaning that may be lacking in our day jobs. As in Chon's case, financial satisfaction may follow if those hobbies eventually become careers.</p><p>Finding the path that will allow us to transform a favorite pastime into a profitable side hustle, or even a booming small business, isn't always as obvious or straightforward as we may have anticipated. With the right preparation and a bit of honest introspection, it is absolutely possible to make your passion your profession.</p><img src="https://www.lifeandmoney.citi.com/rcs/lifeandmoney/storage/public/workshop_t20_4lkPJy.comp_web.jpg" alt="clay pots sit on a wooden shelf in a pottery workshop" class="right_image" /><h2>Evaluate your hobby's potential to make money</h2><p>Turning a hobby or passion into a career requires real work, devotion and sacrifice. You'll be investing your time (and, potentially, money) while stepping away from other avenues of professional development. Consider whether your hobby can be both profitable and sustainable. Before taking the leap, think carefully about these questions:</p><h3>1. Is my passion something I could monetize?</h3><p>Take time to brainstorm different ways you could monetize your passion. Cast the net as wide as possible when coming up with ideas. Consider which monetization options you can pursue right away and which ones you may want to try once your business is more firmly established.</p><h3>2. Is there a market for what I have to sell?</h3><p>For a side gig or business to be profitable, it needs an audience. Brandon Gaille found his audience by accident while running the marketing company he founded.</p><p>"One day, an employee asked for my feedback on her blog," Gaille says. He realized he could apply what he had learned over a decade in marketing to help burgeoning entrepreneurs grow their online businesses.</p><p>The result was the launch of his eponymous small business and marketing advice blog, which now attracts a monthly audience of nearly 2 million visitors. He monetized his pursuit by offering a course that teaches others how to build a blogging business. The course has become so successful that he was able to close his marketing company in order to blog full-time.</p><img src="https://www.lifeandmoney.citi.com/rcs/lifeandmoney/storage/public/prepping-for-dinner-service-olympia-provisions_t20_JappYw.comp_web.jpg" alt="adult man working in kitchen at a wooden table" class="right_image" /><h3>4. Am I willing to put myself out there to promote my business?</h3><p>When you have a product or service, turning it into a business entails selling other people on your idea. If the thought of selling turns you off, business coach Amanda Abella recommends reframing how you think about it.</p><p>"Many people have a negative view of sales, but I think of it more as sharing," Abella says. "You have a product or service you want to share with people, and when you share it with them, you help them."</p><p>Helping others was a huge motivator for Chon. While she didn't set out with the goal of starting a photography business, she experienced an "aha!" moment after realizing there was a need and desire for her photography skills on a wider scale. Once that clicked, "turning it into a business was a no-brainer," Chon notes.</p><h3>Be prepared for challenges</h3><p>When Mark Holtzman decided to combine his two lifelong loves — photography and flying — into an aerial photography side hustle, he was unsure whether it would be successful. But after years of working for his family's business, he was ready to branch out with an enterprise of his own.</p><p>While he was able to land assignments early on, Holtzman shares, "I had no idea how to do them because there's no book on how to be an aerial photographer." He faced a steep learning curve when it came to things like pricing his services, marketing his business to potential clients and getting paid.</p><p>Those were the things he had to figure out as the business grew, and they may present a similar obstacle if you've never run a business before. Enlisting help from an experienced mentor and investing in education can help you navigate the waters. And if you're daunted by all the "little" things you need to do to get your business up and running, such as administrative tasks, don't be afraid to seek out help. Abella suggests hiring a virtual assistant to handle the smaller stuff.</p><p>You may even find one challenge you face is the naysayers who try to steer you off the path. When Chon decided to leave her stable job for her photography business a decade ago, "People thought I was crazy," she says. Dealing with critics wasn't easy, but believing in her business allowed her to tune them out.</p><p>Holtzman's photography business was born out of a desire to have something he could call his own. While he's achieved international recognition for his work, the real value lies in being able to do something he relishes — with no eye toward the exit.</p><p>"If you're doing something you love to do, you don't retire," he says.</p>

Is Your Hobby Also a Career Path?

