Reaffirming your career path. Do you love what you do?
I just took an extended vacation. 10+ days actually. Went with the family to visit some friends and relatives. We had a great time. I was computer free for the entire time. *GASP*. 
I was in an environment with a number of people that use a computer only as a communication tool, email, etc. Their level of web saviness and familiarity with computing in general is pretty low. They are casual technology users in general, not early adopters. They are all what you would consider white collar workers in various economic sectors. All are pretty successful in life, with nice homes, families and all the things that come with it. All of them great people, and people I consider myself lucky to know. Their lines of work and the careers they have built through their hard work are all things to be proud of, and rightfully so. I feel the same about the choices I have made in my professional life, too.
There was a clear dividing line between them and myself that was far more important, though much less noticeable than simply being a power user or a casual user of a computer. That line? A clear and driving force behind the work we choose to do. You see, I haven’t really ever considered a career path that didn’t involve design and interactivity. Since high-school, I wanted to be a graphic designer. I avidly learned Photoshop and Illustrator, Aldus SuperPaint and Apple Hypercard, etc… Once in college, I taught myself HTML and dug into Apple Media Tool, Director, and picked up Flash. Since then I have expanded into user experience design, application design and social media design. All evolutions of the same basic tenet, creating and providing superior experiences for the people that use my products, services or solutions.
The paths the others had taken or are currently taking, these friends and many of my other friends included, have been a little less clear. A few years in consulting, maybe a few in real estate or retail, on and on… not really in one sector or even one basic task/goal type. I find this a difficult life path to comprehend. To not love the work you do so much, that it is really about the only thing you want to do, so much that you are willing to take a lower paycheck or see a lull in your billable hours, just doesn’t sound rewarding to me. To be able to move from selling Widget A to selling Widget B without a blink just isn’t me. I love the weekend, but I’m never really working for it.
In the wake of the dot com bomb, I was unemployed for a while. Taking any sort of design oriented gig I could scrounge. Websites, brochures, banners, web games, etc. I interviewed a number of times for creative positions, but to no avail. At the lowest point, after the work dried up and we were seeking to buy a home to start a family, I interviewed for a position selling technology products at a full commission store. The interview was great, I was virtually a shoo-in with my level of expertise on computers, home entertainment gear and the like… then the big question, “What will you do if a position in your previous line of work becomes available locally?” My answer, “I’d probably take it.” They promptly shook my hand and showed me the door. I just couldn’t do it, I needed a design job!
It makes me think. What other career paths are out there that people take that they are so passionate about that they just can’t think of doing anything else? Teaching, Law, Medicine? What? I am anxious to hear your thoughts on this. Do you love what you do? Could you envision yourself in a totally different job or career path? I’ve made my decision. It’s like some sort of tattoo. Design.
Posted on April 14, 2009
Tom Ortega Apr 14
People like you make me sick.
LOL I’m kidding…sorta. What I mean is people who have one passion and one item of interest for life.
For me, I love to experience all jobs and careers. I’ve been a network admin, flex programmer, conference planner, gardnerer, etc. I sorta liked them all, during their time. To say that there has been one item in life that is all I ever wanted to do, just isn’t possible for me. I wish it was though. It sure would make my life a heck of a lot simpler. I’m jealous at times with folks like yourself. You can find yourself genuinely happy with life (the work aspect of it). While someone like me, there’s always that “Well, well, I wonder what it’s like to do THAT job.”
Chad Apr 14
Tom,thanks for dropping by and your opinion… i had a few odds and end jobs while going through school… worked at KMart, built forklift palettes, helped on farms, waited on tables, worked at a radio station… but as far as a career goes, I’ve never wanted to do anything that didn’t involve design! I guess I am lucky!
Jason Apr 14
I would add another twist to this thought. What if you had the job that you loved, lost it (due to the failing housing market) and then had the opportunity to take the same job, but it meant you would see your family 3 less hours each day, so you ended up taking a job that isn’t exactly what you wanted. Any thoughts/suggestions?
nerdabilly Apr 17
I know exactly what you mean… I’ve had jobs from hell that involved call center work, retail, food service, and through them all was always striving for something involving interactive design and development. I just couldn’t spend 8 hours a day, 40 hours a week doing a job that made me miserable and I’ve never understood how some people don’t mind doing a job they hate.
On the other side, I can see the thing about having only one passion. I’ve been working full-time, professionally in this field for the last 5 years and have often wondered what it would be like to do something completely different, since I’ve never tried. Even as far back as high school, doing this for a living was my goal, and now it seems like maybe I should have explored a little more. i often wonder what it’s like to be a garbageman, pilot, postal employee, or museum curator.
John Wilker Apr 17
Early on I read a book called, “What do I want to do with my life” By Po Bronson. Awesome book, and showed me that life/career paths were many and varied, and not knowing what you want to do is ok. This helped because I’ll been a retail flunky, a computer tech, and a software developer, none really was “WOW this is it”.
Software Dev was the best and I loved doing it, because I love creating things. But 360|Flex has taught me, I love community building, and more importantly I love being my own boss. I may not love conferences in 5 years, but I’ll probably still love bringing people together, interacting with them, building up a community, etc.
If anything sticks, it’ll probably be being disruptive. I enjoy looking at old and/or broken models of business and pointing out the flaws, raising them to the light and helping make changes.
We’ll see how that goes
Monica Apr 17
K, I’ll bite. My first responsibility is to my family, my kids. A job that I really love might not give me the flexibility to keep them first by paying bills, having flexible work hours, having summers off, etc.
Another consideration is the personalities of your colleagues. Working in a job you love with people who are rude and ambivalent as opposed to working in a job you like with people who are fantastic….hmmmm…. no big decision there. My life is bigger than my job and pleasant coworkers put the emphasis more on life.
I think we do a disservice to young people (students) when we tell them to “do what you love and the money will follow”. No one can guarantee that at all. For my own kids, I advise them to choose a career that both pays well and that you like (not necessarily love).
Jason–have you laid out your priorities for your life? I’d start with that first. Either way, it’s not going to be an easy decision. Good luck!
Chad Apr 17
Monica… Are you saying something about my rudeness?
You make some great points, though. A paycheck is always a nice thing to get. I’m lucky to work in environments that lack the classic *toxic* jerks and are plentiful in colleagues I like to socialize with as well.
And Jason, that is a tough tough call… When I had an oportunity arise that would have required 33% travel time (sometimes being away for 2 weeks a month, I declined).
Web design May 1
Your post really got me thinking, because i love to work anywhere..we need full commitment in the job to make work easier..I always wonder, people taking their job which they dont like?? Be careful in selecting career.
Pokerstars Bonus Oct 9
Very cool post…I totally relate to this. For me it started with industrial design, then into comic books, then a sign business…all design related but none of it ‘stuck’ until I got into web design and online affiliating. I’m a people person and enjoy picking their brains, seeing what sells them, what interests them, what makes their hearts tick. On the other hand, I enjoy design of any kind really. I also prefer working for myself instead of the man, so it was a journey to where I am now more than a decision that was made. When I was 19 I met an extremely wealthy man who told me that the way to get filthy rich was to have a global business – be making money 24 hours a day. When I found my current business it was a conglomeration of everything I enjoy spending my time doing, and everything I wanted business-wise. I was always going to end up here, no matter what path I took.
Thanks for the great post, there isn’t enough like this on the web.
real estate building Feb 11
I enjoy design of any kind really. I also prefer working for myself instead of the man, so it was a journey to where I am now more than a decision that was made.