Make Your Hobby Work for You
让你的业余爱好为你服务

Do you have a hobby -- something you really enjoy doing in your spare time? Do you love gardening, taking care of animals, dancing, or hiking? Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you could spend more time on your hobby and less time at work? Maybe it's not an either/or situation. Perhaps you can do both at the same time.
你是否有业余爱好—在你的业余时间真正喜欢做的事情？你是否热爱园艺，照顾动物，跳舞或者徒步旅行？你有没有考虑过如果你可以在自己感兴趣的事情上面花更多的时间，而在工作上花更少的时间，那会怎么样？或许这不是一个非此即彼的情况。又或许你可以同时做到这样的两件事情。

When choosing a career, one of the things you must consider are your interests. Why then do so many people not even think about their hobbies when a hobby is, in fact, an interest. Perhaps it's because even Webster's Dictionary defines a hobby as "a pursuit outside one's regular occupation" (Merriam-Webster Online). Maybe this is a rule you should break. After all, no one ever said your hobby had to stay separate from your occupation. In addition people are usually very skilled at their hobbies. The combination GetWord("combination"); of interest and skill are very compelling reasons to choose a particular career.
在择业的时候，你必须要考虑的因素之一就是你的兴趣。但是为什么那么多人当时都不考虑自己的兴趣呢。可能是因为，即使在韦氏词典上，对业余爱好的定义也是“在正规工作之外的追求”。也许你该打破这条成规。毕竟，没人说过你的兴趣和工作应该绝对分开。另外，人们通常在自己感兴趣的方面都做得很熟练。兴趣和技巧的结合是选择一个特定职业的充分理由。

"Who's going to hire someone who loves making beaded jewelry?" you may ask yourself. Good question. Don't wait for someone to hire you. Start your own business. That may be the best way to incorporate your hobby into your career. Those with hobbies that involve creating things, i.e. jewelry, clothing, or pottery, may do well to sell those items on their own. Before you go forward with your plans, though, you should find out whether being an entrepreneur GetWord("entrepreneur"); is for you.
你可能会这样问自己“谁会雇佣一个热爱制作珠宝首饰的人？”好问题。不要等着别人来雇佣你。开始自己创业吧。这可能是将你的兴趣融合到工作中的最佳方式了。兴趣涉及制造物品的，如珠宝，衣服，或陶器等的人，可以销售自己制作的产品。但是，在你开始创业计划之前，你应该先测试自己是否适合创业。

Let's say you determine that running a small business isn't for you. You can still turn your hobby into a career, but you may have to get some formal training. Let's go back to the person who loves making beaded GetWord("beaded"); jewelry. That person probably knows the latest jewelry styles, has an understanding of what styles look good on different people, and also is skilled in using the tools of the trade. A number of options exist for that person. He or she could go to school to learn how to be a jewelry designer. Alternatively, that person could become a jewelry buyer for a department store or a salesperson in a jewelry store. He or she could also learn to become a jeweler by taking courses at a trade school or by learning on the job.
假设你认为自己不适合创业的话，也仍然可以将兴趣转化为工作，但是首先你得接受一些正式的培训。我们就再拿那个热爱制作珠宝的人来说吧。那个人可能知道最新的珠宝类型，懂得不同的人适合佩戴哪种风格的珠宝，还擅长利用贸易工具。那么，现在这个人就有很多选择了。他/她可以去学校学习如何成为珠宝设计师，或者去一家珠宝店当采购或销售，他/她也可以通过培训或工作实战成为一名珠宝商。

When you attempt to turn your hobby into a career don't forget to do your homework. Even though you may have enjoyed training your 34 parakeets to sing the National Anthem that doesn't mean you're cut out to be an animal trainer. Be sure to research your career choice thoroughly. There may be aspects of it that just aren't for you. In that case, stick to your day job, as they say, and save your hobby for your free time.
如果你打算将自己的兴趣转换为工作，不要忘记做好准备调查工作。即使你喜欢培训你的34只长尾小鹦鹉唱国歌也不意味着你注定适合做一名驯兽师。确保对你选择的职业做好了充分的调查研究。也许有的方面就不适合你，这样的话，就坚持你原来的工作吧，像他们说的一样，将业余爱好留在工作以外的时间吧。