9 ms·

I Quit My Passion And Took A Boring Job

124 points by mshafrir 14y ago

jgmmo 14y ago
Expected 'passion' to be startups or internet marketing, but no it was to teach math. Nice little surprise. Interesting post, sad to hear that the educational system grinds down the few folks who want to actually make a difference to the point where they go join big box retail. Glad to hear he is happy with his new job.
- dkasper 14y ago
  Just to be clear he worked in retail to pay his way through college a second time to get a masters in accounting which is his new job. So to say he was driven out of teaching into retail isn't quite true.
tnash 14y ago
The moral of this story seems to be that if you're too passionate about your passion, and become too emotionally invested, it can destroy you. For this guy, the solution was to quit his passion and do something different. That may not be the best solution for all. By all means, try to do your passion. Sometimes it won't work out, but please don't let this discourage you!
- drewrv 14y ago
  If he had never tried he would not be as happy with his current career. Knowing that he tried but it didn't work out is what makes him satisfied with his current job. I mean can you imagine living life as an accountant and regretting all the kids you could have helped? Much better to try it out and then fall back on something else....
- ams6110 14y ago
  Passion/Love can turn to antipathy/hate; happens all the time with personal relationships that focus exclusively on themselves, and with dreams that become obsessions. In common terms it's called "burnout." You generally need to be wary of wrapping your life exclusively around one person or one pursuit.
- ScottBurson 14y ago
  I think the moral is more like: teaching in the public schools will burn anyone out who actually cares about teaching.
- hef19898 14y ago
  I completly agree with you. As long as you are not part of a passionate envirenment (they sometimes border fanatism, which is obviously bad..) you will end up one day to work with people and organizations careing less than you do. Since you care, sooner or later this will burn you out. The lesson for me is, be prepared for the fact that it doesn't work, and get some emotional distance, even it's hard.
arupchak 14y ago
This reminds me of one of my favorite TED talks by Mike Rowe (http://www.ted.com/talks/mike_rowe_celebrates_dirty_jobs.html http://www.ted.com/talks/mike_rowe_celebrates_dirty_jobs.htm...) where he talks about 'following your passion' and work in general. Like most things, following your passion is about priorities. For a lot of people, treating their passion as the most important thing in the world is not sustainable for them. This idea that all of us need to tell ourselves what makes us happy and then do it is also the wrong way to go about figuring out what makes you happy. I cannot even count how many mistakes I have made and then accidentally discovered what made me happy. There is no way I could have known what it was ahead of time.
krschultz 14y ago
We often seem to forget that passion is not a singular thing. My #1 passion in a lot of ways is politics/history/debate. I'm probably better at standing in front of a room of 800 people and giving a speech or fielding a hostile question than anything else I do. If I followed my passion/strengths I probably would have gone to say Georgetown, gotten an economics degree, and found my way into the DC path of being an aide and then into being a candidate myself. But much like the author of the article, I can't emotionally handle it. I get so worked up that my blood boils, I get enraged, and I know I would die of a heart attack at age 30. So instead I went to my second passion - engineering. When I told most of my friends and teachers in high school that I was going into engineering they were all shocked. Yet when I tell my engineer co-workers that my original passion was politics, they are all shocked. I do not talk about politics with co-workers (or on HN for that matter), I keep the two worlds entirely separate. Maybe I'll go back to it someday, we all know the Congress could use more engineers. But sometimes we throw around 'passion' when we really should say 'like to do'. I like to be an engineer, the problems are interesting, and it's definitely fun to build things as a hobby. But I'm not passionate about differential equations or FEA modeling. Those things don't get me fired up with adrenaline or keep me away at night like my real 'passion'.
- eli_gottlieb 14y ago
  Funny thing. I'm hugely passionate about politics, but I avoided that path because: * The American political system is so hugely, immensely corrupt that I can't and don't want to and won't play that game. I admire people like Elizabeth Warren for doing it, but I simply won't be the guy generating 3 "gb moni plox" emails per day because he needs a $20 million war-chest to run for a single seat in the Senate. * I want to reach Prime Minister of Israel, not President of the United States.
  - pm90 14y ago
    The American political system is so hugely, immensely corrupt that I can't and don't want to and won't play that game. It's still better than a lot of other countries; and the best way to make it better (or at least to keep it from degrading) would be for more intelligent people to contribute to it.
joedev 14y ago
" It’s just something I do for money, nothing more or less." Amen to that. To be able to close the door behind you and not think or worry about work at all is a pleasure in itself. To be completely, utterly, un-encumbered by work for most of the day and all of the weekend is a joy.
sophacles 14y ago
