There’s an oft-used question by elementary school teachers and high school counselors designed to help you find your true calling, often meaning career choice.
“If you had a million dollars, what would you do?”
The answer to this quandary supposedly sheds light on your future career aspirations. If you said “fix cars,” become a mechanic. If you responded “play piano,” become a musician. Unfortunately, most people don’t have $1 million plopped in their lap. Instead, most find themselves at a crossroads: whether to pursue what they love or settle for a more financially lucrative career choice.
Exacerbating the problem, your head fills with what-ifs, fear, and tidbits of advice from friends and family.
“It’s called work for a reason. It’s not supposed to be fun.”
“Follow your passion, and you’ll never work a day in your life.”
You eventually realize that no matter what anyone says, the final career choice between passion and financial security falls firmly on your shoulders.
The Cautionary Tale of Following Your Passion as your Career Choice
I’m no stranger to following a passion. For the first decade of my adult life, I blindly wanted to play guitar. Nothing else mattered. Teaching lessons, doing session work, playing in bands, and belting out Top 40 tunes at bars was my life. I used my spare time to make connections, hone my abilities, and write songs. I worked secondary jobs to supplement my income — all to make my dreams a reality.
Then something changed.
At 27, I hit a wall. I learned that “making it” in the music industry was more of a whirlwind of happenstance and marketability than musical proficiency or ability. The “right place, right time” notion of the game started to wear me down.
“What do they want? What am I doing?” I thought.
At that point, music became mundane and repetitive. I lost the joy of playing. Suddenly, playing 4-hour gigs of Journey, Oasis, and The Killers left me going through the motions. I hit a crisis. If my passion for this choice had ceased to be the point of my existence, what was left?
I learned it could simply mean that passions change as you get older. What excited you at 21 won’t necessarily be mind-blowing at 31. The idea of passion as a single undying ember may cease to exist. But the upside is that it is typically replaced by something else. Passions change, but your resolve and ambition will point you to the next adventure — in work and life.
Do You Have to Love Your Career Choice?
This question haunts everyone, especially when it is coupled with “I don’t know what I want to do.” I was always envious of people I knew in grade school who knew exactly what pursuit or profession they desired and do that very job today. It wasn’t fair. Why am I saddled with indecision? Is it a lack of ambition or intelligence?
The answer is that you don’t necessarily have to love what you do. Passions are a great barometer to guide you to a particular industry. But they are not the be-all-end-all of happiness or a successful career.
The Baby Boomer generation is a testament to this. Hobbies and passions were always done outside of work, while going to a 9-to-5 job was a means of providing for a family and having time to do what you love. However, this mantra has seeped into the minds of younger generations for decades. There is a constant voice in the back of your mind that money trumps all. And there is some truth to that. But when money starts to navigate the choices you make and devolve your happiness, it becomes detrimental.
Finding a job that allows you to indulge your passions — at least on a basic level — is a godsend. But don’t negate the benefits of a position that provides work-life balance. Maybe you don’t have a spring in your step every time you go to the office, but you have time to play an instrument, crochet, or play kickball on weekday nights and weekends.
The Fallacy of the Dream Job
Nearly everyone has some idea of what their dream job would be. Perhaps it’s working in the front office of a pro sports team, being a roadie for Metallica, or crunching numbers for one of the Big Four accounting firms. In some respects, visualizing your dream job sets forth a precedent for success and reaching your goals. However, it can also set you up for failure.
The idea of a dream job boils down to control. Sometimes, a dream job is an unrealistic venture. By setting your goals to this unfeasible level, not having the patience to improve your skill set, or even living in the wrong area of the country, you set yourself up for failure. Don’t let this happen.
You should always strive to meet your goals as a professional, but you should not feel like a failure if you don’t land a “dream job.” As you get further along in your career, you’ll likely find a good fit in something you had not expected. Maybe the “dream job” is maintaining the ability to do what you love while earning a living that provides for that lifestyle. Fulfillment is what you make it.
How to Make a Successful Career Choice — With or Without Passion
If your passion does not directly translate to a specific career, you might find that choosing a career path is simpler. If you are one of those people who doesn’t know what they want to do, following a few tips will help you garner professional fulfillment while indulging your passions.
Play to Your Strengths
Your strengths may or may not be synonymous with your passion. But the innate ability to complete specific tasks quickly, efficiently, and error-free make you a viable candidate over others in the professional world. Employers seek proficient self-starters that can streamline business processes without constant guidance or direction. Even if this doesn’t necessarily align with your passions, being the best at what you do can open a world of opportunity for success, or networking into more lucrative or enticing career options.
Discover Growing Industries and Identify Market Needs
Part of success, with or without a passion, relies on your ability to fill a particular niche or join a growing industry. For example, let’s say you love traveling and you’ve visited 50 countries. You have something to offer other travelers, whether it’s an itinerary or a list of must-visit places. But you’re at a loss on how to develop your knowledge into a lucrative career.
While you could possibly find work as a travel agent, you’d find that particular career choice is in a steep decline. Instead, you’ll have to find other avenues to indulge your passion. The good news is that you can do this directly or indirectly. Honing your writing skills can make you a strong candidate to become a contributor to a travel website or a travel blogger. Alternatively, you could learn web design or search engine optimization to make money while you travel. Both lead to the same result — your ability to travel and help others who share the same desire and enthusiasm for travel.
If you do not have a specific passion, you still need to apply the same rubric. Use your knowledge or skills to fill a void in the market or place yourself in the middle of a booming industry. Even if you are not passionate about your career choice right away, the opportunity to build your own business or enjoy financial success is not something to scoff at.
Be Ready for Setbacks and Repetition
Once you have assessed your strengths and identified opportunities to excel in the professional world, get ready for the next step — failures and setbacks. Overcoming obstacles is a process that strengthens your resolve, helps you learn, and enables you to become a stronger person and professional. No failure is steadfast unless you let it consume you. When things do not go well, pick up the pieces and battle on. You may be surprised by where you end up.
Famous and eccentric journalist Hunter S. Thompson once weighed in on the topic of passions, careers, and goals:
“…beware of looking for goals: look for a way of life. Decide how you want to live and then see what you can do to make a living WITHIN that way of life. But you say, ‘I don’t know where to look; I don’t know what to look for.’ And there’s the crux. Is it worth giving up what I have to look for something better? I don’t know — is it? Who can make that decision but you? But even by deciding to look, you go a long way toward making the choice.”
Even with this insightful quote from Thompson, the answer on how to choose the next step of your life is difficult. The truth of the matter is that not everyone has a passion, and the definition of individual success varies from person to person. Sometimes money and passion are mutually exclusive; other times, both are within reach.
It is up to you to find out which path best blends happiness and success for you. It may turn out that passion for how you live your life is the most important ingredient of all.
Do you think passion should influence career choice? Connect with Virtual Vocations on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to tell us. We’d love to hear from you!
iStock Photo Credit: pepifoto
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