<p>Last year, nearly half of all Americans were interested in a career change, and I was one of them.</p><p>I'd become fascinated with drought-resistant landscape architecture. I was working as a freelance writer but saw appealing promise in this emerging industry.</p><p><span>I stumbled upon the idea to "test drive" this new career path by taking a couple of classes at my local university. Later I would learn that this tactic is commonly recommended by career coaches, including Scott Anthony Barlow. In his podcast, Happen to Your Career, Barlow suggests experimenting with career change first rather than starting over.</span></p><p><span>I came across Barlow's advice recently while I spent a week buckling down, gathering up every piece of info I could about how to successfully navigate a career change. Here's what I learned.</span></p><img src="https://www.lifeandmoney.citi.com/rcs/lifeandmoney/storage/public/GettyImages-863558954_web.jpg" alt="man in blue shirt with glasses and beard talk with his right hand in the air" class="right_image" /><h2>Pursue a passion</h2><p>One of the key takeaways from my exploration seemed almost too romantic: do what you love. But I saw how it could really pay off. Take Cameron Barr, 33, a former corporate commodities broker from Los Angeles, CA. Ten years into the field, "I was really unhappy," Barr says, despite earning what he considered a fantastic salary.</p><p>Barr began to flirt with the idea of shifting careers and <a href="https://www.lifeandmoney.citi.com/lam/articles/well-being/well-being/hobbies-for-a-happier-you">exploring his passion</a> for vintage watches by reading up on the timepiece business, and buying and selling watches in antique shops. After some exposure, he decided to quit his broker job and "put all his chips in" — which included withdrawing his 401(k) — to launch a new business. His leap led to what is now Craft and Tailored, a menswear accessories shop Barr owns.</p><p>"By resisting being your most authentic self because of fear, we are ensuring that we stay unhappy by default," explains Barlow. Through Barr and Barlow's experiences, I learned that it's possible to do something that moves you for a living and be financially stable, too.</p><h2>Follow business trends</h2><p>Recognizing and seizing on an economic opportunity, such as an emerging field, can also be a strong career-change driver. I learned that exploring reports by the <a href="https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/fastest-growing-occupations.htm">US Bureau of Labor Statistics</a> is a great way to research what's in demand.</p><p>But the indicators of what's promising in business could also come from elsewhere. David John Frenkil, 34, was in his first year as a lawyer representing energy investors when found himself repeatedly reading about solar energy needs in Africa. With his interest piqued, he wrote a business plan for a company he hoped to start — but then stuffed it in a drawer.</p><p>In October 2014, he visited Rwanda and saw the opportunity first-person. Six weeks later, Frenkil resigned from his Washington, DC, law firm, found investors in his network and built that company, which today supplies solar power to businesses in sub-Saharan Africa. He finds that the best part of his new job is the deep and meaningful relationships that he builds.</p><h2>Determine career change risk</h2><p>In addition to the "test drive" approach, Barlow preaches two other methods to mitigate risk: <a href="https://www.lifeandmoney.citi.com/lam/articles/money/managing-money/save-money-with-a-financial-checkup">crunch every number possible</a>, and talk with personal connections who are in the position you want to be in.</p><p>Moriah Rahamim, 25, did exactly this when she was considering whether to pivot from her career as a product manager in tech to a software engineer. First, she spoke to several connections that were already engineers. Rahamim then made a spreadsheet to calculate lost income, tuition costs, time spent interviewing and median salaries for the new field. Finally, she moved from New York City to San Francisco and went for it.</p><p>Of the outcome, Rahamim says "it has far exceeded my highest estimates." After two months' worth of the interviewing, she had offers from several boldface companies and ended up settling in her top city: Seattle. Figuring out the best and worst case scenario can give you confidence and quash fears.</p><img src="https://www.lifeandmoney.citi.com/rcs/lifeandmoney/storage/public/GettyImages-875606132_web.jpg" alt="woman with pony tail sitting with man with afro at a coffee shop table. They have two white mugs in front of them" class="right_image" /><h2>How to test out a new career</h2><p>Here are a few ways you can dip a toe into a career change, without swimming in fear or debt:</p><h3>Lend a hand</h3><p>Offer to be a paid researcher or freelancer for the type of company you want to work for. For instance, if you want to be a copywriter, ask a friend if you can write blog posts for his or her company.</p><h3>Leverage your relationships</h3><p>Meet with friends or acquaintances in the field, or search job networking sites to find people in your field of interest, or look for a mutual connection and ask for an introduction. "Only one in five of the people we work with gets their job from a normal conventional channel like applying online or submitting a resume," Barlow says.</p><h3>Do your research</h3><p>Use any pocket you have in your schedule to research — do a phone interview on your lunch break or read books and articles during your commute.</p><h3>Get to class</h3><p>Start with a single class to see if you actually like something. Barlow suggests online academies that offer single classes, and skill-sharing sites.</p><p>As for me, I took two classes and decided that landscape architecture wasn't something I could see myself doing every day. It was a case in point for what's great about "trying" a new career: you have the ability to opt out anytime. The experience even had other benefits: I cultivated a new interest and am happier than ever to be a writer.</p>

