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Last week, before I packed up with my family and headed up to Traverse City for five days with my family, I met up with a fellow PRSSA National Committee member, Jenna Huskinson. It was great to catch up with her and we started chatting about our other plans for the year. One thing we discussed was how little time we have to do all the things we want. Both of us have had internships, jobs, volunteer projects and extra-curricular activities that have kept our college schedules full.
We also lamented about the college paradox: maintaining balance between finding relevant experience in your field and making enough money to pay rent for the month. It’s not always easy to find both in the same place. I see a lot of internship posting that are unfortunately unpaid and that pretty much disqualifies me from applying. Am I that stuck up that I feel like I deserve money? No. Do I have a lot of bills to pay? Yes. So, like many other students, I’ve had to make it work and do both at the same time.
In my own college experience, I’ll be the first one to admit I’ve said “yes” a lot more times than I’ve said “no.” I’ve signed on to projects that I know will be time consuming yet I find that I want to help out and offer whatever I can to make the project a success. With a lot of college students I know are in these same shoes, it’s worth asking for advice:
How do you balance your passions with such realities as rent, utilities and tuition? Is there a way to combine both? How do you know when you are not passionate about your job anymore?
I’m asking because I’m looking for advice. I’m just about to start my last (well, kind of last year — I have three semesters left) year of college and I want to make sure I’m doing things that I want to do and things that will help pay the bills. But more importantly, I know these decisions won’t stop once I graduate.
So, what’s your take? How do you balance what you believe in with what pays the bills?
By the way, I learned on my vacation that I’d really like to work the wine vineyards here:
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Comments
09.04.09
First off, I love Traverse City. What a great town. Love to go there in the winter, too.
I do have some thoughts on the passion versus realism thing. I wouldn't look to your job for your passion. Because then you take the thing you love more than anything and make it a job. I know this from experience. I'm a writer and in my early career I tried to make writing the focus of my work life. And it took all the love out of writing.
What I've learned over the past 16 years since I graduate from MSU (yes, I'm a State girl), is that if you find something you can do well, that you like doing and is kind of fun, and you can find cool people to work with, you will be happy at work. Your passion and your calling are not about your career, they are about your soul.
Right now I am extremely happy. I have a great work/life balance. I have a great job as a marketing director and I do speeches and writing and strategic planning. I work with the coolest group of people I've ever known. But since it's not my soul-consuming passion, it's a lot easier to roll with the punches.
I also have a blog. I make no money off my blog and do not try to. No ads, etc. The reason is that two years ago when I started blogging it brought back my love of writing. The kind of writing you do in 11th grade in a journal that nobody reads. Writing for the sake of writing. And as silly as it sounds, my blog has changed my life because it helped me get all the parts of me in the right places. My passion for writing is back - and it has nothing to do with career or job.
09.04.09
Nick,
You're not alone. Many people (myself included) feel the same way. It makes me think of the H.D. Thoreau quote, "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation". We all make choices that determine if we fall victim to inertia/ status quo / convention.
Check out something called the hedgehog principle (Good to Great by Jim Collins). It blends/analyzes idealism with a pragmatic approach.
- What are you passionate about?
- What can you be the best in the world at?
- What drives your economic engine?
The lowest risk approach (unless all three answers are in alignment) would be to pursue your passion incrementally. It's like an investment strategy. The safe job is like a 10 year bond and the riskier option is like a high-risk, growth stock. At a young age, all of one or the other is dangerous. Too little risk, minimal returns over the long-term. Too much risk, you can't pay the bills.
Good luck to you.
Cheers,
Tim
09.04.09
@Suzanne -- It's always nice to meet a fellow Spartan! And thanks for dropping by. I really, really like your perspective about the career. I've been lucky to work with some incredible people and my favorite parts of my jobs have always been the people. I'll keep your advice in mind.
@Tim -- Again, thanks for the advice. I do believe you should invest in your career, but your perspective is eye-opening. Thanks again -- I really appreciate it!
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