Following your passion does not mean: "take a job doing it". It may mean that, but it could also mean: "take a job that gets in the minimal amount of way of you doing your your passion". It could mean "get a part time job doing your passion, and a part time job doing something else". It could mean "Don't take that consuming job that takes a bunch of energy and time just because it brings in the good money" (unless it means, do it for a short time and retire to persue your passion full time...). It could mean 100 different things. The goal is to maximize the amount of time and energy you spend on the things you care about and which energize you, and which make your life full. And a note on passion itself: As a human, expect the things you are passionate about to change with time. When I was a kid I was passionate about history and archaeology, then I discovered computers. Now I'm on and off passionate about programming, gardening, art and a million other things. Largely the computer thing is constant, but it waxes and wanes. No big deal. I am not a robot, I am not programmed to like one thing consistently forever, if this changes, I can go with it, or descend a spiral to unhappiness. It sounds like the author's passions changed. Sounds like he changed with them. Good on him, but it shouldn't be seen as a condemnation of the idea of following passion.
- EricDeb 14y ago
  I completely agree. I would go so far as to say that for many engineers, programming-at least the type they do for work-is not their first passion, but is an activity they enjoy to some degree and it pays well. Hopefully this will allow them increased time to do what they really enjoy.
  - re_todd 14y ago
    Yeah, people should find a balance. Instead of looking at the one thing we are passionate about, maybe we should look at 5-10 things that we would enjoy, then go from there. I was most passionate about literature, and started off taking several literature courses in college. Then I read some career advice that said focus on what you'd like to do for the next 40 years, not just 4 years of college. I realized I would not be happy with the job opportunities as a Literature major, so I switched to Computer Science, my 3rd or 4th favorite subject. I like programming and think I made the best career choice for me.
kposehn 14y ago
> get out there and grab what affords you the most opportunities to be the best overall person you can be This is the key point of the entire post. Most people assume that "doing what you love" will provide these opportunities. However, this is not always the case.
losethos 14y ago
reality is bogus. God says... nevada bad astronomical in_a_galaxy_far_far_away theft get_to_work Ghost I_had_a_crazy_dream woot funny smack_some_sense_into_you how_about_a_comic hopefully wife umm_the_other_answer ridiculous wanna_bet employer don't_even_think_about_it small_talk meek relax gambling do_you_want_another Icarus liberal what_a_mess Okilydokily wastoid clever Dudly_Doright Tomorrow exorbitant what_a_nightmare what_do_you_expect the_enquirer I_love_this a_likely_story homo epic_fail what_a_nightmare NOT praise Percival stuff to_infinity_and_beyond hypocrite what's_up thank_you_very_much mission_from_God Mom this_might_end_badly boink how_do_I_put_this adjusted_for_inflation high_mucky_muck youre_welcome Mom clever service_sector do_you_like_it dang_it sky you_see_the_light conservative ahh_thats_much_better abnormal dignity fight It_grieves_me I_don't_care perfect yada_yada_yada no_more_tears let_me_count_the_ways stoked BRB no_more_tears you_better_not ordinarily Anything the enemy gives you to do, helps the enemy.
deleted 14y ago
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deleted 14y ago
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AznHisoka 14y ago
I think the takeaway is to examine the effect a job can have on you. It can go both ways.. if you do something you're incredibly passionate about but it physically/mentally wears you out, that can just be as bad as taking a job you have no interest in that makes you question life.
ricardobeat 14y ago
> I got into the position where I had to report certain problems, like suspected drug use, gang activity, child abuse, and so on [...] the cynism began to grow on me The reason for him leaving his dream job was completely localized. There are plenty of ways to be involved in teaching besides being in front of a school class. I see this more as moving away from a bad situation, an unhappy collusion of events that got in the way of his chosen path, not a matter of passion vs day job.
- boxein 14y ago
  Yeah, the author seemed to argue "because the situation I was in while doing a job I was passionate about was unlivable, therefore pursuing any job you are passionate about will make you less happy than working some regular 9-to-5." Logical fallacy.
deleted 14y ago
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outside1234 14y ago
I'm at a startup and am having exactly the same thoughts. I'm passionate about starting a company but MY company, not the one I'm working at. I've felt recently that taking a bigco job (with more pay and less hours) and bootstrapping my own company might be the better path. Please talk me down!
- anthonycerra 14y ago
  Is the experience you're getting at the startup arming you with knowledge that you wouldn't get at bigco and that you can use when you start your own business? If you're just a developer stuck in a corner without any real exposure to business decisions then, other than the stigma associated with it, why not work for bigco?
- edwinnathaniel 14y ago
  I'm not sure that starting a company is your passion. Perhaps your passion is to write a piece of software and charge money of the said software?
- draggnar 14y ago
  you'll probably work most efficiently while working at bigco job and focus on the core value.
dkrich 14y ago
