Choosing A Career Path: Passion vs Money
- Goodness Esom
- Apr 8, 2024
- 3 min read
FROM OUR COMMUNITY
From Our Community is a new feature where we showcase the views and opinions of our very own Konseye member! We are delighted to welcome Goodness Esom to the Konseye Wisdom Library! In addition to forging his career as a lawyer, Goodness is the curator of the World Economic Forum's Global Shapers Community in Enugu, Nigeria.
In today's #MondayMusing, he shares his compelling #conversationstarter and his invaluable guidance for early career professionals. Goodness tackles the perennial question: should one pursue a career for financial gain or personal passion? Hint: Goodness thinks you can have both.
Discover more about his perspective and get insights into determining what resonates with you!
Introduction
Choosing the right career path has been an age long issue that has plagued early career professionals in their pursuit of success. This topic is very crucial because while some professionals have been fortunate to decipher what career path suits them, a lot more professionals have not been so fortunate. All these lend credence to the greatness and influence inherent in choosing the right career path. Two motivations which influence our choice of a career path are passion and money and there has been great debate as to which is more important. Hence, I will attempt to explore these two concepts.
Passion vs Money
Passion suggests a strong enthusiasm or zeal that you have towards something. The privilege of having a feeling of fulfillment and a sense of purpose are benefits you can get from doing a job you are passionate about. Given that passion drives innovation, it means that if you do a job you are passionate about, you will be compelled to carry out research and make discoveries that will cause your voice to be heard globally. I am however moved to state that, sometimes, doing the job you love may not adequately compensate you and this happens when that career path is niche in comparison to the market demands of your country.
On the other hand, prioritizing a high salary could be a valid factor for choosing a certain career path. Pursuing a highly lucrative job entails many benefits including comfort, financial freedom and the option of early retirement. Yet, money is truly valuable when it is used to support initiatives that can have a lasting positive impact and bring fulfilment. It will also be my dismay if I fail to mention that it is difficult to be exceptional in a career you have no passion for.
Seeing how crucial passion and money are, what then should be your guide when choosing a career path? My view is that it depends on one’s circumstances, values, and personal goals. By circumstance, I mean your age, background or family. While life is not determined by the cards you are dealt with, at the onset of your career, it usually affects whether you prioritize money or your passion when choosing a career path.
The choice of your career path may also be predicated on your personal ambition. It is logical to choose a career based on an ambition or goal you have always had, whether it is profitable at the time or not. Values, simply put, are the guiding principles of one’s life. This means that lots of professionals choose their career paths based on morals, ideals and their philosophy or view of life. Hence, your choice of career path should be somewhat predicated on your value system.
Conclusion
The beauty of choosing a career path is that you alone have the prerogative of electing the type of career you want, and so, the onus is on you to look at your circumstances, analyze your goals and do an honest self-appraisal. This will then inform you on what path to take; whether it is going for a lucrative job or pursuing a career that you have deep passion for.
Finally, it is important to believe that you can have it all. You can start a career that you are passionate about which could also become very lucrative. You can also choose a career path that is lucrative and strategize on how to use the money derived from that role to fund projects you are passionate about. In other words, start on the path that calls out to you the most and be open to the possibility that passion and money can merge and you can genuinely thrive and be fulfilled.
If given the choice, would you opt for a passion-driven career with limited financial prospects or a lucrative career solely for financial gain?
It's the passion for me! Fulfilment over money any day!
Money please! Passion does not always put food on the table!
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