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San Francisco | Career

Can Passion-Based Jobs Be Problematic ?

Starr Washington-Moo Student Contributor, San Francisco State University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at San Francisco chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

I’m sure we’ve all heard the saying, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Well, sometimes having a passion-based job can be the most work you’ll ever do in your life; here are five ways having a passion-based job can be problematic for your mental health.

You can have a tough time setting boundaries.

When you have a passion-based job, sometimes it gets difficult to draw the line between work and life. With a passion-based job, that job is often deeply rooted in your life, making it challenging to take much-needed time for yourself. Always do a quick check-in with yourself. If I catch myself sending late-night work emails or working on projects off the clock, I remind myself that it can wait until I’m on the clock. 

You can quickly get overworked.

Overworking yourself is a genuine struggle in passion-based work, and we often burn out much quicker due to our commitment and determination to meet our goals. When you feel the symptoms of burnout present, take a mental health day or work from home where you can be at your own pace. You need to rest and take care of yourself; that way, you can give 100% effort when it’s needed the most.  

You may earn less income.

Earning less income is an overlooked reason why many people only stay in passion-based work for a short time. But with the state of the economy and the inflation crisis, not having a comfortable living wage is an entirely valid reason to quit a job. It’s a difficult pill to swallow, loving your work but not getting compensated correctly for it and having to either live below your means or pick up another job which takes time away from doing what you really want. 

Higher risk of labor exploitation.

Companies profit greatly from goal-oriented, determined, hardworking employees in this line of work. Many companies and corporations exploit their employees’ creativity and persistence but never give them full credit for it. 

Creativity roadblocks.

Everyone has bad days, but when you have a passion-based job, that one bad day feels like it sets you back so far in your progress. Typically, in this line of work, we must meet deadlines and collaborate with other team members and external partners, and it can be stressful when you have a day when nothing seems to be “clicking” for you. The stress of just trying to get back on track is nothing short of all-consuming but let yourself have that tough day and don’t try to rush a roadblock, let your mind do what it needs to do. 

I love the work I get to do, and it is an opportunity for personal and professional growth being a full-time student and an event coordinator. But I would be lying if I said every day was perfect. I hope I could share some wisdom and relate to folks that find themself in a similar position.

Starr Washington-Moo

San Francisco '25

Starr Washington is a Her Campus national writer and recent San Francisco State University graduate, where she studied Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts with a minor in Africana Studies. She contributes primarily to the lifestyle and culture verticals, with a growing portfolio of op-eds, reported features, and interviews spotlighting Gen Z voices. Starr is deeply committed to centering Black stories in her work and consistently champions Black creatives in film, literature, and travel. During her time at SFSU, she served as director of the university’s multicultural center, organized campus-wide cultural celebrations, and taught a student-led course she created titled “Intro to Black Love.” Outside of Her Campus, Starr is a spicy romance book lover, fiction writer, a wife, and soon-to-be mom. She’s a Scorpio from Michigan.