I don't really get what his passion was. He states that he followed his passion and became a teacher, but having never worked as a teacher, there must have been some aspects of teaching that he thought would be fulfilling. Most of the time when people choose career paths it is for reasons that have nothing to do with passion. In fact, for most people it seems that career choice is just a mixture of luck and somewhat random choices. What exactly makes somebody start down the path of being a lawyer? Maybe their father was a lawyer or they saw a movie about a lawyer that influenced them. Conversely, somebody might become a librarian because a job opens in their hometown and they just drift into it without much planning due to sheer convenience (I know a lot of people like that). I think that career progression is largely luck-based as well, because you cannot possibly know what the reality of day-to-day life in a career looks like without living it. Having gone through an MBA program, I have seen this first hand. People's entire career paths are condensed down to 18 months and a set of a few companies that just happen to recruit where you go to school. One student may come in convinced that he wants to be an entrepreneur, get pulled into the consulting crowd and have a complete shift in goals, just to get dinged by the top consulting firms and end up settling into the management track at Sears. That's the trouble with following your passion- it is pretty tough to define just what that is, and the fact that there are some jobs that involve it to an extent is probably not the best way to follow it. As an aside: one other thing I noticed which was quite prevalent in the bschool crowd was this dream to do your own thing and run your own business. I would hear people say "my goal is to start a company" or "I want to join a startup." The odd thing is that none of these people actually took direct steps toward trying to start a business. They felt pressure from their peers getting lucrative offers from consulting firms and such and said things like "I'm going to work for a few years and get some experience under my belt and then I'm going to start a business or join a startup." It seems what made these people happy was convincing themselves that they were planning a future that would best set them up to create this business and become rich at some point in the future. What made them get out of bed early and work hard was satisfying some false prerequisite that they dangled in front of their own face. When that was accomplished, they created another, and another, and another. It seems that actually is where their happiness came from- making themselves believe that they were progressing towards their goal.
- pm90 14y ago
flocial 14y ago
I think passion is something you do regardless of financial rewards. How many pop artists succeeded with the sole intent of making money? Even those superficial rappers touting material gains probably enjoy the craft (at least the ones with staying power). I think the intersection of passion and success (defined materially) is when you consistently get better at your passion to the point where you can offer value above and beyond others who share your passion. A case in point is exercise. I see lots of people in the gym who are committed and even fanatic about achieving their fitness goals. However, the lot of them wouldn't be able to cover living costs if they tried to do it as a job. Still, it doesn't stop them from coming to the gym and spending a significant part of their income on their passion. Just because you don't make money directly from your passion doesn't mean much to me either because it can drive success in other parts of your life. I also think people confuse passion with strong appreciation. For example, you can love rock music and claim to be passionate about it. However, you might not be passionate enough to push yourself to practice the craft of music only to listen and critique it. The confusing thing about this article is that he does manage to transition his career into something vaguely related and not something completely different. Maybe it's the teaching aspect that's really important to him but it still seems like a reasonable career path in line with his core passion.
elliott34 14y ago
I got a bachelors in Physics, and I am not qualified for very much. Does anyone know if I can go back to school to become an accountant without an undergrad degree in accounting? I would adore one of these lovely boring jobs.
- tluyben2 14y ago
  'not qualified for very much'? My father studied physics and never worked 1 day in that field; he became developer and then director. I'm not sure how it is there, but here (in EU) they look at 'you have a beta uni degree, you are qualified'.
jwingy 14y ago
Reminds me of a quote I heard somewhere from someone...(I apologize for butchering this but my memory is a bit hazy): "Never make music because you have to, otherwise it will be the end of you..." Corrections welcomed!
toadi 14y ago
I have started a company and sold it. Wasn't enough to retire yet and now I have a 9-5 consultancy job that pays a lot of money. But I don't have any stress any more and family time. So both sides of the coin and depending where you are in life there is no right or no wrong. So judge only for yourself what's right for you. And keep your opinions/judgements about other peoples career paths to yourself.
forgottenpaswrd 14y ago
It is not doing what you love, but loving what you do. Obviously you must make your job compatible with your personality first so you can get to love it. If you are introverted and you choose a job in witch you are never alone you won't stand it, no matter how much you try(as you try harder you will hate it more and more). If you are extroverted and you are required to work focused on single problems long hours alone...

