Passion? It’s not all that matters in a career
Some career advice for college students getting ready to go back to school or younger students dreaming of what they want to become when they grow up: Forget the popular mantras of the past few years: “Follow your passion” and its companion, “Find something you love to do and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.”
It’s not that easy, according to a new study that provides a bit more practical advice. According to the study, passions aren’t “found” — they are developed.
The study was put together by Paul O’Keefe, an assistant professor of psychology at Yale-NUS College in Singapore; Carol Dweck, a psychology professor at Stanford University; and Greg Walton, also of Stanford. Their paper will be published in Psychological Science and was the subject of an article at atlantic.com written by Olga Khazan.
For young people hoping to be swept away on emotion — whether they are studying anthropology, creating art or learning to add a line of figures — there is solid knowledge to glean for helping plan your lives.
Start with the theories of how we find what we want to do.
One theory holds that interests are “fixed” — they are in every human from birth waiting to rise to the surface. The second holds that there can be “growth” and that interests can be discovered and cultivated over time, and that people’s passions can change as they do.
We like the second theory, simply because it gives humans more control over their lives. We don’t wait for the bolt of lightning or for inspiration to emerge. We can seek out what might challenge and enrich our lives, trying different things and realizing that, yes, learning a skill involves work and study. Acquiring knowledge can be hard.
By opening up possibilities, students might be inclined to take a class that is not in their primary field of interest and discover a new enthusiasm. They are less likely to give up when the going gets tough. Mastering a skill, even one we love, is hard, but there is nothing wrong with students broadening their horizons.
The takeaway is not to give up on finding a job you love. Instead, try many things and be open to loving the unexpected, whether for a career or a hobby. That way, in a world where jobs can be uncertain — with layoffs around the corner, requiring many people to relearn skills over the course of a career — navigating choppy waters will be easier. Learning to develop enthusiasm and passion can make it easier to rebound when life throws out the unexpected.
Being pragmatic doesn’t mean you don’t like what you do. It does mean that liking can grow. Skills can be honed and improved over a lifetime of work.
Such a reality, when you think on it, gives everyone a lot more choices — and even a little hope, too, that the job that starts out difficult can grow into a passion that turns work into a joy.