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In recent years there’s been a lot of focus on following your heart when it comes to your career. I’m sure you’ve heard things like:
- If you love your job, you’ll never work a day in your life.
- Align your passion with your paycheck.
- Follow your heart, and the money will follow.
It’s certainly an attractive concept. Nobody wants to be stuck in a job where they’re miserable for the majority of their waking hours. Everyone wants to feel excited about their work. Everyone wants to contribute something valuable. Everyone wants their efforts to have meaning.
So if you’re in the midst of planning your future, how do you choose? How do you pick a major or a career that will give you a lifetime of job satisfaction while also paying the bills? Here’s how to balance passion and practicality.
1. Do your research. It’s important to look toward your future with eyes wide open. If you’re hoping to support a family someday, salary potential in your chosen career field is important. If you’re expecting your income will be supplemental, career and wage progression aren’t as important. Spend time researching your field of passion, the number of jobs in the industry, expected pay and benefits, and (possibly) whether you’ll need to live in a particular area. Make a plan for long-term career and wage progression, and think about making a back-up plan if things don’t work out like you hoped.
2. Keep an open mind. Passion is not static. Research shows that passion can actually be cultivated within one’s workplace. Throughout the course of your life you’ll be exposed to many new things that you may be passionate about. And as the world changes, new careers will emerge that aren’t even in existence today. Be open to learning new things and don’t be so laser-focused on one dream that other opportunities pass you by.
3. Follow both wisdom and passion. Wisdom is a gift from God. Our passions spring forth from the person God created us to be. So if it looks like pursuing a future in your area of passion isn’t wise, does that mean you abandon it completely? Absolutely not! Instead, get creative and see what jobs are on the periphery of the industry that are available to you. Pursue a major in a more generalized field with transferable skills between multiple industries to keep your job options open, while minoring in your area of passion.
At the end of the day job satisfaction is complicated and involves much more than pursuing your passion. It’s comprised of things like work environment, good relationships with colleagues, feeling valued by your superiors, and a good work-life balance. There’s more to choosing a career than money, and it’s also possible to have a rewarding career even if it wasn’t initially your passion.
