Knowledge and Passion!

Knowledge and Passion are what you need to land the job of your dreams. We all kind of “get” what it is you need to do to obtain the knowledge and skills part, but what about the passion? How does one find the passion? It’s especially hard if you once had it and it has disappeared, so that you can remember what it felt, smelled and tasted like, but don’t remember how to get the “umph” back in your life.

A bunch of us were talking today about how important it was towards landing a job if one allowed that passion for the position to come through. I remember as a manager we used to talk a lot about “high skill vs. high will” and I always would prefer the low skill/high will person rather than the opposite. There’s the passion, which leads you to gathering the skills, but the other way around doesn’t quite have the same effect. I really don’t think this only affects those of us who aren’t currently employed. In fact, I believe, this is one of the main reasons; I’m not working right now. Of course, that could be just another justification for my situation, but it is a thought.

I do believe, I am not the only one going through this thought process right now. You don’t have to be my age. I remember I started my second career at 33. It was such an exciting time. I had spent over ten years in non-profit and felt I could do anything. I was in school getting my MBA and, at the same time, interviewing to become an intelligence officer. I seem to remember spending a lot of time, when I was alone, singing the sound track to the “Sound of Music.” My dream was to live and work outside the US. Guess what? It took me a few years, but I did live my dream and it was exhilarating! Now what?

The first step in “now what” is to start the juices flowing again. Knowing that no matter what your age is, it is OK to dream. This may mean, depending on your circumstances, taking a job you’re not real crazy about, but if it leads you closer to your dream, or adds pieces needed to get there, then it will bring back the passion toward taking on that position. It may also mean for some of us, to take the risk of being disappointed again. For some of us it’s going to Sanibel Island for six weeks, for others it’s staying home to see our kids grow up, or maybe contributing towards a bigger good, like ending famine or finding a cure for a disease. What ever it is, it’s a destination. Without it, it’s like riding the train and getting off at a station and saying “Why am I here?” You can do that for a while, but after a few times you start to wonder if you’ve been there before and why do you keep getting up and going here. Hmm, sound familiar anyone?

I think I’ve said enough for today. With the risk of sound corny or like something out of an old TV show, know this; it isn’t just the dream that counts, but the journey towards that dream that is so wonderful.