Career

The Dark Side Of “Do What You Love” – The Change

by

butterfly transformation waiting

(We’re winding down our dark look at why “Do What You Love” doesn’t tell you much about the career world, and in some cases deceives you. Steve continues to look at how “doing what you love” might just cover up painful truths. OK probably does.)

Facing various odds you have lived the dream. You overcame all the challenges and are now doing your dream job. You are “Doing What You Love”

I actually want to pause in the sarcastic tone of this series to seriously congratulate you. It’s commendable. In fact, I feel we don’t compliment people enough on the fact that they manage to live good dreams and make them real. Come to think of it I don’t.

So congratulations. Please, seriously, share your secrets with people.

OK, now with that said, it’s time to flip on the side of me that thinks “Blackadder” plays too nice. Let’s talk about how your “Dream Job” and the “Do What You Love” attitude ignores something else- jobs change because you change and have to change.

You’ll Grow Out Of It

Chances are no matter how much you love your Dream Job, no matter how good you are, no matter how much you think you’ll do it forever, you won’t. At some point you will go “this is not for me.”

I experienced this once, years ago, so vividly I remember it. I was in a hotel, trying to enjoy a convention, troubleshooting an IT problem for a friend. It didn’t even involve work. I was then relaxing by reading an article on IT careers, and truly asked “is this all there is?”

I realized then, I wasn’t going to say an Engineer forever.

You’ll have this too. Someday you’ll have to pick a new Dream Job as the current one isn’t for you. In a few cases you’ll just want the hell out . . .

You Will Get Sick Of It

Or maybe you like what you do but have grown to hate the Dream Job.

Not everything is what it seems. After awhile you’ll realize the pig you see every day can only handle so much lipstick. After awhile, the job may be the same, but you can’t put up with the flaws.

Or maybe after awhile it’s just gotten boring. Maybe you love what you do, maybe you don’t want to change, but you need a different job.

You have your Dream Job but the Dream isn’t that interesting.

You Don’t Have A Growth Strategy

Focusing on getting and doing your dream job can distract you from deciding how you want your career to progress. Like it or not you’ve got to change with the times, if not actually get better.

People get a might suspicious if someone does the same things for a decade and seems to be the same person with no promotions, no skill gains, nothing.

In fact, to be worse you may hate your job or need a change only because you’re stagnant. The Dream Job may be fine, but you’re the problem.

You Don’t Have A Strategy for the Future

So how does this all end?

You got the Dream Job but howa re you going to move on to another position? How are you going to retire? What are you going to do next?

Where do you go if things go south (which will happen at some point)?

Where does it end? What happens when you just are tired of working.

People need a strategy for exit, progress, or at least maintenance so they know what they’re doing and can plan accordingly. We need a sense of progress or at least stability to direct our energies and stay sane. It also keeps the money flowing in.

The Dream Job Is great. But nothing is forever, everything changes, so what’s next?

 

So here, at the end of all things, how do we cope with the fact we have the Dream Job but face inevitable changes.

  • Growing Out Of It – Will happen. You can make it conscious and always seek to grow and evolve and stay aware.
  • Getting Tired Of The Job – Also happens. What you can do is keep your options open, stay aware, try to improve, and make connections. Also keep up with those recruiters that big you
  • Having No Growth Strategy – Get a growth strategy. Keep learning – and know what you’re learning. Get certifications. Get degrees. Fill that portfolio. If you can answer “How will I grow professionally in the next three years,” you’re good.
  • Having No Future Strategy – Do retirement planning or get a retirement planner depending on your inclinations. Plan out your career goals and be willing to adapt and evolve. Make a plan – yes it may fail, but at least you have a baseline.

Maybe dreams are best when they grow, like we do.
– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach.  He blogs on careers at http://www.musehack.com/, publishes books on career and culture at http://www.informotron.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.

The Dark Side Of “Do What You Love” – The Job

by

office cube work

(Steve continues his descent into the pains of the job world that the flip advice “Do What You Love” avoids, doesn’t cover, or even actively keeps us from facing. Now, we’ll look at what happens when you actually get that dream job.”)

So you decided to “Do What You Love” for a living, and actually are doing it for a living. You overcame your circumstances, your ignorance, educational challenges, and more. By luck, pluck, or co-incidence you’re there. Congrats.

And you should be congratulated. Judging from a lot of people I talk to they’re no where near living their dreams, even the realistic ones. Please, contact me so you can blog here.

But now that you’re in the job, well, there’s a few things “Do What You Love” doesn’t cover. Like how much it’s probably going to suck.