I Spent a Week Learning about Career Change

<p>Every summer, I make a bucket list of things to do with my two kids.</p><p>This year, our plans took us on five incredible road trips, but it was a budget stretch, too.</p><p>We collected amazing memories exploring the Appalachian Mountains, touring Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia and relaxing at an all-inclusive resort. But when the summer ended, budget reality set in.</p><p>To get back on a smart money routine, I decided to turn down the heat on my finances and embark on another journey: a one-week spending fast.</p><p>"A spending fast is a commitment to stop all unnecessary spending for a set period of time," says Megan Robinson, a personal finance expert at DollarSprout.</p><p>I'd heard about spending fasts before, but the idea of cutting out all non-essential spending seemed extreme. After all, I wasn't chronically overspending or skipping out on budgeting. I'd just overdone it a little on our summer travel.</p><p>Once I started researching, however, I realized that a spending fast can work for any financial situation. It's a great way to hit the reset button on your finances, put spending in perspective and instill some financial discipline.</p><p>"The best part about freezing spending for me is that saying 'no' becomes a no-brainer," Robinson says. "I also realized that there were areas in my spending plan I previously thought were fixed, but that were actually very flexible."</p><p>Here's what I learned from putting my spending on pause for a week.</p><h2>Timing matters</h2><p>One big question I had when starting my spending fast was how long it should last for.  Robinson clued me in. "If you've never done a spending fast before, setting an ambitious goal of a month or longer could feel overwhelming," Robinson says.</p><p>She suggests starting with a week, then working your way up to longer stretches. "There's no shame in moving slowly," she says. "The less drastic it feels, the more likely you are to stick to your spending fast."</p><img src="https://www.lifeandmoney.citi.com/rcs/lifeandmoney/storage/public/unsplash_UH-xs-FizTk_web.jpg" alt="Red haired woman with a red haired toddler and a red haired baby, sitting on a gray couch and looking at an tablet" class="right_image" /><h2>Squeeze maximum value from a spending fast</h2><p>A spending fast sounds good in theory, but I soon found that sticking to my no-spend vow was tougher than I thought. There were two things that helped me stay on course:</p><ul><li>Keeping a diary to record my daily reflections on how the fast was impacting me financially and mentally.<br /><br /> </li><li>Using a budgeting app and banking alerts to track my spending (or go old school and do this with pen and paper).</li></ul><p>Writing down my thoughts was a way to explore how I felt about spending and my financial situation in general. For instance, I was carrying major guilt about spending several thousand dollars on trips over the summer, but I realized the memories we created were invaluable. And when I look at my finances as a whole, I'm happy with the progress I've made this year.</p><p>Flores doesn't keep a diary for her spending fasts but instead, she uses a "before and after" approach to get perspective. "What I like to do is take a budget tracking sheet during a normal week and fill it out, then do the same for a no-spend week and at the end, compare the two," she says. "This provided much more insight to my spending habits than anything else has been able to."</p><h2>Save even as you fast</h2><p>My main reason for the fast was to curb spending, and maybe save a little money. One thing I should have done (but didn't) was set a specific savings goal.</p><p>For example, you might want to save $500 over the course of a two-week spending break. That's a great goal to have, Robinson says, but it's only meaningful if you know what the money will be used for. Maybe you're saving for a big purchase or trip. Maybe you're paying off debt. Maybe you're simply building up your emergency or savings account.</p><p>"The more clear you are on the purpose behind your spending fast, the more motivated you'll feel to follow through and accomplish your goal," Robinson says. The next time I decide to embark on a spending fast, I'll do it with a specific goal in mind.</p><p>But, "the good part," Risher says, "is that you learn to live a more minimal and deliberate life." And in the long run, that's priceless.</p>

