Comments on: The trick is to “find what you’re passionate about” and do that, right? Wrong.

By: Kanae Mori

Kanae Mori — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 01:57:38 +0000

I feel like a huge boulder has been lifted off my shoulders after reading this post. I am, like 80% of this year’s college graduates, currently unemployed and in the midst of this sometimes seemingly impossible job search. What makes it even more difficult for our generation I think is that so many of us have had the luxury of growing up being told “you can be anything you want to be. Find your dream and follow it.” I remember when I was 7 years old I wanted to be a vet. At 10 I wanted to own a bakery. I never expected that at 22 years old I would be sitting here with a degree in international studies and psychology trying to find a job in advertising. Some people are fortunate enough to just KNOW if they want to be a doctor or a teacher and just follow that one path. But it has been such a journey for me trying to figure out my interests. I freaked out today applying for this one advertising internship (don’t know yet if its my true passion but I’ve held a couple internships in advertising so that is my path thus far…). What if this is the wrong path? What if I’m meant to work in non-profit (i’ve always liked to volunteer)? So my mind was once again cluttered and I spent about 3 hours looking into non-profit work. You worded it perfectly Jason when you said “you are a small pile of kindling…” The wind was blowing and I was scattered all over the place, freaking out about if I was making the wrong life decision. I think what most of us new grads fail to remember sometimes is that we are NOT going to be tied down to our first job for the rest of our lives. It’s merely a stepping stone to give us the necessary skills to lead us in the right direction. Who knows, maybe advertising isn’t the right career path for me. But I’m so relieved to know now that I need to stick to my path that I’ve started or I won’t get anywhere at all. Thank you so much for your insight!

By: HRM Today - Blog Archive » Job seeker asks: should I keep looking for the perfect field?

Fri, 01 May 2009 19:59:03 +0000

[...] For starters, if you didn’t already see these, check out the following articles on passion and finding [...]

By: Job seeker asks: should I keep looking for the perfect field? — Jason Seiden

Job seeker asks: should I keep looking for the perfect field? — Jason Seiden — Fri, 01 May 2009 03:47:17 +0000

[...] For starters, if you didn’t already see these, check out the following articles on passion and finding [...]

By: Lynnm

Lynnm — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:59:36 +0000

I understand the point you are making. It isn’t that one should ignore their passions or talents and lose focus on what they like or are good at, it is more about being realistic to some degree. I don’t think you are saying, “Go into accounting because you can make a good living” if someone has no desire at all to do accounting or no skills related to finance. Yet, just because someone has a passion for music doesn’t mean they are even close to the level needed to make it in the music business. Be realistic. How passionate are you about it? How good are you? How much more can you achieve? In this post I wrote for myusearch.com, I discuss choosing a major: http://myusearchblog.com/dude-whats-your-major It’s important that you are choosing your major based on your skills and talents and interests and not based on the income the potential career can provide or because of any other external reason. Yet, life is unpredictable and just because you’ve chosen a particular path doesn’t mean you won’t find yourself passionate about other areas along the way. Being in the position to “steer toward your passion” as you’ve suggested is the most sure-fire way to success. Overall in life, I’ve found that my career successes have come about through the advice you’ve given (and I’ve been happy). I also know I’ll keep finding new things I’m passionate about along the way.

By: Jason Seiden

Jason Seiden — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:36:48 +0000

@Jim That’s exactly right: he CAN do both. Doing both is a destination. The journey requires focus, and focus means picking ONE thing to do today; get the fire going first. Long term: music. Short term: skill. If the love is truly there, these two things will find each other as a matter of course.

By: Jim

Jim — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:17:07 +0000

Why can’t he do both. If he has a passion for music and training as an accountant why not be an accountant in the music industry. Look for networking opportunities, see if this really is where your passion lies. I agree you can’t just be a generalist and jump from here to there. You have to give things time. At the same time if you love music why not start looking in the music industry with what can make you a living while you continue to develop that passion? For too many years I believed others when they said “You can’t make a living doing art.” Problem is the desire and burning in the gut never left. Now 40 years later I’m starting to live my passion.

