<p>At a holiday get together the topic of kids finishing college and being a bit lost as to what to do next came up. Also raised was the idea that we do these young people a possible disservice with the idea that one should find one’s “passion” and that “if you do what you love you’ll never work a day in your life.” All of that is well and good but most people need to buckle down and find a Profession that will pay the bills. Passion? Most people don’t find one. Everyone needs to make a living, though. One needs a Profession! </p>
<p>Do you talk about finding a Profession with your young people? This idea came late in the game into our world, so we are only really developing this with our young folks now, after college. How about you?</p>
<p>I’m struggling with this right now as a new grad. I found my passions, I definitely have them, but I know it’s going to be a few years, if not decades, before I’ll be in a position to pursue those professionally because of finances. So I need to find a way to feel “fulfilled” until then… the job I am in is interesting and I am good at, but it is not making use of my best skills or anything that I am particularly interested in… how do you not feel like it’s a waste when you are REALLY, REALLY good at something VERY useful that most people AREN’T that good at, and you’re not able to use it? I’m just trying to find a way to be satisfied where I am, and am stepping away from the idea of looking for “fulfilment” from my career (in favor of looking in other spaces of my life)… maybe a job really is just a job after all. Attitude adjustment in progress, still not sure what I think.</p>
<p>This is an interesting concept that I really think should be broached with students BEFORE they graduate, probably before they even start college. It can cause a bit of an identity crisis to enter the workforce and only just then realize that your hobby may really not turn into your job like you’ve been striving for throughout your education.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t say that you necessarily need a Profession – because this seems to imply that you would necessarily spend your entire career in one line of work, and this is not always the case. Also, “Profession” is a rather big, scary, possibly intimidating concept.</p>
<p>But you do need an idea – maybe several alternative ideas – about what you might do after college and some sort of plan for making it happen. This may involve earning a living immediately or going on to further education, followed by earning a living. (And, of course, some people work for a while and then go to graduate school, which may have been their idea all along or may reflect a change in plans.)</p>
<p>It’s a good idea to have your plan in place before your senior year of college because senior year is when on-campus job recruiting takes place, and it’s also the time to apply to graduate or professional schools, if that is what you plan to do next.</p>
<p>It’s rather scary to think about young people who have finished college and have no idea what to do. Why weren’t they taking steps in some direction a year or more ahead of graduation?</p>
<p>I think young people should also realize that plans can change. For reasons that they may not be able to anticipate now, they may find themselves changing direction a few years down the road. That’s OK. Changing plans is not “failure.” It’s making adjustments based on what works out for you.</p>
<p>From experience, it may take years or a lifetime to find out what you truly love, if ever. Some people are lucky or maybe brave enough to just pursue. After 65 years and raising a child on my own, and fighting my “dreaminess” so I could make money, I know what I will do for the rest of my life. It is a gift. That’s all I can say. But I loved being a parent, doing my job, following that path. It is all o.k. You got to work. That’s it. For most of us, that’s what we do. Can’t do better than that. If you find your will, well, bless you.</p>
<p>I have told my kids that work should be pleasant and enjoyable and something you’re good at. But it need not be your passion in order for it to bring you happiness. I believe that the fastest way to suck all the fun out of a passion is to rely on it to earn a living.</p>
<p>My passion and my profession have run together. It’s just that in my current job, the money is not exactly where I want it to be at. Sometimes you have to work through those kinds of situations to find what’s right for you…</p>
<p>Passion is such an annoying word. First we tell kids about this for building their college resume, now we are supposed to push this into the career choice?</p>
<p>How about liking your career? Enjoying your job? Getting fulfillment from it? Finding what you are good at and that speaks to your strengths and interests so it’s not just a means to pay the bills? My parents had to work extremely hard and for them it was merely a means to an end (as it is for many immigrants). Fortunately, for me, and for my children it is different: our goal is to have a career that fulfills you, is a part of who you are, and not just a way to pay the bills. Maybe it feels different in the US now but where we live, with unemployment still around 6.6%, we are not stressing about our kids getting vocational training in university and nor do we need them to have ‘status’ with a profession if that isn’t their interest. </p>