124 points by mshafrir 14y ago

jgmmo 14y ago

Expected 'passion' to be startups or internet marketing, but no it was to teach math. Nice little surprise. Interesting post, sad to hear that the educational system grinds down the few folks who want to actually make a difference to the point where they go join big box retail. Glad to hear he is happy with his new job.

dkasper 14y ago
Just to be clear he worked in retail to pay his way through college a second time to get a masters in accounting which is his new job. So to say he was driven out of teaching into retail isn't quite true.

tnash 14y ago

The moral of this story seems to be that if you're too passionate about your passion, and become too emotionally invested, it can destroy you. For this guy, the solution was to quit his passion and do something different. That may not be the best solution for all. By all means, try to do your passion. Sometimes it won't work out, but please don't let this discourage you!

drewrv 14y ago
If he had never tried he would not be as happy with his current career. Knowing that he tried but it didn't work out is what makes him satisfied with his current job. I mean can you imagine living life as an accountant and regretting all the kids you could have helped? Much better to try it out and then fall back on something else....
ams6110 14y ago
Passion/Love can turn to antipathy/hate; happens all the time with personal relationships that focus exclusively on themselves, and with dreams that become obsessions. In common terms it's called "burnout." You generally need to be wary of wrapping your life exclusively around one person or one pursuit.
ScottBurson 14y ago
I think the moral is more like: teaching in the public schools will burn anyone out who actually cares about teaching.
hef19898 14y ago
I completly agree with you. As long as you are not part of a passionate envirenment (they sometimes border fanatism, which is obviously bad..) you will end up one day to work with people and organizations careing less than you do. Since you care, sooner or later this will burn you out. The lesson for me is, be prepared for the fact that it doesn't work, and get some emotional distance, even it's hard.