Read more

The Dark Side Of “Do What You Love” – Breaking In

by

opening cave hole vilage

(We’re taking a break from the positive focus Steve usually has to look at why “Do What You Love” has a nasty flipside – namely it doesn’t get you ready for a lot of challenges. So let’s dive into what’s going to destroy you as you follow your dreams!)

So you’ve traversed all the challenges thrown at you as you try and “Do What You Love.” From circumstances to skill-building, from personal psychology to finding the right place, you made it. You’re ready to break into the industry of your dream job!

Well, now there’s a whole new set of circumstances on the way to your dream job that are ready to ruin your plans and your life. Let’s have fun exploring them.

Geting Discovered Won’t Work

You are not going t be discovered. Get. Over. It.

Oh sure, there’s a chance you’ll be discovered, but in general the chance is that if you sit around and wait to be recognized you’ll fail. It’s not going to happen. Working alone to make brilliant stuff means nothing if people don’t see it.

Remember when I talked about the other skills you needed? Self-promotion is one. If you don’t have that, doing what your love happens in the dark and no one cares. So stop waiting, start promoting.

No One Cares That You “Love It”

Sure, we want our employees and contractors and professionals to “lovee” what they do. But in general people don’t really care. They say they do, but when it comes down to it, “being able to do the job and having evidence” really is important.

Really, everyone says they “like” what they do or “love” it or “has a passion.” Even if you do, it doesn’t distinguish you from all the other people who just say they do. Actions speak louder than words especially when they’re all the same damn words.

So your “Doing what I like claims” don’t mean too much.

Recruiting Sucks

Hiring, finding work, getting hired, recruiting people, is a freaking nightmare. I’ve written about this before, I’ll continue to do so.

So you “love what you do.” That means you not only have to be good and overcome any other issues, you then face poorly worded job ads, confusing recruiting processes, stressed recruiters, insane interview processes, and more. That’s also on top of the fact that all the people talking to you may not really know what’s going on because you do what you do, and they don’t – they hire.

Also there’s a chance you’re a really lousy interview, so you’re making it harder on them. Also that resume composed only of bullet points and run-on paragraphs doesn’t help.

Finding your ideal job is going to face the fact the hiring and recruiting process is a mess.

Yes, It Is Who You Know

Yes, it is who you know. Sorry. Want to get into the right job, you gotta know the right people or know how to know them.

People will hire someone they know. People will hire someone who’s part of their club. People will hire someone their parents knew. People will hire someone from the college they went to. People will hire someone they relate to

And yes it’s a pain. And yes it’s wrong in a lot of cases. But people go with what’s known – including other people. In a lot of cases, can you exactly blame them?

Time to get that networking going, if you didn’t guess.

It Takes Time To Break In

You’re not going to suddenly break into your dream job. It’s going to take time, and effort, if only to overcome all the other odds making your dream job a nightmare. Sorry.

No, no one probably told you how long it’ll take. And no, not all the things you read apply. Also all the things you thought you knew probably changed since you started your career plans. Sorry.

Early Pay Probably Is Bad

My younger friends often tell me about the sad pay rates they face. Actually my older friends often mention this as well if they made a career change.

Starting out in your dream career is probably going to be pretty low pay-grade wise. If you can overcome that great, but be prepared.

And yes, you wonder why people would take these jobs. Maybe because you hire folks that want to “do what you love” and figure they’ll take lousy pay. So there’s also a chance you’ll get suckered.

 

So, yeah breaking into your “Do What You Love” job is fraught with all sorts of dangers and frustrations. These are usually the things people don’t focus on. Probably as they’re focused on the “after.”

What can you do? Let’s try and see if there’s ways to deal with the soul-crushing issues of breaking in

  • Getting Discovered – Don’t wait for it. Get visible. Get connected Put your portfolio online. Do stuff. Sell yourself. Start now.
  • People Don’t Care If You Like It – Well yo still want to mention this, but put your money where your mouth is. That’s what people care about – portfolios, examples, etc. See the part on “Getting Discovered”
  • The Problems In Recruiting – First of all remember the process is nuts, so go and help out. Help recruiters understand – their job is a pain. Make good resumes. Learn to “read” job postings to get to reality.
  • It Is Who You Know – Well you can’t eliminate people’s biases and nepotism, so start networking, connecting, and getting to know people. Be a good choice.
  • Taking Time – Don’t get impatient. Play the long game. Yes the dream job takes time, if you ever get there. It could take years or require you to work up.
  • Early Pay – Know your salary rates, make yourself worth it, and learn to do a budget. A tight budget.

As much as I find breaking in is hard, I’ve seen people do it. Just remember a “Dream Job” dream doesn’t mean anything unless you can make it real.

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach.  He blogs on careers at http://www.musehack.com/, publishes books on career and culture at http://www.informotron.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.