By Barbara Poole
Career Coach

There’s a book that’s been on the market for quite a while that suggests that if you do what you love, the money will follow.

I’m often asked by clients who are contemplating making career transitions whether I agree with this advice. And my response is always, “Yes and no.”

All of us have fantasized about the ideal job. You know, the one that would feel more like play than work, that would provide sufficient free time to lead a balanced life, that would be stimulating and fulfilling, would complement our personal styles, and would pay us generously.

Is it really possible to find a job like that? You bet, but it’s about a lot more than simply doing what you love.

Over the years of coaching people on career transition issues, I’ve developed a formula of sorts that can be used to help you zero in on finding the job or professional situation that’s right for you. It looks like this:

( P + B + O ) x A = Career Fulfillment.

Now, before you start scratching your head and wondering whether I’m suggesting that the road to career happiness lies in becoming a math wizard, let me explain.

In this equation, “P” stands for passion.

Getting back to the book title, there really is significance to figuring out what you love to do. Many of the traditional career inventories label this piece interests. I believe it’s about more than that. There are a lot of things I’m interested in that I would not want to be involved with every day. Passion goes deeper than interests. It’s about identifying those activities, situations and causes that are stimulating and compelling enough so that you could lose yourself in them. You know you’ve uncovered a passion when you’re involved in an activity that is so intriguing, so fascinating and so much fun that you lose track of time when you’re engaged in it.

While passion is critical to career fulfillment, it’s not enough. That’s where the second letter in the equation comes in. “B” stands for brilliance.

Brilliance has to do with talent, aptitude and your natural gifts. All of us have unique skill sets that are a part of who we are. While it may take specific training to fully develop these skills, there are innate qualities we’re gifted in. Think of those things that you do easily and naturally, those things that other people tell you you’re really good at.

The third letter in the equation, “O,” stands for opportunity.

In contrast to passion and brilliance, which reflect internal factors, opportunity is about external considerations. It has to do with whether there’s a need or desire in the larger marketplace for the skills and activities that you are passionate about and brilliant at. This is where idealism meets reality. Think of it this way: You might be passionately interested in, and brilliant at, making buggy whips.

One word of caution about opportunity: Don’t be too quick to rule out an idea simply because there’s no obvious or immediate opportunity for it. You could be on to a possibility that’s cutting edge and could be a market leader.

All of which leads us to the final variable in the equation.

“A” stands for action.

I’ve bracketed the other elements in the equation and used the “A” as a multiplier, because in the final analysis it comes down to this: All the passion, brilliance and opportunity in the world won’t make a bit of difference to your career unless you commit to taking action around your ideas. This can mean pursuing further education, getting additional training, doing market research, networking, conducting information interviews, and a host of other activities.

The option to create a fulfilling career is yours for the taking—if you make it your business to work the equation and get into action. The choice is yours!

Barbara Poole is a leadership and career development coach with Success Builders Inc. E-mail her at coachbarbara@successbuildersinc.com.

SUBSCRIBE | REPRINTS | CONTACT US

Phone: 843-849-3100    Fax: 843-849-3122