A question that often troubles freshly graduated candidates or first time job hunters is whether one should pursue their passion or should they run after a job with a regular pay check? Most people I have talked to (especially in India) have (more often than not) preferred the latter over the former. The reason – many consider that following your passion is foolhardy – since the passion (or your interest, as I put it) is nothing but a waste of time, and doesn’t guarantee financial stability (which, believe me, is a tremendously huge preference for most of us Indians). But is that right? And how does one choose between a career and your passion?
In this fiercely competitive world, most people are more concerned about acquiring great wealth and power, which has surprisingly also given rise to a high rate of job dissatisfaction. An article on the Huffington Post reveals that 55% of young workers are ready to sacrifice salary hikes for a job that is personally fulfilling. People who chose a career path influenced by money, have more often than not, found themselves in a state of complete disarray and frustration when they realised that the job [or the company] expectations differ from what they expected it to be, and what their skills essentially were. Career Planning does help in such a case, but what is life without a little spontaneity?
Direct your Passion towards securing a fulfilling Career
Though one might argue about the cons of chasing your dream, there have been people who have tasted success for relentless pursuit of their passion. Consider the example of Steve Jobs here. The man loved calligraphy, and elegance combined with simplicity in electronic gadgets. He was driven by the desire to do something different from his peers. A few years of toiling hard and we all know what happened next – the MAC PCs incorporated his beautiful calligraphy as computer fonts, and all Apple devices of today are a living, breath-taking proof of beauty and elegance in simplicity. Yes, he did face failure in his endeavours, but before his death he succeeded in making Apple a premium brand, and realised his passion into a profitable venture.
Most people influenced by their inner desire to do something different, take an extra step forward, taking a little risk and find that pursuing their passion is not such a bad idea after all; for all they know, following their hearts has, many a times, reaped them with rich benefits. This does not mean that one should blindly or relentlessly move in pursuit of what one is not good at; but yes, if you ask me, putting a little thought into aligning your skills with your passion can tremendously benefit you, going forward in your life.
But Stay Cautious
For people who dare to embrace their passion as a full-time role, there is one thing that most of them do not anticipate in advance – not all passion-based avenues are worth a career. You need to discern between feasible and non-feasible options that can be explored, and also check if any of your skills align with your interest, or vice versa. Not pinpointing any specific career avenue here, one has to also keep in mind that not all passion-pursuing paths guarantee that you will make a living out of them – many people have gone broke while pursuing their interests.
And Map Right
Your choice of selecting your passion as a full-time employment must be in line with your personality – an extrovert and friendly person will perform well with jobs that require continuous interaction and traveling outside for the most part, because they need to meet and interact with a lot of people. An introvert person on the other hand, might be more suited to a desk job, where they can sit and work quietly and be within their zone.
Before choosing whether to go with your passion or a regular career path, ask yourself this: what impact will your choice make in your life, going down the line? Will you achieve happiness, peace of mind, and most importantly, success if you pursue your passion? Are you willing to make initial sacrifices for realising your dream? Is there any scope [supply and/or demand] of what you are interested in? If the answer to any of the above is a negative, then you might consider putting down or substitute less time for chasing your dream and think of pursuing a stable career path, because let’s face it, fruitless pursuit of your dreams will eventually result in you draining out your energy, mind and relationships, and all you will be left in the end is nothing but frustration.
In the end, it is your decision and you should make it count, whatever it be. As they say, you could “Do what you love or start loving what you do”.
image source: raumrot.com
This post first appeared on the getsetResumes.com Blog
