This article is a part of RIZZARR’s series, Mentors X Millennials.
In my very first job, I left work at 4:30 P.M. every day. But those were still the longest days of my life. At work, I had low energy, watched the clock, and daydreamed a lot.I even took long breaks and naps in the bathroom.
Actually, I was part of a great industry (the toy industry), had an interesting job (designing toys for kids), had a great boss, and worked with great colleagues. Unfortunately, being an engineer just wasn’t the right fit for me.
Today, as a talent industry professional, I do what I do with purpose and dedication. I’m more energetic now than I ever was when I was younger, even during difficult times. So how did this dramatic transformation happen? From my own experience, I can share six fundamental truths and realities about pursuing and finding your passion.
1.) If you’re young and feeling lost, consider yourself “normal.”
Early in your career, what have you actually experienced to really know if you’ll like or not like something? You can try, but the truth is you’re hardly equipped to make good, long-term career decisions yet.
2.) It’s easier to find what you’re not passionate about than to find what you are.
Frankly, the job decisions you make early on aren’t exactly based on your deep understanding of either yourself or a job or industry. Instead, they’re usually based on fairly basic, superficial factors, or on your limited understanding about something. It’s no wonder many people aren’t a great fit for their first job or two.
3.) It’s all relative.
Offer the same job to ten people and maybe two, six, eight, or even all take or reject the offer. In each case, nobody’s decision can be considered right or wrong, or good or bad. Career decisions are relative to your personality, interests, career objectives, and what you enjoy and value most.
So while external factors, like the salary, title, job description, and people you work with are important, figure out your internal factors first, like what matters most to you, if you want a job or career that suits you well and makes you happy.
4.) You don’t figure things out just by thinking about them.
To figure out your passion you need to try things that you haven’t experienced before to get a real sense of what you may really enjoy and want to do for your career. It’s also a good thing to talk to others about what they do. Ask them what they like about their job? What’s a typical day like? What do they find most challenging or don’t like? How do they see their future? You’ll save yourself a lot of time and effort by learning what something is like from others.
5.) The things you’ll regret most are the things you DON’T do.
During your career, you’re going to meet challenges and difficulties. You’re going to make mistakes and face disappointments. But if you pursue what you believe is best for you, and then give it your best, you’re going to feel much better about yourself and your life than if you never try. Because no matter what happens, it feels pretty good to face and overcome your fears, to do things with courage, and to beat the odds to earn the success you seek.
6.) It’s a journey!
For most people, your career is not a straight line. It’s a winding road, where you need to reach the next corner to see further ahead, and then the next corner to see further again. The most important thing is to head in a good direction, pick a good road for yourself, and enjoy what you’re doing all along the way.
In my own case, finding my passion took nearly 10 years. During that time, I worked in R&D for a toy company (Mattel), attended business school, did a marketing internship for a consumer products multinational (Johnson & Johnson), was a management trainee for a computer company (Wang Laboratories), and joined a start-up, IT consulting firm. Although all seemingly disconnected, each experience brought me closer to my current career, which I’ve been doing now for over 20 years.
Regarding my journey today? I’m definitely still on it. I still enjoy running my own recruitment firm and supporting the development and success of professionals in China. I still want to become great at what I do and still look forward to whatever challenges and rewards each day brings. So as someone who at one point lacked any passion in what I was doing, I’ll just encourage you to go for it. Find your passion. Based on my experience, it’ll be well worth the journey you take.
If you have your own journey and story about pursuing and finding your passion, I’d love to hear about it. Let me know!
For more career development and career success-related expertise, insights, and advice, follow Larry Wang on Wechat, at wangliyazhou. To get to know Larry Wang better personally and access his latest career development success-related articles, follow him on Weibo, @LarryWang王承伦.
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