The Worst Career Advice I Ever Got Was to “Follow Your Passion”

It’s convocation time across colleges right now. Across the nation, highly paid commencement speakers will urge graduates to “follow your passion” and “change the world.”

Hundreds of thousands of newly credentialed grads will enter one of the worst job markets in recent history.

And the rudest awaking.

We’ve told students that they can do whatever makes them happy and this will blossom into a lucrative, sustainable career. I received this same advice from guidance counselors in high school.

Parents have paid upwards of $200,000 for a credential that in theory should lead to meaningful work. Surely, tens of thousands will be disappointed to find that there are no perfect jobs waiting for them, possibly no job at all.

There are few companies hiring for a BA in ceramics. That’s not to say throwing pottery is easy. To be a master at it takes a tremendous amount of skill, and is not something I could ever dream of doing. Likewise, I could never imagine being an accomplished thespian. These are both things that take dedication and practice.

The arts are immensely important. Unfortunately, for a career, unless you are at the top echelons it simply does not pay.

These are all important in a modern society

But what about Steve Jobs? He told everyone to do what you love.

I’m sorry to disappoint you, but Steve Jobs was an outlier – a brilliant, once-in-a-decade product person. None of us are Steve Jobs and none of us and can what he did.

Passions make great hobbies but seldom lucrative careers.

Work is the tax we pay to do the things we love

I wish someone gave me the advice to be happy with a career with strong pay, room for advancement, and high tolerability. My passions could be done on weekends or downtime, This would have been more helpful than encouraging me to seek out an elusive “dream job.”

No ten-year-old dreams of growing up and becoming an accountant. Instead, we dream of becoming race car drivers and astronauts.

Don’t put your identity in one basket.

If you are expected to do your passion, what you love and you can’t do it as your job you are going to be miserable. Full stop.

If you identify as a maker, an artist, or even an expert in xyz you’re going to underappreciated and in a crisis of purpose if you can’t practice your craft in your job.

Diversity your identity. You are more than one thing. You can be a financial analyst and a wood carver.

Be less miserable by managing expectations and finding satisfaction where you are now.

It’s temping to think that the reason you are not happy now is the job and that changing companies or positions would fix this. I’m sure there are a lot of things that suck about your current role.

That new job comes with its own baggage though. Sure, it sounds great on the interview but gives it 3-months and that new job smell will wear off quickly. Every job has its pluses and minuses.

If the new job comes with a pay-increase sure, by all means, take it. But if it’s a lateral move be wary that your dissatisfaction may follow you to the new job.

Try to find the things about your job that you enjoy and double down on it. Find the slice of satisfaction and hold onto it. I love warm copies and sometimes if I’m having a lousy day I’ll print out a document to mark-up in pen and ink, even though I could do it digitally. If I’m doing analysis I’m not looking forward to I’ll put extra effort into making the spreadsheet clear and readable.

What things about your job add to your happiness and which things take away from it? Figure out the balance between the good and bad aspects of it and try to maximize the good.

Being your own boss is great. Working for someone else isn’t as bad as you think.

Being a digital nomad sounds great until the moment you realize that you’ve just self-imposed deadlines on the thing you love. And worse that if you don’t meet these deadlines you sink or swim – you make the mortgage payment or not.

Say goodbye to weekends and closing the laptop lid at 6:00 each. The buck stops with you, which is a double edged sword. You’re on call, for all time.

With FAANG, tech, and DNVB companies at all-time high frothy valuations, they have access to cheaper capital than you would have yourself as an entrepreneur. With a nice compensation package, you’ll have health insurance has taken care of and another nice resume item.

Depending on your goals it could be worthwhile to hide out there for a few years, build your war chest while you plot your next move.

Are you on the fence between corporate minion and entrepreneur? What are your motivating factors both ways?