How following your passions can lead to a fulfilling career

They say if you love what you do you’ll never work a day in your life so why not turn your love for naturopathy and nutrition into a career.

Today more than ever before, we’re all striving for that ever-elusive work-life balance. In this digital age, the old idea of a 9-5 job is more or less out the door, with most of us no longer clocking on and clocking off thanks to email, the internet and social media, we find our work following us wherever we go.

But what if you could turn what you already love and enjoy in your spare time into your career? And have the flexibility to integrate it into your life – and not the other way around?

“Making sure my family is healthy is the main reason I studied nutrition, so balance is important to me,” says Gina Ulrich who worked as a nurse in a maternity hospital before deciding to juggle study at Endeavour College of Natural Health and work. “My heart wasn’t in nursing any more but thankfully I was able to transfer some skills – like patient interaction – to my new career. When I worked in the Wellnation clinic at Endeavour, I’d leave every session with a buzz - I felt empowered. By the time I left, I was ready to start my own practice.”

Now Gina runs her own business, Nutrition by Gina Rose out of her home – even seeing clients on Skype which allows her the flexibility to work and be a mum. Gina has also created the Nourished Mummy Project App which provides recipes and nutritional information for pregnancy, post-partum and for feeding children from starting solids to family meals.

Christine Lennon stumbled upon her dream career in naturopathy after discovering its benefits for her own health.

“I worked in London for a year after school. When I returned home I had an illness that just persisted,” recalls Christine. “It was only after I followed the advice of a Naturopath friend that I recovered. That was an eye-opening moment for me.”

During her studies, Christine managed to maintain part-time work alongside industry internships to help her explore her future career options. At the end of her degree, Christine completed a highly sought after nine-week internship at BioCeuticals in Sydney.

“It was hard work and such a valuable experience,” Christine said. “The company has a strong focus on innovation. As part of the internship, I created a product that supports children with behavioral disorders. I managed the entire life-cycle – from coming up with the concept, determining how to make it, checking the product’s compliance with TGA regulations and working out how to educate others about it.”

“The internship showed me different career paths, but I knew for sure that I wanted to get into product development,” says Christine, who was busy applying for jobs when a spot opened up back at BioCeuticals. After a thorough selection process, she landed her dream role as a Product Development Manager.

While once upon a time we were more or less confined to whatever career we chose right out of school - and for those who chose motherhood the hope of study would seem a distant dream afforded only to those with the luxury of time. However these days it’s never too late to make a change – or get started.

Lexi Crouch discovered how flexibility with online study meant she could balance being a new mum and maintaining her studies. This enabled her to follow her passion with career in Nutrition and Dietetics.

“It is a journey, but it’s definitely possible,” says Lexi who discovered her love of health and nutrition after spending 15 years in the medical system herself being treated for an eating disorder. “We tried everything. I was hospitalised for years but it was through nutrition and a holistic approach that I eventually got better and that’s why I’m passionate about health and studying at Endeavour,” she said.

And thanks to Endeavour’s flexibility, Lexi didn’t have to put her dream career on hold while she cared for her new baby – she was able do both.

“You can study online or defer and Endeavour even allows you to drop down your subject to fit around your commitments,” adds Lexi. “If anything it makes you more motivated.”

“Your whole study technique changes and it’s surprisingly a lot less stressful! You can’t leave things to the last minute. I found I was thinking about the exam two weeks before it, rather than a few days before because you know that realistically you’re not going to be able to schedule in a huge cram session.”

It’s never too late to follow your heart to a career in natural health and Endeavour College of Natural Health is the only college that allows you to be clinic ready once graduated.

Endeavour offers Bachelor of Health Science Degrees in Nutritional and Dietetic Medicine, Naturopathy, Myotherapy and Acupuncture, a fully online Bachelor of Complementary Medicine and HLT52015 Diploma of Remedial Massage.

Contact an Endeavour College of Natural Health Admissions Adviser today on 1300 462 887 or for more information visit our website www.endeavour.edu.au