Posted on 06/06/2016 5:41:12 AM PDT by servo1969
There are only two things I can tell you today that come with absolutely no agenda. The first is "Congratulations." The second is "Good luck." Everything else is what I like to call, "The Dirty Truth," which is just another way of saying, "It's my opinion."
And in my opinion, you have all been given some terrible advice, and that advice, is this:
Follow your passion.
Every time I watch the Oscars, I cringe when some famous movie star--trophy in hand--starts to deconstruct the secret of their success. It's always the same thing: "Don't let anyone tell you that you don't have what it takes, kid!"; and the ever popular, "Never give up on your dreams!"
Look, I understand the importance of persistence, and the value of encouragement, but who tells a stranger to never give up on their dreams, without even knowing what it is they're dreaming? How can Lady Gaga possibly know where your passion will lead you?
Have these people never seen American Idol?
Year after year, thousands of aspiring American Idols show up with great expectations, only to learn that they don't possess the skills they thought they did.
What's really amazing though, is not their lack of talent--the world is full of people who can't sing. It's their genuine shock at being rejected--the incredible realization that their passion and their ability had nothing to do with each other.
Look, if we're talking about your hobby, by all means let your passion lead you.
But when it comes to making a living, it's easy to forget the dirty truth: just because you're passionate about something doesn't mean you won't suck at it.
And just because you've earned a degree in your chosen field, doesn't mean you're gonna find your "dream job."
Dream Jobs are usually just that--dreams.
But their imaginary existence just might keep you from exploring careers that offer a legitimate chance to perform meaningful work and develop a genuine passion for the job you already have. Because here's another Dirty Truth: your happiness on the job has very little to do with the work itself.
On Dirty Jobs, I remember a very successful septic tank cleaner, a multi-millionaire, who told me the secret to his success:
"I looked around to see where everyone else was headed," he said, "And then I went the opposite way. Then I got good at my work. Then I began to prosper. And then one day, I realized I was passionate about other people's crap."
I've heard that same basic story from welders, plumbers, carpenters, electricians, HVAC professionals, hundreds of other skilled tradesmen who followed opportunity--not passion--and prospered as a result.
Consider the reality of the current job market.
Right now, millions of people with degrees and diplomas are out there competing for a relatively narrow set of opportunities that polite society calls "good careers." Meanwhile, employers are struggling to fill nearly 5.8 million jobs that nobody's trained to do. This is the skills gap, it's real, and its cause is actually very simple: when people follow their passion, they miss out on all kinds of opportunities they didn't even know existed.
When I was 16, I wanted to follow in my grandfather's footsteps. He was a skilled tradesman who could build a house without a blueprint. That was my passion, and I followed it for years. I took all the shop classes at school, I did all I could to absorb the knowledge and skill that came so easily to my granddad.
Unfortunately, the handy gene is recessive. It skipped right over me, and I struggled mightily to overcome my deficiencies. But I couldn't. I was one of those contestants on American Idol, who believed his passion was enough to ensure his success.
One day, I brought home a sconce I had made in wood-shop that looked like a paramecium. After a heavy sigh, my granddad gave me the best advice I've ever received. He told me, "Mike, you can still be a tradesman, but only if you get yourself a different kind of toolbox."
At the time, this felt contrary to everything I believed about the importance of "passion" and persistence and "staying the course." But of course, he was right. Because "staying the course" only makes sense if you're headed in a sensible direction.
And while passion is way too important to be without, it is way too fickle to follow around.
Which brings us to the final Dirty Truth. "Never follow your passion, but always bring it with you."
Congratulations, again - and good luck.
I'm Mike Rowe from mikeroweWORKS, for Prager University.
Cheap and unnecessary
I made a gun rack in 5th grade. It seemed that it held together until after high school.
No idea what became of it.
I think I got a B for it.
No, it wasn’t.
