Pursuing Passions: Life Beyond Your Dream Job
Throw away your concept of a dream career. Just for a moment, look at things differently with me.
What if there’s more to our futures than chasing that perfect job? What if our careers don’t have to fulfill every one of our preferences? What if we started devoting free moments to investing holistically in the lives of others and in our own journeys?
What if there are other places where we can put our passions, and more specifically, our communication skills?
Our Problem
Let’s face it: we college students are quite privileged. We have the luxury to study (almost) anything we like and pursue any avenue we choose, yet we spend our days in the university setting - a place meant for optimistic exploration - stressing about which route is the “right fit,” worrying that we will make the wrong choice and end up miserable.
Here’s my issue: If we place all of our hope and identity in one path, we set ourselves up for disappointment. There is a chance that we never land that job, or that we end up there too early and don’t know where else to go, or that we spend our lives chasing one position and then find it to be dry and unfulfilling.
We should start passionately pursuing other things too.
A word from an expert
In a recent PR Hangover podcast interview, David Green, Director of Communications for the City of Grand Rapids, shared a perspective that really struck me:
“If you’re passionate about communications, you’re really just passionate about people.”
He’s right. Communication needs a receiver, and if you care about how your message is perceived, then you certainly care about who is perceiving it. Once we acknowledge this, we open doors to things we might not have considered before: places and people into which we can invest our time, efforts, and communication skills while simultaneously working in our field.
In the episode, David stated that he finds himself most fulfilled as he pursues his other passions on the side, like music and broadcasting. This gives him the opportunity to explore while keeping intact his energy for the parts of his job that aren’t as enjoyable.
Listen to the full interview on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or SoundCloud.
What if I love my career?
Now, let me pause for a moment. None of this is to say that taking the necessary time to grow as a professional and seek out a desirable career is bad. It’s not a waste of time; it is most definitely a worthwhile venture. There are plenty of careers that will indeed be exciting and rewarding, and each person will have to discover for themselves what is best.
If that’s you, and there is nothing you would change about your work, that’s excellent. I simply urge you: don’t stop there.
Evaluate. Readjust. Seek New Opportunities.
For many dedicated students, workaholism and burnout are easy patterns to adopt. I work hard to find ways to use my go-getter personality to commit to other life-giving activities too.
I usually cross-examine myself with these questions:
How are you involved in your community?
Do you ever use your people skills in a volunteer setting?
How long has it been since you’ve sat down and dove into a random topic that you find fascinating?
Are you invested in your intellectual, relational, and faith/spiritual development?
I still have a long way to go in all of this, but I’m learning.
If you think outside the box in how you exude your passion for people, I guarantee that the professional communication skills will follow closely behind.
There’s more to life than homework during the day and TikTok at night.
Chase new avenues. Get excited for the journey. There’s a bright future ahead!
About Brady
Brady is a junior studying Advertising & Public Relations and Public & Nonprofit Administration with a French minor. He served as the Marketing and Events Intern at the Grand Rapids Business Journal and now works as a Marketing and Advancement Intern at Wedgwood Christian Services. Going into his second year of GrandPR, he will serve as a Design Associate for the 2021-22 school year. He also sits on the PRSSA Eboard as Podcast Director of PR Hangover.