If there’s one thing that well-meaning people tell you, it’s that you should follow your dreams and your passion. That in itself is a good advice since we are more likely to push ourselves to do better in a career that we feel committed to.
But some experts, as well as people who have themselves tried to follow their passion for a job say it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows – meaning it’s not as rosy as you think. And these are their reasons:
1. Having Passion For Something Doesn’t Mean You Will Like Working In That Field
It is possible to be passionate about the idea of a career, but not the career itself. You may find that your personality traits do not fit the traits needed to do your job. You may be an introvert who enjoys his own company best, and which will make you ill-suited for a career that requires you to be sociable and outgoing.
That is not to say you cannot learn to be that person, but it’s always better for one to have a natural tendency towards something than a forced one.
That’s one reason why before you pursue a certain career you think you are passionate about, you should ask people who have worked in the field a long time about what it’s like. You may even work as an intern in that career field you want so you have some real life experience to base your decision on.
2. You May Not Be Good In What You Are Passionate About
The reason this is the case is that there is often a gap between our passions and our skills. The beauty of buildings and structures may pull at your heartstrings, making you dream of a career in architecture or structural engineering, but if you are not good at the key subjects required to become an architect or a structural engineer, that passion won’t translate into a career for you.
It may also happen that you are good at certain parts of the job you are passionate about, but not others aspects. As in the example given above, you could be a star student in the analytic aspects – Mathematics, Further Mathematics and Physics; but struggle in the creative/conceptual aspect like Technical Drawing and vice versa.
So, always ensure to be very honest with yourself concerning your abilities before moving forward.
3. It May Not Pay You Enough To Make a Living
Many people are passionate about careers that simply won’t pay their bills. For example, you might enjoy something that not many people are willing to pay good money for. And while you may think that your expert craftsmanship could convince people to buy, the first rule for starting an enterprise is to ask if there’s a market for it, or if your offering has the capacity to create a new market for it from existing ones.
What’s more? You may be passionate about a dying field; which means that while it may pay the bills now, there may not be a future in it for you. So, it is important to ask if your passion can help you make a living too.
Of course, there are many reasons to follow your passion for your career, among them being — personal fulfillment, happiness and peace of mind. But it’s important to remember that it may not work out, and that even if it does, it may not be as lucrative or as fulfilling as you would hope.
See Also: 15 Entrepreneurs Share Their Opinions on Work Ethic and Passion