arupchak 14y ago

This reminds me of one of my favorite TED talks by Mike Rowe (http://www.ted.com/talks/mike_rowe_celebrates_dirty_jobs.html http://www.ted.com/talks/mike_rowe_celebrates_dirty_jobs.htm...) where he talks about 'following your passion' and work in general. Like most things, following your passion is about priorities. For a lot of people, treating their passion as the most important thing in the world is not sustainable for them. This idea that all of us need to tell ourselves what makes us happy and then do it is also the wrong way to go about figuring out what makes you happy. I cannot even count how many mistakes I have made and then accidentally discovered what made me happy. There is no way I could have known what it was ahead of time.

krschultz 14y ago

We often seem to forget that passion is not a singular thing. My #1 passion in a lot of ways is politics/history/debate. I'm probably better at standing in front of a room of 800 people and giving a speech or fielding a hostile question than anything else I do. If I followed my passion/strengths I probably would have gone to say Georgetown, gotten an economics degree, and found my way into the DC path of being an aide and then into being a candidate myself. But much like the author of the article, I can't emotionally handle it. I get so worked up that my blood boils, I get enraged, and I know I would die of a heart attack at age 30. So instead I went to my second passion - engineering. When I told most of my friends and teachers in high school that I was going into engineering they were all shocked. Yet when I tell my engineer co-workers that my original passion was politics, they are all shocked. I do not talk about politics with co-workers (or on HN for that matter), I keep the two worlds entirely separate. Maybe I'll go back to it someday, we all know the Congress could use more engineers. But sometimes we throw around 'passion' when we really should say 'like to do'. I like to be an engineer, the problems are interesting, and it's definitely fun to build things as a hobby. But I'm not passionate about differential equations or FEA modeling. Those things don't get me fired up with adrenaline or keep me away at night like my real 'passion'.

eli_gottlieb 14y ago
Funny thing. I'm hugely passionate about politics, but I avoided that path because: * The American political system is so hugely, immensely corrupt that I can't and don't want to and won't play that game. I admire people like Elizabeth Warren for doing it, but I simply won't be the guy generating 3 "gb moni plox" emails per day because he needs a $20 million war-chest to run for a single seat in the Senate. * I want to reach Prime Minister of Israel, not President of the United States.
- pm90 14y ago
  The American political system is so hugely, immensely corrupt that I can't and don't want to and won't play that game. It's still better than a lot of other countries; and the best way to make it better (or at least to keep it from degrading) would be for more intelligent people to contribute to it.

joedev 14y ago

" It’s just something I do for money, nothing more or less." Amen to that. To be able to close the door behind you and not think or worry about work at all is a pleasure in itself. To be completely, utterly, un-encumbered by work for most of the day and all of the weekend is a joy.

sophacles 14y ago

Following your passion does not mean: "take a job doing it". It may mean that, but it could also mean: "take a job that gets in the minimal amount of way of you doing your your passion". It could mean "get a part time job doing your passion, and a part time job doing something else". It could mean "Don't take that consuming job that takes a bunch of energy and time just because it brings in the good money" (unless it means, do it for a short time and retire to persue your passion full time...). It could mean 100 different things. The goal is to maximize the amount of time and energy you spend on the things you care about and which energize you, and which make your life full. And a note on passion itself: As a human, expect the things you are passionate about to change with time. When I was a kid I was passionate about history and archaeology, then I discovered computers. Now I'm on and off passionate about programming, gardening, art and a million other things. Largely the computer thing is constant, but it waxes and wanes. No big deal. I am not a robot, I am not programmed to like one thing consistently forever, if this changes, I can go with it, or descend a spiral to unhappiness. It sounds like the author's passions changed. Sounds like he changed with them. Good on him, but it shouldn't be seen as a condemnation of the idea of following passion.

