Most popular career advice… Self-help aisles are full of books promising to help us find our true calling in life and a number of opinions sit online, waiting for us to read them and feel justified in our quiet dissatisfaction with the current status quo.

Example mostly quoted: Steve jobs, Mark Zuckerburg etc

Why it is a bad advice?

 Assumes we have only one passion

 Makes the person narrow-minded, makes him focus on only one aspect

 It assumes passions don’t change with time

 It assumes we already know what our passion is.

 It gives the impression that passion should come with ease, organically, or a magical “dream

job” is waiting in the wings. 

 Just because you have a passion for something, doesn’t mean that you are good at it. 

 It’s a privileged message not afforded to all.

 Once you shift your life’s passion into a job, it becomes just that, a task you must do. A

passion can be a hobby instead of a profession.

 Issue of Market saturation

 There is a difference Between a Hobby and a Profitable Passion.

Let’s flip the worn-out script of “following your passion.” Instead, heed this more attainable career

advice:

Commit to learning and re-learning what energizes and drains you. By dedicating yourself to what

sparks your interests and what doesn’t, you can more easily align with a successful career path that

highlights your true talents.

The phrase “follow your passion” has become a catchphrase in the career world. It’s an attractive message: if you commit to following your passion, you’ll have a solid career. This motto may be seen in self-help books, graduation speeches, and even career coaches. It’s motivational, inspiring, and entertaining. However, it is neither accurate nor useful. It can be deceiving and misunderstood, and there are problems related with it. In the end, this message may be holding you back in your professional life. According to research, we are bad at predicting what will make us happy and where we would perform best.

When we look at successful people, we see that they are usually passionate about what they do. However, we often overlook the fact that these successful people are passionate, but that their passion grew with their success rather than before to it. Consider Steve Jobs, who was passionate about Buddhism at first.. He went into technology to make some quick money.  But as he became successful, his passion grew, until he became the most famous advocate of “doing what you love”.

Why it is a bad advice?

• Assumes we have only one passion

People are versatile and have several passions throughout life. Selecting only one passion may be limiting, as it leaves no room for other interests that have yet to be discovered.

• It assumes passions don’t change with time

We continuously grow in every stage of our lives. What we loved doing in the past may now be only a pleasant memory. In reality, our interests vary more frequently than we think, rather than having a single passion.

• It assumes we already know what our passion is.

Many people cannot name a specific passion and how it can be made into a career. Before they can narrow in on a passion, most people require time, education, and exposure to a variety of jobs and companies.

• It gives the impression that passion should come with ease or organically

Very rarely does it happens that you get what you are passionate about with ease and on the first go.  You might have seen that many actors and businessmen first worked on jobs and paths totally unrelated to their passion. When looking for a career, it is helpful to be aware of your strengths and the things that come more easily to you.

• Just because you have a passion for something, doesn’t imply you are good at it. 

This concept is seen quite well through talent shows. its  Youunlikyou will rise in the professional ranks if you’re not good at your chosen passion. In the long term, you may be putting yourself in jeopardy.

• It’s a privileged message not afforded to all.

Money may not be a necessity for you. However, money determines what career you pick for the great bulk of the working population. Concentrate on what you value right now, such as remote work, investment amount, and flexible hours. You may be able to free up some time for your passion on the side as a result of these advantages.

• Once you shift your life’s passion into a job, it basically becomes work like any other.

If you’re doing something on a daily basis and for monetary gain, your passion may lose the charm it once held. A passion is sometimes better as a hobby instead of a profession.

• Issue of Market saturation

When you usually ask people about their passion, many people list travel, food or cooking  as a passion. But how can you stand out in a field that is already crowded with contributors, writers, bloggers, and photographers? A Google search for the term “food blog” gets  billions of results. To have a chance of making a difference in that space, you’ll need a really unique point of view. Starting a business in an already saturated market is not impossible, and if you genuinely believe in it, go for it. But before you throw in your day job it would be smart to start this new pursuit as a side hustle first.

Let’s turn the old script of “following your passion” around.  Instead, focus on a more attainable career 

Instead of focusing on what you’re passionate about, consider what you’re competent at. What abilities do you possess? What type of job do you like to do? What kind of career do you believe you’d excel at? What inspires you?

Commit to learning and re-learning what energizes and drains you and highlights your true talents.  Discover what you’re good at, then find a job that pays you well to do it. If you’re unsure what your skills and strengths are, one of the best options is to get your aptitude and skills assessed by a professional or career counsellor.