Turning passion into a paycheck: unconventional journeys to career fulfillment

Saluting those who take the non-traditional route to follow their passions and make their dream jobs a reality. Revisit our most inspiring stories about people who have persisted through doubt and rejection to find career fulfillment in unconventional ways.

How much do your passions factor into your career choices?

Passionate about makeup from a young age, Alexis Androulakis made it the focus of her career and developed an expert knowledge base about beauty products.?

After a series of setbacks left her depressed and believing she no longer belonged in the beauty industry, a simple visit to Sephora to cheer herself up led to a viral video and eventually a full on career as a content creator.

Read more about how Androulakis created her dream job here .

Have you ever been VERY persistent to get the job you wanted?

AJ Wiley 's creativity was sparked by nature, leading him to dream of designing for an outdoor brand like The North Face. He posted his design concepts for the company online, hoping they’d see his talent and offer him a job. For years, his efforts got him some freelance gigs and a following, but not an offer from The North Face.?

Nevertheless, he persisted. Nearly four years and half a dozen rejections later, he caught the attention of an executive with a viral concept video and finally got an offer. Read more about how Wiley harnessed persistence, patience and resilience to land his dream job here .

Have you ever felt stuck on a path that didn’t align with your passions??

Global wildlife crime and security specialist Monique Sosnowski ’s job title evokes both adventure and altruism. It is also a role that took serious self-reflection, scholarship, and determination to embark on.?

Sosnowski started out on a more conventional career path, earning a master’s degree in Global Wildlife Health and Conservation. While she loved her classes and found the academic work exhilarating, when it came to finding a job as graduation approached, nothing she was seeing appealed to her.?

Coming across a research paper about stopping wildlife trafficking and illegal fishing, Sosnowski thought: ‘Whoa! This is what I had been looking for.” She earned a PhD in criminal justice and became a pioneer in wildlife crime, a growing field that she’s now helping bring others into. “I took the time to understand my passion, and it changed everything.”

Learn more about how Sosnowski forged her own unique career path here .

Have you taken a non-traditional approach to finding your perfect job? We want to hear from you in the comments.

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More stories about non-traditional paths to dream jobs: ? Dr. Carl Allamby ? ? ? Patrice Banks ? ? ? Chloe Flower