Most of my blog articles are focused on the mechanics of how to find a job. I spend a lot of time showing readers how the job search process works and what you can do to master that process. The reason for that is that most users who come to CollegeGrad.com are already locked-and-loaded on seeking a specific job (or two or three) and we are here to help them find that job.
But what if you’re still early in the cycle and you still don’t know yet what you really want to be in your life? Where do you begin in choosing a career?
And the answer is simple: Choose a job you love and you will never work a day in your life. Another way to say this: Do what you love and the money will follow.
Too many people do work that they think will be the best work to generate the maximum amount of dollars in the shortest amount of time. In the long-run, that's usually the wrong decision. You end up doing work you hate and hate yourself for doing it.
On the other hand, if you do work you love, you will be truly passionate about it (after all, it’s what you love doing). It may not be immediate, but the money will eventually follow. Your passion for doing what you love will drive you to succeed above your peers. Instead of being one of many, you will be one of few.
So if you are early in the career exploration process, step back, take a breath. And be willing to take a risk. Do something about which you are truly passionate. It will show in your results, it will show in your deliverables and, eventually, it will show in your money. Maybe not right away, but when you establish yourself as the top in your field, the money will follow. And the money will be enough, because you're working for the love of what you are doing, not for the love of the money.
Start out by looking at your aptitudes. Then your interests. Then your personality. Then your values. And look for that intersecting point of all four in your career. Does it excite you? Does it make you want to do the work even if you don’t get paid? That’s the type of career to pursue. And the people who have that type of passion for their career usually end up being the subject matter experts in their field.
Take time to review the different careers detailed for you at CollegeGrad.com. Now is the time to explore and dream.
P.S. The corollary to the above quotes is this: “It’s never too late to be what you might have been.”
