Pursue Your Passion! Career Exploration Advice for Individuals Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired

I’m a photographer on the side. Four years ago I purchased my first DSLR (or high quality digital camera), ferociously unpacked it, and clicked away. Practically non-stop. Seriously, to the extreme. I saw those rolled eyes when I daily opened my camera bag. I took the camera everywhere!

I uploaded the digital files to my desktop and was disappointed with the results each day. I had the equipment, but could not produce the results. I have been on the brink of throwing in the towel on at least fifty occasions.

Four years later, what changed? Four years, that’s what changed. I captured moments with my camera almost daily for four years in order to develop my photography skills. I learned to use my tool, the camera, by Googling, “How do I…(fill in the blank).” I was determined, and for no other reason than desperately wanting to reach the end goal: creating a beautiful photograph.

I loved the idea of creating a beautiful photograph enough to ask advice from photography mentors, practice, read photography blogs, practice, watch camera and editing ‘how to’ YouTube videos, practice, join photography clubs, practice, participate in weekly photo challenges, and practice some more.

What is your passion? What peaks your interest enough to provide the motivation to learn, grow, develop, and practice? Assess your interests and set goals. Just as I did with photography, locate a mentor, read related blogs, join related clubs, educate yourself in the job-related skills, and practice through work experiences, paid or unpaid.

Your dream career awaits. Who knows where you can be in four years!

As a transition specialist, I have worked with many youth and young adults who have little to no concept of a particular career to pursue. My counsel, pursue your passion!

It is important to realize success does not happen overnight. Improvement takes time, effort, drive, and accepting constructive criticism. Additionally, pursuing your passion does not mean we can all be professional rappers, models, teachers, or doctors. However, if you are passionate about the entertainment industry or medicine, develop the necessary skills to work or have a hobby in the field. It takes skill, talent, drive, and a lot of work to succeed. Some professions are much more exclusive than others, but there may be a related job that you never thought about.

Take your shot at the future, and if it is something that you are passionate about, you might capture the right picture.

APH CareerConnect offers the Job Seeker’s Toolkit, a free, self-paced course on navigating the employment process, self-awareness, and exploring careers. You can also connect with mentors who are blind or visually impaired doing many jobs by registering and connecting to mentors. Check it out today!