Good advice, sez me. Especially since I "Made my passion my job." BIG mistake. I wound up in IT because I liked computers. Now, I can't stand the sight of a computer because I stare at them all day.
Looking forward to retirement, so I can enjoy puttering with electronic gizmos again.
All very true: I’ve worked hard at every job I’ve ever had and I ‘be had a bunch of them. Avoid money- wasting oversized houses and expensive toys and save all you can. Live within your means and you’ll be in fine shape whatever you end up doing.
Ping.
Too late. They’re already buried in student loan debt.
meanwhile, Radio Shack died :)
In HS shop class, I accidentally let go of a chisel while working on the lathe, and it went flying across the room, embedding itself in the wall a few feet from the shop teacher. I never used a lathe again, resigned to making corners shelves, lamps and square everythings, on drill presses, ban and jig saws. Heh. My parents still have all the stuff I made, it was made so well. Can’t remember my grade in that class, but somehow I passed.
I don't think that "looking down" on someone with a less-than-technical degree is at all what we're supposed to be doing, nor is that the message.
Mike's message is that following your dreams is OK, if those dreams are in a generally good direction. I read that he also implied that there's much to be gained in looking, "not for your dream job," but instead for opportunity. Opportunity is sometimes disguised by hard work, and sometimes literally, by crap.
I get the feeling that 20 years ago, Mike Rowe's dreams and passions didn't include his own TV shows and giving graduation addresses to college students, but he saw an opportunity and one thing led to another...
Many entrepreneurs have said “find the biggest mess and clean it up. The world offers a never-ending supply of messes”. I think Mike Rowe would agree with that advice.
I see this with my own kids and their friends. They are told by the brain-dead, reactionary “educators” to follow their passion - but for most, their “passion” is sleeping, watching TV or texting on their phone.
So I push them to develop their discipline first. Be good at whatever you do, learn what makes you excel in it, and be responsible and serve people.
Once they find they are skilled, or can teach others, or are sought out for their ability, they suddenly become “passionate.”
“better now than 68”
You got that right.
I lost all of my customers nearly overnight back in 2008 but I was only 36 at the time. I have often said glad it happened when I still had time to recover and make better long run descisions.
“2. The septic tank story was good, but you ABSOLUTELY KNEW it would end in a crude, scatological reference that makes 14 year old boys the world over bust out in uncontrolled laughter. Cheap and unnecessary.”
Here’s the story:
“On Dirty Jobs, I remember a very successful septic tank cleaner, a multi-millionaire, who told me the secret to his success:
“I looked around to see where everyone else was headed,” he said, “And then I went the opposite way. Then I got good at my work. Then I began to prosper. And then one day, I realized I was passionate about other people’s crap.”
I have a long time friend who was a plumber for many years. He used to always get a laugh out of people when he’d say “Your s**t is my bread and butter!” He is a good plumber, but his passion is all things firearms related. So, he worked hard as a plumber, saved up, and opened a very successful pawn shop about 5 years ago. Now, he gets to do all the gun trading he wants, and if he wants to try out a ‘new’ firearm or test out a new cartridge load, he has employees who can run the shop while he heads over to the shooting range to play for a while.
The thing is, he definitely IS talented in a trade as a plumber and was (is) his own boss, so he’s sucessful.
Good for you man. We’re close in age.
I made so many mistakes and catastrophic moves when I was young enough to recover, thank God.
All’s well that ends well, for both of us!
Apparently you have no actual knowledge of the “trades”.
Mike Rowe is Mr. Common Sense. Those whom he was speaking to would do very well in life if they followed his advice.
What would really nail this in the minds of many students would be to chart it graphically. Athletes are a great example:
http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/research/probability-competing-beyond-high-school
Maybe as the vintage Jeeps and motorcycle stuff closes out, I might try my hand at woodworking.
My grandfather was very adept with a lathe. He made a lot of nice stuff.
Yes, I do.
AMEN! (Sorry, had to reply since you hit the nail on the head.)
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