how do you figure out a career path that isn’t your One True Passion?

It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes:

I’m in the position where I need to rethink my career path and have no idea where to begin. I enjoyed project management in the past, but the jobs I’m seeing are horribly underpaid relative to the workload. I’m currently an executive assistant and, while I can make it work, it’s a dead end and not fulfilling anymore. I can’t make ends meet with what I studied in undergrad, so I have to go back to the drawing board … but I also can’t afford start at an entry-level job. I’m fortunate in that I can go to grad school for the fall 2027 year … but for what? How does anyone figure this out?

I’ve had a few people I trust suggest paths (therapist, for example) but I have no idea if I’d actually like that job and I worry I wouldn’t know for certain until I’d already sunk time and money into a degree.

Does anyone have any advice for finding a career path that isn’t your One True Passion in life (I’ve found that, I can’t manage to get paid to do it) but isn’t so dull the apathy creeps in until you’re completely checked out?

Readers?

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