(Read time 5 min 5 sec)

Scott Galloway, a professor at NYU Stern School of Business, says the worst career advice anyone can give is to follow one's passion.

He believes that mastering a skill through hard work and determination can lead to passion for it later on.

I respect Scott Galloway's insights and frequently consume his content.

But he’s wrong.

Building valuable skills and perseverance?

Absolutely essential.

But should you force yourself into a job just because it's profitable, hoping to grow passionate later?

From my experience, no.

Using that logic, should I have stayed in my cubicle data entry job at a slow industry and ground it out, hoping that someday I’d get so good I would love it?

Or did it make more sense for me to take what skills I did have and apply them to get my foot in the door at a startup because I was passionate about learning more about startup companies and how they operated?

Option A would have led to misery.

I chose option B, making millions in a challenging but wildly fulfilling career.

I speak with tech professionals, executives, and job hunters every week.

What is the difference between the successful and the mediocre?

Passion.

The “Don’t Do What You Love” Fallacy

A quick Google search on "Don’t Do What You Love" produces a tidal wave of articles discouraging chasing passions.

They warn it can lead to a lack of income or even resentment.

The general advice?

Find a job you can tolerate.

I found one article that said, “Find a job you don’t hate and build your life around it.”

But given the time we spend working, that translates to "live a life you can just about stand."

Is that the life you want?

This mentality is what most people use when job hunting.

They apply for jobs they’re not interested in at companies they’re not excited about.

Then they come to me, confused about why they’re not having success in their networking outreach, applications, or interviews.

Why You Don’t Land “Don’t Hate It” Jobs

I’ll often talk to highly qualified candidates scratching their heads in their job hunt because they were just rejected from a role with a direct competitor for a job they already do.

So I’ll ask them a simple question.

“How excited were you about the role?”

The answer is inevitably some combination of “Meh” and a shrug.

My follow-up question is, “On a scale of 0 to 10, how much did you prepare for the interview?”

Their answer typically falls in the 5 to 7 range (if they’re being honest).

And there it is!

You lack passion for the company, the industry, the role, and where it will take you.

That lack of passion leads to three things:

1. It prevents you from preparing to stand out to your potential employer.

2. It can be sniffed out by recruiters, hiring managers, and interviewers from a mile away.

3. If, on the off chance you land the role, it will lead you to be unsatisfied, stressed, bored, disengaged, and looking for a new job before you know it.

Passionate Vs. “Don’t Hate It” Candidate

Here’s a scenario: two job candidates, equally qualified.

One lacks enthusiasm, believing their credentials alone should secure the job.

The other is deeply passionate, immersing themselves in industry content, networking, and thorough company research.

Who do you think gets hired?

My money's on the passionate one.

Why?

Because passion fuels effort.

Scott Galloway says if you follow your passion, you’ll give up when it gets hard because you’ll say, “It must not be my passion,” and move on to something else.

I have seen the exact opposite to be true.

Passion makes hard tasks seem easier and can be the difference between average and extraordinary.

David Sacks, a renowned tech investor, said it's about how one's obsession makes intense workloads feel lighter.

The Practical Passionate Job Hunt

If you only chase passions without any practical skills, like hoping to play in the NBA despite being significantly shorter than the average player, then I agree with Scott.

It’s bad advice.

However, combining passion with valuable skills can offer a unique advantage.

For example.

Your passion is NBA basketball.

No one will pay you to play basketball in the NBA if you’re four feet tall.

But, let’s say you have a background in data analytics.

You can apply those skills to become a statistician for the NBA, a sports media company like ESPN, a sports betting company, a company that promotes NBA athletes, or any number of sports-related startups.

Every company needs sales, operations, design, branding, marketing, engineering, communications, IT.

I can keep going.

It’s up to you to combine your skills with industries, focuses, or activities you’re passionate about.

An Exercise You Can Try

Here’s a method to channel your passions effectively:

1. Identify Your Interests: List out content you regularly consume – newsletters, blogs, content creators, YouTube channels, podcasts, etc.

2. Categorize Them: Find common themes in these interests.

3. List Marketable Skills: Identify skills you possess that are in demand aka someone will pay you to do them.

4. Merge Passion with Skill: Combine an interest category with a skill from your list.

For instance, if you love online education and have a knack for building operational systems, consider joining a tech startup that caters to educational tools for creators.

You'll be in a field you love, utilizing your expertise and setting yourself up for a potential future as an entrepreneur.

In essence, instead of settling for a job you can merely tolerate, find something that genuinely excites you.

Use your passion as leverage to stand out and secure roles you’ll love.

That’s how you create an unfair advantage.

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Look no further!

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There you have it, why the often maligned “pursuit of passion” can give you a significant competitive advantage in the job hunt.

When you’re passionate, you’ll:

• Draw better insights

• Prepare more thoroughly

• Reach out to more connections

• Have a deeper understanding of the industry

You’ll put in more time than the competition because it won’t feel like work, and that work, excitement, and persistence will pay off in the form of a job you really like and get paid well to do.

But until you land that job… let’s become career champions together 🏆

Kyle

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