I Spent a Week Learning to Do a Spending Fast

<p>For those who want to sharpen their professional skills, learn new ones, switch professions or launch a business, additional education can be the key to career success.</p><p>The challenge is that traditional continuing education classes, certificate programs and courses at brick-and-mortar universities can be pricey and time consuming. That's why online classes and schools — which offer cost-effective and versatile alternatives for learning — have been a game changer.</p><p>Are you ready to learn a new subject, skill or earn a degree? Then here are some things to consider when exploring online classes.</p><p>"We support learners at every stage, whether entering the job market, changing fields, seeking a promotion or exploring new interests," says Anant Agarwal, Founder and CEO of edX, an online learning platform that was started by Harvard and MIT. "As a global nonprofit, edX is transforming traditional education, removing the barriers of cost, location and access," says Agarwal.</p><img src="https://www.lifeandmoney.citi.com/rcs/lifeandmoney/storage/public/Woman watching virtual presentation on laptop.jpg" alt="Woman watching virtual presentation on laptop." class="right_image" /><h2>What classes are available online?</h2><p>Online class offerings are vast, with options to study everything from literature to nutrition. However, the most popular online courses tend to be the ones that can directly impact a career path, paycheck or skill set. Students have the option to take individual classes, get professional certificates or go for a full online master's degree.</p><p>"There are training programs from top universities and companies that help learners become job-ready. Some prepare learners to pass an industry certification exam, while others help them get the experience needed to launch a career in a specific field, such as IT support," says Tattersall.  </p><p>"Other certificates are designed to help learners get the experience needed to launch a career in a field like information technology, data science, healthcare, graphic design, marketing or journalism," Tattersall adds.</p><p>Coursera and edX report that career-focused subjects such as data science, computer science and business classes boast the highest enrollment.</p><p>For Manea, the ability to take the course on her own schedule was a huge perk. Although it was on her schedule, she was still able to communicate with teachers and students throughout. "You interact with the other students and teachers in the discussion forums where you can ask questions and seek clarification."</p><p>Jon Deng has tried both options and prefers synchronous classes. During his final months in the military, Deng took online classes to prepare for a new career as a software engineer. He did an intensive coding boot camp that met six hours a day for 12 weeks.</p><p>For him, the collaborative assignments and teacher interaction were key. "It's a long stretch to completely learn a new skill and change careers, and it's even harder if you're in a room by yourself all day. Make sure you have an in-person support network and are making connections with your teachers and classmates," Deng advises.</p><img src="https://www.lifeandmoney.citi.com/rcs/lifeandmoney/storage/public/Father working at home with his baby girl.jpg" alt="Father working at home with his baby girl" class="right_image" /><h2>What about cost and time commitment?</h2><p>While online classes are generally less expensive than in-person classes, prices vary. Some platforms offer the ability to audit a class for free, but, while you may get to see all the lectures, you may not have access to tests or quizzes. Others offer a free model to take a class, but charge a fee for a certificate. Others charge per course or offer a monthly subscription fee for unlimited courses.</p><p>Certificate classes may cost a few hundred dollars, and a master's degree online starts at several thousand dollars (significantly less than a university where you can expect to pay an average of $30,000 to $40,000 according to educational services company Petersons.com).</p><p>Time commitments vary as well, from a few hours to several weeks or months. Deng opted for a balance of free and paid courses when pursuing his degree. "I did a mixture of MOOCs which were generally self-paced and either free or low priced (less than $100). These were enough to learn some basics, but to really ramp up into the career, I felt like I had to do a coding boot camp…. the fee was $12k at the time. The outcomes can vary, but I got a job right out of boot camp so I felt it was worth it," Deng shares.</p><p>The ability to take classes on your own schedule and still maintain your current job, the lower cost and the impressive range of courses and certificates could provide you with real value. Plus, many courses are often by professionals in their field, so you may have the opportunity to network for your next job as you build up your skill set.</p><p>For those ready to make an impact on their career, an online course or certificate that you can add to your resume or use to help your business, might be the perfect fit.</p><h2>5 programs to consider</h2><p>If you're ready to advance your career or degree, the following are five virtual education programs with a range of classes on offer.</p><p><strong>1. Skillshare</strong></p><p>This subscription-based online learning community is ideal for those pursuing a career or side hustle in creative fields. Animation, graphic design, UX/UI development and business courses are just some of the disciplines taught by creative industry leaders.</p><p><strong>2. Google Analytics Academy</strong></p><p>Practice skills to collect data, conduct analysis and track performance to grow in your current role or prepare for a career pivot down the line at the Google Analytics Academy. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced analytics and measurement tools user, there are classes for all levels and career goals.</p><p><strong>3. Class Central</strong></p><p>Class Central aggregates top MOOC classes in subjects like computer science, business, humanities and data science along with reviews from students to help you weigh your options. Search for classes based on topic, level or university and receive personalized updates with new opportunities.</p><p><strong>4. Rouxbe Online Culinary School</strong></p><p>Train to be a professional chef right from your kitchen with a monthly subscription to courses led by chefs and culinary field experts in Rouxbe Online Culinary School. Ready to set yourself apart in the field? Take the plant-based professional certification course with a leading chef.</p><p><strong>5. Alison</strong></p><p>This learning platform aims to make education and online learning inclusive — whether you're looking to build a career in nutrition, carpentry, finance or video game development. Try one of 1,000 free online courses across nine different categories including humanities, business, marketing and languages.</p>

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