EricDeb 14y ago
I completely agree. I would go so far as to say that for many engineers, programming-at least the type they do for work-is not their first passion, but is an activity they enjoy to some degree and it pays well. Hopefully this will allow them increased time to do what they really enjoy.
- re_todd 14y ago
  Yeah, people should find a balance. Instead of looking at the one thing we are passionate about, maybe we should look at 5-10 things that we would enjoy, then go from there. I was most passionate about literature, and started off taking several literature courses in college. Then I read some career advice that said focus on what you'd like to do for the next 40 years, not just 4 years of college. I realized I would not be happy with the job opportunities as a Literature major, so I switched to Computer Science, my 3rd or 4th favorite subject. I like programming and think I made the best career choice for me.

kposehn 14y ago

> get out there and grab what affords you the most opportunities to be the best overall person you can be This is the key point of the entire post. Most people assume that "doing what you love" will provide these opportunities. However, this is not always the case.

losethos 14y ago

reality is bogus. God says... nevada bad astronomical in_a_galaxy_far_far_away theft get_to_work Ghost I_had_a_crazy_dream woot funny smack_some_sense_into_you how_about_a_comic hopefully wife umm_the_other_answer ridiculous wanna_bet employer don't_even_think_about_it small_talk meek relax gambling do_you_want_another Icarus liberal what_a_mess Okilydokily wastoid clever Dudly_Doright Tomorrow exorbitant what_a_nightmare what_do_you_expect the_enquirer I_love_this a_likely_story homo epic_fail what_a_nightmare NOT praise Percival stuff to_infinity_and_beyond hypocrite what's_up thank_you_very_much mission_from_God Mom this_might_end_badly boink how_do_I_put_this adjusted_for_inflation high_mucky_muck youre_welcome Mom clever service_sector do_you_like_it dang_it sky you_see_the_light conservative ahh_thats_much_better abnormal dignity fight It_grieves_me I_don't_care perfect yada_yada_yada no_more_tears let_me_count_the_ways stoked BRB no_more_tears you_better_not ordinarily Anything the enemy gives you to do, helps the enemy.

deleted 14y ago

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deleted 14y ago

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AznHisoka 14y ago

I think the takeaway is to examine the effect a job can have on you. It can go both ways.. if you do something you're incredibly passionate about but it physically/mentally wears you out, that can just be as bad as taking a job you have no interest in that makes you question life.

ricardobeat 14y ago

> I got into the position where I had to report certain problems, like suspected drug use, gang activity, child abuse, and so on [...] the cynism began to grow on me The reason for him leaving his dream job was completely localized. There are plenty of ways to be involved in teaching besides being in front of a school class. I see this more as moving away from a bad situation, an unhappy collusion of events that got in the way of his chosen path, not a matter of passion vs day job.

boxein 14y ago
Yeah, the author seemed to argue "because the situation I was in while doing a job I was passionate about was unlivable, therefore pursuing any job you are passionate about will make you less happy than working some regular 9-to-5." Logical fallacy.

deleted 14y ago

[deleted]

outside1234 14y ago

I'm at a startup and am having exactly the same thoughts. I'm passionate about starting a company but MY company, not the one I'm working at. I've felt recently that taking a bigco job (with more pay and less hours) and bootstrapping my own company might be the better path. Please talk me down!

anthonycerra 14y ago
Is the experience you're getting at the startup arming you with knowledge that you wouldn't get at bigco and that you can use when you start your own business? If you're just a developer stuck in a corner without any real exposure to business decisions then, other than the stigma associated with it, why not work for bigco?
edwinnathaniel 14y ago
I'm not sure that starting a company is your passion. Perhaps your passion is to write a piece of software and charge money of the said software?
draggnar 14y ago
you'll probably work most efficiently while working at bigco job and focus on the core value.

