Should you pursue a major and career in something you are passionate about?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been told things like “you can be anything you want to be” and “if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.” This always made me feel as though I was required to pick a career based on passion. Many of the other people I knew growing up had passions they were set on following. Some people knew what they wanted to be from the jump. I’ve always admired those sorts of people because they are dedicated to achieving a career in something they love. While that is all fine and great, I don’t want to ignore people like me, the people who have hobbies and interests but aren’t necessarily passionate about anything. I personally do not think there is anything wrong with that, but external pressures always made me feel a little shameful about it. After having grown up and gotten a little taste of the adult world, I feel like it’s time to defend my worldview, one in which you do not have to do something you’re passionate about and where you do not love every second of it. Maybe I am just trying to validate my own feelings, but I hope this reaches some other people like me. This is a little reminder that you aren’t boring by not pursuing a dreamy career path.
There are a few things I want to address before I get into it. First, I am in no way telling you to aim for majors and careers that you know you won’t like just for financial gain. Second, I am not trying to discourage anyone from pursuing a career in a field they’ve always wanted to go into. And finally, I recognize that the country we live in is not ideal. I know that a capitalist society demands a for-profit mentality that tends to motivate most people. While we are allowed to criticize the system we are victims of, we most likely have to participate in it either way. My take on planning your future is more of a realistic one. I do not deny the dream we all have of doing something we love, being able to make a living off it and never being unhappy. I do, however, present an alternative way of thinking. Now that all that is out of the way, let’s get into it.
I think it is kind of ridiculous that there is an expectation to pick a major – and subsequently a career path – at the ripe age of 16 or 17 years old. I mean, how is a high schooler supposed to make an insanely important decision like that? For some, they picked a major and career path that they believed would make them the most money. For others, they picked a career path that would align with their passions the most. I, on the other hand, chose a major that I knew I would be good at, one that I wouldn’t mind studying for the next few years of my life.
The major I chose was Communication Studies. Now obviously at no point in my life did I think “oh, I am really passionate about communications,” but I did excel in certain things that I knew were assets in that field of study. For one, I actually like public speaking. Shocking…I know. Additionally, I’ve always found myself to be pretty good at strategic writing. Using this knowledge, I looked into majors and careers that may call for these types of skills. Now, you may be wondering if I’ve ever had any interests that would push me in the direction of a more passion-driven major. The answer is yes. From a really young age, I have loved everything about the entertainment industry, especially with regard to television and film. I would spend all my free time watching movies or shows, taking classes at my local community college on narrative film and global cinemas. So why not go into a career in the film industry? What about film production? Screenwriting maybe? Why choose communications?
While I am extremely interested in the entertainment industry and love learning more about how movies are made, that’s just it. I’m interested in it. It excites me. I love it. I know that if I were thrown into a bunch of classes that exhaust that interest, and if I did not perform well, it might discourage me and make me grow to hate it. I wouldn’t want to spend a lot of money getting a degree that does not have the best track record of employment. Additionally, I do not want to grow resentful toward the things that excite me. What I would feel secure doing is getting a degree in something I’m good at, knowing I’d be able to get a job that pays a livable wage, and pursuing my hobbies and interests in my free time.
I am not bashing majors involving the arts, and I’m not money hungry either if that’s what you’re thinking. Personally, I value security. I know that being financially stable and being able to get my basic needs met, while not living paycheck to paycheck, will significantly reduce my overall anxiety. I value having a pretty regular schedule and knowing I can go home after work–as well as on weekends–and do anything I want to do. That includes learning more about my interests and pursuing my own hobbies on my own time by my own rules.
I’ve never seen jobs as something you’re supposed to love. Maybe that makes me cynical, but I’ve always viewed them as a way to make a living to support yourself and your passions, rather than your job being your passion. I think a lot of other people feel the same way. To defend my choice a little more, I’d also like to add another reason I chose Communications. Communication Studies involves media studies, something I find insanely interesting, and I hope to do my capstone in the area of media studies. Media and the entertainment industry are heavily interrelated. This means, that while my major is not my passion, it still piques my interest, and I find myself enjoying the content in most of my classes.
I’m not just ragging on careers in the arts. Other common professions people are passionate about are careers in the medical field. I know I would hate the on-call hours after years of medical school and residency with the potential student loan debt from all those years before being able to pay them off. To some people, the end goal is worth all of that. The reason why I don’t have much to say on this specific field of study is that I’ve honestly always hated science. I can’t imagine anything worse than enduring eight years of undergraduate and medical school regarding subjects I can’t stand. This led me to consider film and television production prior to attending college.
I apologize for the long-winded way of saying “hey, don’t feel bad if you want to get a regular job, one that won’t try to capitalize on your passions.” Call me boring, call me a square, it’s fine. I accept that my field of study isn’t the most titillating to talk about. However, I am good at it, and I am confident in my choice. My main point of this entire ramble is just don’t feel discouraged if you chose a major or career that you don’t totally, one hundred percent love. I really don’t think that’s even possible to do. Think about what you value most for your future. If you value your interests and passions more than you value stability, then by all means go for it!! Otherwise, recognize you are making the best decision based on your wants and needs.
To anyone reading this in the process of picking or switching majors, just keep this perspective in mind. And hey, you have a lot of time to figure out what works for you. It’s not the end of the world if you change career paths entirely once leaving school. Life is long. Everyone finds their place in the world eventually, so don’t stress about it too much.