By: HRM Today - Blog Archive » The trick is to “find what you’re passionate about” and do that, right? Wrong.

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 04:19:30 +0000

[...] Source [...]

By: brent

brent — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 03:36:23 +0000

Jason, thanks for your thoughts. I’m not sure we’ll see eye to eye on this one, but that’s what makes discussing these things fun.

I hear you advocating making the ’safe’ choice. But I’d rather see somebody take a risk and fail than to never take one at all.

If music doesn’t pan out he can always follow through on the accounting route. But the converse will not likely be true. Once he starts down the path of making money he’ll get caught up in the rat race and his expenses will always meet his salary. The prospect of turning down a bundle of money every year and give up the live he now knows is something very few people can do no matter how strong the Siren’s call.

In the meantime he won’t mind living on couches because he doesn’t know any better. The risk is small. His opportunity costs is low and the safe choice will always exist for him. Plus, he’ll have far better interview stories to tell than all the other accountants applying for a job.

I don’t think we should discount the learning opportunities in taking risks. To say he’ll have no marketable skills is rather presumptuous and doesn’t give him any credit for being intellectually curious and learning how to manage a band (leadership) or promote shows (marketing) or negotiate gigs (finance), etc.

Obviously, you struck a chord. Keep up the good writing.
+brent

By: Andy Parkinson’s World » Blog Archive » 4/23/09 Top Career Posts this Week

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:33:40 +0000

[...] From Jason Seiden: The trick is to “find what you’re passionate about” and do that, right? Wro… “The reality is, while some of us are made for a specific life, most of us are generalists. For generalists, our passion finds us, often in drips and drops, sourced across many different activities, until we finally see how to pull our world together in a way that makes us smile. ” [...]

By: Jason Seiden

Jason Seiden — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:28:18 +0000

@brent When the choice is vegetables vs. candy, choose veggies. It’s not that this kid is going to wake up one day and love accounting… it’s that he’s going to wake up one day and love his life… OR… He’s going to realize that he needs to move his fire, at which time, he’ll have clarity + a skill. If he jumps into music now, it’s like jumping into a relationship based on physical attraction: when the initial WOW factor burns off, what’s he got left? Besides a little experience in a field, no marketable skills, and maybe a little luck?

@John I am so thrilled you read my blog you have no idea. And the idea that passion comes from being attached to things bigger than you vs. materialism: I couldn’t agree more. Ultimately, it’s in how you use the skill, right? It’s not that using Excel gets you out of bed, but at some point you realized knowing that program was a key ingredient to making clients look like superstars, so you invested yourself in it.

If you know what you’re passionate about, go for it. You know—I’ve seen you and heard you speak; you’re one of the world’s specialists. For the generalists whose pilot lights aren’t set to BROIL, I still say don’t waste time searching for passion… focus on developing a skill and let the passion come to you… even if it comes from a different angle and requires you to change course later!

By: John Capaul

John Capaul — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:18:49 +0000

I respectfully disagree with the premise statement “Passion grows from being fully invested in what you’re doing …”

I believe passion is an intentional choice, not a resultant emotion or event. I agree that it’s difficult to choose to be passionate about a particular task, skill, hobby or group. I believe that people usually choose passion for things much bigger than themselves, rather than concrete or material things.

For example, I am very skilled at complex spreadsheets and databases, but I am not passionate about spreadsheets and databases. However, I am passionate about making Fusion92 and our clients look like superstars, and I often use my skill sets to bring my passion into being.

The people that I admire are ones that are passionately committed to creating and sustaining certain spaces, and figure out the tools to get there. For example, causing all 5th graders in Arlington Heights to read at the 8th grade level means fund-raising, tutoring, enrollment, mentoring, etc. Passion is the fuel that makes the vision come into being.