Passion: The Key You Need in Your Career

We've all heard the famous saying, "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life." 2021 has arrived, and as many of you start writing down new goals and resolutions, I would like to ask the following questions: Are you working at your dream job? Are you happy with what you do for a living? Does your career fulfill you? I am pretty positive that at least 80 percent of the world's population are not working where their true passion is. Don't get me wrong; I have been a part of that percentage. Bills need to get paid. It is easy for us to continue to work at the first job we land for years on end, even though it's not our true passion or makes us feel happy.

Throughout my years in HR, I have seen many things, from disciplinary dismissals to staff members quitting because they didn't like their job. 2020 showed us that a job is never secure, and even if you have given all of your best years to that company, nothing guarantees the company will be grateful or loyal to you. So why not work at a place where you actually want to work and that makes you feel happy? Why not fight for your true passion or calling?

Most of us are told as kids that fighting for our true passion will not be easy, so you must focus on a career that earns you a lot of money, meaning that money equals success, not necessarily happiness. At what point is it worth sacrificing or selling out your dreams? Don't get me wrong, your passions can change over the years: you can change your passion and change careers at any age. Younger generations like millennials and centennials do not see a career change as something odd; on the other hand, staying at the same job or career for many years does not look good in their eyes. As a millennial, I have used all my time and energy to work on things I am passionate about.

Throughout the pandemic, I have heard so many stories of friends, peers and family who lost their jobs, finally pursued their real passion and are actually doing great and even better. Former colleagues who have worked with me in the past have reached out and have told me how grateful they feel to have been laid off. From a software engineer in Indiana who is now fully dedicating himself to playing the saxophone and investing in the crypto market, which had become a passion of his in recent years, to a former colleague in Dubai who was laid off as a waiter. He is now his own boss: He started his own business and opened an online bakery. This was a dream he has wanted to achieve since he was a young boy in India. Finally, the story that impacted me the most was another former colleague from Spain who literally resigned from a well-paid job in the middle of a pandemic to make a career change and finally be happy. A career change after a 15-year career? Everyone judged him but little did they know that he is now making double his previous salary and finally feels fulfilled.

You only live once and if you do not work at a place that makes you feel right, happy and fulfilled, why waste that percentage of your time and life in that place? And yes, throughout my career I’ve heard many people tell me, “I’m very talented at marketing, sales, finance but that’s really not what I’m truly passionate about.” What you do best is different from what you like most and are passionate about. There’s a huge difference. We can all be great accountants, lawyers or receptionists but do we really like working those long hours for somebody else for the rest of our lives? Talent without passion is nothing more than a simple virtue.

Working at a job you're passionate about or merely working in a career you love will let you concentrate and get things done on time because your daily responsibilities and tasks won't feel like a burden. Rather, when you're simply working for money, the motivation, creativity, and passion will be more difficult to find, leading to longer working hours to get things done and getting frustrated in your work and personal life.

If you are working from home or have been laid off, sit down for a moment and reflect on what your dreams are and how that can translate into your next job or career. Ask yourself what would really make you happy in your next job or career? That will create a baseline of the job or career that will make you happy, or perhaps it will help you find your true passion. Who knows, you might end up being your own boss or open your own million-dollar startup.