The Worst Career Advice You Would Get
Please don’t believe any of these.
As a teen and young adult, I remember constantly hearing my dad laugh and sneer whenever I said something about following my passion. That was the advice that I got in High School and College. To him, work has nothing to do with passion. It’s something that you need to do to help pay the bills.
Also, I heard from entrepreneurs who followed their passions, only to feel drained from doing it.
I did try to follow two passions that didn’t work out. It’s because I am not the only person that wants to be a model or an actor. Then I went into the business world working as Data Entry Clerk for a while. Soon I heard that that position was not going to be staying there for long thanks to AI. So then I tried broadcasting, which lasted about eight years paid in traditional radio, and six-plus years unpaid as a podcaster.
So at least the writing thing did work out. I don’t want to be the best-selling author (Although that could be good. But I don’t have an idea for a novel at the moment). But I don’t want to spend years writing and editing my first book.
Why Don’t You Find Any Job for now until you find the right one?
Isn’t finding a job a full-time job itself? I did take this advice at one time, only to regret it later. I did apply for a job that didn’t suit me at all. I did work there for a couple of months (I can’t even remember one it is).
The problem with this advice is that you will only focus on the job you got and not look for another one, even part-time. People cannot multitask at all. There is scientific proof that you can’t do that, even though you think that you can take on more than one project simultaneously.
And yes, finding another job is a full-time one too. I mean, what if you get a job interview, but it’s on at the same time that you are working?
Since I was laid off a year ago because of this pandemic (And from that previous experience), I’ve heard it again, and I am not going to follow it.
Just apply for any work to me also means looking for any minimum wage ones too. I have done those jobs in the past, and I don’t want to work in them anymore. But, of course, like everyone else, I want higher wages and to be independent once again (I currently live with my mother).
Some of you might also feel the same about this advice like I do. But you don’t live with your parents and you have your own family to support. Unfortunately, this means that you have to take any job because you need bills to pay, even if the position doesn’t pay much for your survival.
For those of you who are doing gig work while searching for something full-time, you are lucky. At least for the time being, you can, for example, deliver food or drive people to the airport while looking for that next big paycheck. And you will still work at that same gig in your spare time once you are back in the office.
Fake It Til You Make It.
This is terrible advice, even for people with ADHD. For one, others do know that you are faking it. Plus, it doesn’t feel natural to you.
I have done this too, and it didn’t feel right. I did this with my last job for the first six months, but then stopped and started being myself. I would rather show my authentic self than I would pretend to be someone that I am not.
The Book Work Won’t Love You Back by Sarah Jaffe.
I haven’t read the book, but I can see why the author thinks that “follow your passion” is a myth. No career is perfect. Every job has its challenges and something that you like about it. Our dream job might not be our favorite after trying it and finding out that it’s stressful.
I am thinking about this as I am struggling to be a Freelance Writer. But I don’t want to take just any job to pay my bills or fake it until I make it. I’ve already tried those, and that didn’t work for me.
In conclusion, the lesson here for everyone who reads many blogs and articles and takes classes is to follow your own advice and not everyone else’s. Everyone is different and takes different life paths. If you follow the steps that someone tells you to do, the chances are that you will most likely fail because you are not them. You are an individual who is on your own path to success.
References
Bluerock, G. (n.d.). 10 Horrible Pieces of Career Advice You Should Ignore. Lifehack. Retrieved October 13, 2021, from https://www.lifehack.org/331873/10-horrible-pieces-career-advice-you-should-ignore
Huang, L. (2020, February 5). Why ‘Fake It Till You Make It’ Is Terrible Advice. Time. Retrieved October 13, 2021, from https://time.com/5777479/fake-it-till-make-it-advice/
Jachimowicz, J. M. (2019, October 15). 3 Reasons It’s So Hard to “Follow Your Passion”. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved October 13, 2021, from https://hbr.org/2019/10/3-reasons-its-so-hard-to-follow-your-passion
Jacobs, E. (2021, January 24). Why you should ditch ‘follow your passion’ careers advice. Financial Times. Retrieved October 13, 2021, from https://www.ft.com/content/a583d084-4b61-4527-85dd-ef5324ec0158
