Do You Have Career Passion? | Thriftanista in the City

4.07.2011

Do You Have Career Passion?

I've been thinking a lot about where I'm headed career-wise. Reading Super Rich and watching Oprah's Master Class featuring Ms. O herself have really motivated me to get serious about work relationship. I am not in a hurry to return to work unless I'm working with passion. I firmly believe you have to be passionate about what you're doing or you will never be successful.

In thinking of what my next gig will look like, I wrote down some Work Truths for myself.

Money can only keep me happy for so long. - I fell into this trap a lot. I'd always say even if it's not ideal I'll still be able to do my own thing after work because of the extra income. In the end, it never worked.

I am not suited for cubicle life. - I. Need. Space. I sometimes want to work while reclining. I need my own bathroom.

I am very bad at pretending to care. - Acting like you care even when you don't really helps the team. No one wants to look at your sour mug when they come to work. Fake smiling I cannot do.

A gig where I can zone out is preferable to one that is trying to engage me. - My last employer was big on engagement. Great company. I totally get it. However, I just wanted to do what I was hired to do and nothing else over and over and over again. I didn't want to grow in the "relationship".

The work has to be fluid. - One of the perks of motherhood. It's very natural. Feed baby. Put clothes on baby. Tend to all of baby's needs. Her life and well being is directly in my hands.

With that being said, below are some Dream Gigs I believe would be ideal for me:

Own a business - Very fluid. Generate income or you won't have a business.

Seamstress - Sewing, sewing, and sewing. Fondling fabric. Watching the progression from flat to multidimensional. Engaged!

Fun Therapist - this is my own made up gig. Show people how to have fun. The task include traveling, eating, drinking, and lounging with someone while helping them find their passion. What they would do for free? No cube and I don't have to pretend to care.

Wine Consultant - I didn't know this was a dream gig for me until I saw a recent Groupon for in-house wine tastings. How great would it be to go to someone's house and talk about wine. I looked the company up and they have an opening (Thank you, Universe). I read through their entire website all day. I was so fascinated by the job and the company and the wine! I felt that natural high feeling I get when I sew. Fluidity and engagement = Love.

What are your work truths? What is your dream job? Are you in pursuit of the dream? Found the dream?

7 comments

Laila said...

I've been reflecting on this a LOT. One of the things I like about my current job is that no day is the same. I also have some flexibility. I would love to have my own business as a doula/childbirth educator. I also want to be a professor. So how do I combine both? Still trying to figure that out but I am in route.

V dot said...

It's interesting...while I've often despised some co-workers or bosses, LOL, I've actually liked about 90% of my jobs. I learn something new at each one and get to take on big projects.

It's easy for me to throw myself into work and get wrapped up in it. I do know that I'd probably never, ever go back to work at a social justice organization. I'm a corporate employee or a large membership org type of girl.

Ideally, I'd be an Editorial and Multimedia Director at an online mag focusing on either Politics or Public Policy or Travel OR the Interactive Director at a company that works in these worlds. I'm slso open to being a Digital Strategy Director at a PR firm with cool clients. I feel like I'm slowly working towards that, too, and that's my 3 year plan.

Tricia Hersey said...

i dont have a dream job. i dont think they exsist. i do know that i hate cubicles and would and have stayed up all night writing poetry and scripts and perfoming. ive done all this work for free and i feel alive when doing it. it is for sure my passion and my dream is to be paid a living wage to do it. im anti corporations and structured work plans. i also love travel and sunbathing with a rum drink. if i could merge the two i would be on the right path.

Mama Violet said...

@Laila and @V dot it's a beautiful thing. What you have is a rarity.

@Tricia doing what you love is so necessary. It's coming. Watching from a distance I can feel the momentum picking up.

Nilsa @ SoMi Speaks said...

About a decade ago, I left a job with a high degree of upward mobility for a job that doesn't. Why? Because of the freedoms the new job offered. I no longer had to travel or work long hours. When I left the office at the end of the day, work stayed behind and didn't follow me home. I still work for that same company who has provided an extreme amount of flexibility now that I'm a mama. There is no way I'd be able to work from home for the first six months of my son's life in most other jobs. I can't say I'm passionate about what I do, but I'm totally fine with that. Work life balance for me outweighs almost everything else.

Mama Violet said...

@Nilsa I want balance too. My first job is to take care of V. Outside of dream jobs I'd prefer a nice job with a set schedule and repetitive tasks that exerts no mental energy.

Camishar said...

I would love to grow CoverUp Girl Crochet from a hobby to business with steady paying clients and a couple of celebrities carrying my bags or wearing my crochet garments. My second choice would be a therapist/ life coach :-)

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