<p>And like everything else, even the best career or occupation in the world has its good parts and its bad parts, as well as its ups and downs. Just like marriage- you should marry the person you love, but it would be foolish to assume it will always be like a honeymoon. Kids should never been taught to seek perfection. </p>
<p>And it need not be a ‘profession’ at all. I have a sibling who is a small contractor. He builds stuff. He didn’t go to university. He is very happy and hasn’t no debt. LIkewise I have met more than my share of miserable doctors and investment bankers. A good friend is an anesthesiologist. She makes a ton of money but describes her job as boring to the point of soul destroying. </p>
<p>I love my career, I feel very fortunate to have found something I enjoy and that I’m really good at (those two things usually go together).I was always encouraged to listen to my gut and pursue my interests. And from day one we’ve been encouraging our kids to listen to their gut and pursue things that interest them, whether that is extra-curriculars, courses, etc. However, passion is a word though that sounds stupidly over the top though and puts way too much pressure on people and its not even realistic. I would never, ever use that word.</p>
<p>Don’t put passion down. It exists and if found, it is powerful and can transform. It does exist. Hard to find. Like I said before it may take a lifetime. But it can be real.</p>
<p>Passion exists, but it’s not a requirement in life.</p>
<p>You’re not obligated to give up the idea of going to a competitive college because there is no EC for which you feel a passion. Instead, you make a commitment to an EC (or several), whether or not you like it much, and build a resume that will help you get admitted.</p>
<p>Similarly, you’re not obligated to starve just because there is no way of earning a living for which you feel a passion. Instead, you make a commitment to a job, whether or not you like it much, and pay the bills.</p>
<p>Hoo, boy. D2 (HS junior) and I were having this conversation yesterday. She is looking at summer programs and thinking about college majors/choices. We had a long conversation about the big picture for careers, specifically how you can combine doing something good that you can be proud of when you look back at your life with the need to make a living. Also discussing her specific skills in that context. And talking through the prep/schooling for a career vs. the actual work itself (sometimes those two are not very well aligned).</p>
<p>I think it gave her some renewed interest in some of the “grind” tasks (eg, studying!) related to one of her academic interests when she thinks about the big picture of the career options. And got her off the dime on her summer program applications, too. Of course, she may change her focus completely. But it was a productive conversation that I hope she will keep in mind as she considers her options over the next several years.</p>
<p>I disagree. Some of the most successful people on the planet have gone with their passion from childhood but as I have said before it can take a lifetime. Bills still need to be paid. Patience is a virtue. All in good time. One thing, that talent you have, the one that everyone said was a problem for you; it may be a gift.</p>
<p>So which is better?
A career which pays decently?
A career which produces a benefit for others and society?
A career which is your passion and joy?</p>
<p>You are likely to be happiest with a career which has all 3 components. If one component is missing, maybe you can balance it out in your personal life. If two components are missing, look out.</p>
<p>Passion can be a skill that could be applied in many professions. For example, a passion for research, for analysis, for helping people. You could take (say) a passion for helping people and be a doctor, nurse, teacher, social worker, etc. I’d think about passion broadly vs narrowly.</p>
<p>At this point I have no idea what “passion” is supposed to mean. I do know it’s a word that’s way overused. </p>
<p>If none of my kids “find their passion” I’ll be OK with that. I do know that my sons have done a good job of identifying careers that interest them and play to their personal strengths, and as a result they seem to be doing well at them. My daughter is still trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life. I stumbled into a career that I seem to have been well suited for. Both my wife and I would probably say that our “passion” for the past couple of decades has been raising our kids.</p>
<p>Every really, really bad person in history had “passion.” I’m not sure if “passion” is necessarily a good thing.</p>
<p>I’ve had careers in my life that I found enjoyable and many of them paid pretty decently. H feels very fortunate that he has had the same employer for decades and made a better living at a job he has mostly very much enjoyed. We are hoping that our kids will be able to find jobs that they enjoy and do well, that pay enough so they can have a good quality of life. To me, that is success. It is good to have enough resources and tools that one can explore and find a a decent match between skills (possessed and those that can be developed) and what is needed for a fulfilling job.</p>
<p>So far, S is pretty satisfied with the job he has held for 6 months–we are keeping our fingers crossed that D will be as fortunate and find her way as well.</p>
Of course, she may change her focus completely. But it was a productive conversation that I hope she will keep in mind as she considers her options over the next several years.</p>