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. Volunteer first. Before you switch tracks (and cut yourself loose from your paycheck) spend some of your free time in various areas to see where your interests lie. There are volunteering opportunities in more areas than you can imagine and one of them just might give you a glimpse at the kind of work you’d like to transition into long term. That business degree that you earned in college could serve you well if you end up working for UNICEF or The Red Cross, for example. Spend time as a volunteer to see if your passions match your professional interests.

3. Build your savings. While it’s never too late to find a new career path, you will be much better positioned to do so if you have some cushion to lean on if it takes a while to get established. As mentioned above, keep working (paying down debt and adding to your savings account) until you have a firm job offer if at all possible. If you do lose your first after college job before going on to “plan B”, you’ll be in a better position if you’ve paid off your credit cards, right?

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.

There’s nothing wrong with changing career paths several times in your life. Your college time served as a meaningful transition between adolescence and adulthood and provided plenty of examples you can draw from when interviewing. Don’t settle for anything less than a career that you are happy to share your life with, even if it was your major. Each day provides an opportunity to evolve.

Alan Greene has written dozens of essays and articles about online degree programs, scholarships, and career preparation.