Rita Ashley, Career Coach. Field tested advice for executives.

Commonly accepted wisdom on career advice is to find your passion and the jobs/money will come.

Hogwash. My dear friend Michael is a brilliant oboist and remarkable baritone; his passions. He is a top-of-his class graduate of a leading music school and performs often in Seattle with the Men’s Choir and various other organizations which create opportunities to feature his talents.

Michael was just unexpectedly promoted again. He works for a leading Seattle company and has been recognized and given awards and prizes throughout his career as a business analyst. He is proud of his work history and contributions to his employer’s success.

He is very good at what he does and is scrupulous in building his career with companies with the resources and commitment to his success. He maintains his network and mentors others. But his real passion, his music, is completely separate from his career.

Daily, he finds reasons to appreciate his employer and looks for ways to enhance his contributions. His six figure income is a result of his ability to create collaborative relationships and keep the customer’s needs in sight at all times. Most days, as soon as work is done, he zips off to practice and his non-business community.

There is very little overlap between his personal life and his work life yet he is extremely successful with both. Why? Because Michael knows he creates his own happiness. He has both passion and success. And they are only related in so much as happy people seem to perform better.

Finding your passion at work? Not a requirement for success. Finding work where you can be successful? Now that’s how to build a career. Just ask Michael.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites