Don’t be too hard on yourself if you’ve worked for a while after college and realize that you declared a major that you simply don’t enjoy anymore. Your education and college degree will serve you well no matter what field you work in. You have a full and productive future ahead of you so you’d better make sure that the work you do is enjoyable to you. Below are some tips for making your transition into a new field:

1. Leave your hobbies out of your decision. For the most part, people’s hobbies are things that interest them outside of work, not necessarily something that will sustain their livelihood for the next forty or so years. If you love to jog, how many careers out there that involve jogging? Your marketing degree, however, could be a value if you want to own your own fitness center one day. A hobby could lead you in a comparable career but not usually one that is directly related.

2. Volunteering is a great way to test the waters of a new field. Spend your evenings and/or weekends exploring different things to see if there’s potential for a new career for you. Do an internet search on volunteering opportunities and see what is needed at a local level. Nearly every charitable organization has a paid staff at some level in the hierarchy. Maybe marrying your marketing degree with your desire to help disaster victims could lead you to work in public relations at FEMA, for example.

3. Build a nest egg before you quit your job. Switching tracks into a new career path can be costly so it’s best to do so with a relatively clean slate. Pay off your credit cards and college loans and have some savings to fall back on if it takes a while to get hired in your new area of interest. Ideally, you should find a new job before you give notice to your existing one.

4. Brainstorm for every networking opportunity. Every time you are ready to find a new job, the people you know (and the people they know) are usually your best resource. If you put your degree in finance to work as a bank teller but are ready to move on, maybe your uncle who works in insurance can point you in a different direction. As they say, the world seems to get a bit smaller every day. You are likely surrounded by people who can help to open doors for you.

Consider your college degree, no matter what field it’s in, to be the launching point into several different careers. Don’t be afraid to get out there and find the one that will make you the happiest.