dkrich 14y ago

I don't really get what his passion was. He states that he followed his passion and became a teacher, but having never worked as a teacher, there must have been some aspects of teaching that he thought would be fulfilling. Most of the time when people choose career paths it is for reasons that have nothing to do with passion. In fact, for most people it seems that career choice is just a mixture of luck and somewhat random choices. What exactly makes somebody start down the path of being a lawyer? Maybe their father was a lawyer or they saw a movie about a lawyer that influenced them. Conversely, somebody might become a librarian because a job opens in their hometown and they just drift into it without much planning due to sheer convenience (I know a lot of people like that). I think that career progression is largely luck-based as well, because you cannot possibly know what the reality of day-to-day life in a career looks like without living it. Having gone through an MBA program, I have seen this first hand. People's entire career paths are condensed down to 18 months and a set of a few companies that just happen to recruit where you go to school. One student may come in convinced that he wants to be an entrepreneur, get pulled into the consulting crowd and have a complete shift in goals, just to get dinged by the top consulting firms and end up settling into the management track at Sears. That's the trouble with following your passion- it is pretty tough to define just what that is, and the fact that there are some jobs that involve it to an extent is probably not the best way to follow it. As an aside: one other thing I noticed which was quite prevalent in the bschool crowd was this dream to do your own thing and run your own business. I would hear people say "my goal is to start a company" or "I want to join a startup." The odd thing is that none of these people actually took direct steps toward trying to start a business. They felt pressure from their peers getting lucrative offers from consulting firms and such and said things like "I'm going to work for a few years and get some experience under my belt and then I'm going to start a business or join a startup." It seems what made these people happy was convincing themselves that they were planning a future that would best set them up to create this business and become rich at some point in the future. What made them get out of bed early and work hard was satisfying some false prerequisite that they dangled in front of their own face. When that was accomplished, they created another, and another, and another. It seems that actually is where their happiness came from- making themselves believe that they were progressing towards their goal.

pm90 14y ago

flocial 14y ago

I think passion is something you do regardless of financial rewards. How many pop artists succeeded with the sole intent of making money? Even those superficial rappers touting material gains probably enjoy the craft (at least the ones with staying power). I think the intersection of passion and success (defined materially) is when you consistently get better at your passion to the point where you can offer value above and beyond others who share your passion. A case in point is exercise. I see lots of people in the gym who are committed and even fanatic about achieving their fitness goals. However, the lot of them wouldn't be able to cover living costs if they tried to do it as a job. Still, it doesn't stop them from coming to the gym and spending a significant part of their income on their passion. Just because you don't make money directly from your passion doesn't mean much to me either because it can drive success in other parts of your life. I also think people confuse passion with strong appreciation. For example, you can love rock music and claim to be passionate about it. However, you might not be passionate enough to push yourself to practice the craft of music only to listen and critique it. The confusing thing about this article is that he does manage to transition his career into something vaguely related and not something completely different. Maybe it's the teaching aspect that's really important to him but it still seems like a reasonable career path in line with his core passion.

elliott34 14y ago

I got a bachelors in Physics, and I am not qualified for very much. Does anyone know if I can go back to school to become an accountant without an undergrad degree in accounting? I would adore one of these lovely boring jobs.

tluyben2 14y ago
'not qualified for very much'? My father studied physics and never worked 1 day in that field; he became developer and then director. I'm not sure how it is there, but here (in EU) they look at 'you have a beta uni degree, you are qualified'.

jwingy 14y ago

Reminds me of a quote I heard somewhere from someone...(I apologize for butchering this but my memory is a bit hazy): "Never make music because you have to, otherwise it will be the end of you..." Corrections welcomed!

toadi 14y ago

I have started a company and sold it. Wasn't enough to retire yet and now I have a 9-5 consultancy job that pays a lot of money. But I don't have any stress any more and family time. So both sides of the coin and depending where you are in life there is no right or no wrong. So judge only for yourself what's right for you. And keep your opinions/judgements about other peoples career paths to yourself.

forgottenpaswrd 14y ago

It is not doing what you love, but loving what you do. Obviously you must make your job compatible with your personality first so you can get to love it. If you are introverted and you choose a job in witch you are never alone you won't stand it, no matter how much you try(as you try harder you will hate it more and more). If you are extroverted and you are required to work focused on single problems long hours alone...