Passion > Profit
When I left high school, I distinctly remember wanting to pursue a career in film. I had every intention of doing so, but my conscience (and the advice of my money-minded parents) got the better of me, having me attend college to get a degree *before* I pursued my dreams.
College was a big eye-opener for me. I continued to act and sing in theater productions at Anne Arundel Community College, where I attended classes. Somewhere along the line, I realized that I didn’t really want to be a film career pursuant. Were I to pick a reason why, the primary one would most likely be that, while a film career could provide me with the kind of recognition and creative freedom I desired, it wasn’t what I truly wanted to do with my creativity. And, of course, the barrier to entry seemed so high and the necessity for a college degree so pertinent.
Lindsey Pollak ( @lindseypollak )discusses following one’s passions at length in her frequently cited Getting from College to Career guidebook. Pollak seems to say that, above all, doing “what you want to do” is most important when determining your career path (59). It’s such a hard thing to figure out for me, as I seem to want to do everything creative — I enjoy music, theatre, writing, drawing … the list goes on. I feel that college has given me permission to truly find myself and figure out what I love to do, but it’s turning that love into a career that is daunting.
Because the offer was so enticing, I took the Career Drivers Assessment (found in Pollak’s book, on page 58). My results (seen below) weren’t entirely surprising — I knew that ‘Artistic Expression’ was important to me, but I would not have ranked ‘Social Contribution’ so close to it. Of course, this assessment was a quick one-over, but I attempted to answer the questions as impulsively as I could, and the results speak to me in real ways.
I certainly don’t want to make the mistake of entering a field I have no interest in, nor do I think that’s likely to happen as I’m putting a conscious effort into achieving things more worthwhile, but exactly what I want to do with my career (and life) remains to be seen. Of course, money is important, but I feel as though I only need what I need. As taxing as it may be, I am a strong believer that being “comfortable” is not the ultimate thing to aspire to. Being challenged is something I prefer a whole lot more, be it because life is given purpose or because necessity breeds invention. Either way, I want to feel as though I’m constantly working towards something greater with all that I do.
If creativity and social contribution are indeed my heaviest drivers, I have confidence that my passions will find the right career for me, eventually. Pollak points to career coaches (72) and mentors (76) to help college students, specifically, figure out and reach their goals. I may seek their help at some point, but first, I think I need to give myself “permission to pursue [my] dreams” (73).
