23rd of July 2020

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Planning your career path is a challenging and meticulous process. Students face its complexity in their early 20s and mostly feel overwhelmed or even chronically stressed about upcoming long-term decisions. What job placement will be the most fulfilling one? What are my long-term goals? And most importantly: should I follow my passion, whilst choosing my career path?

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do”

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This quote by Steve Jobs leaves no doubt that career and passion should be inseparable.

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However, the research conducted by Deloitte in 2018 provides data which states the opposite. Almost 90% of America’s workforce do not contribute their full potential, as a result of no passion and work connection. The same study revealed a direct correlation between passion and level of performance.  

More intrinsic-driven employees are likely to sustain a constant engagement initiative. At the same time, people with extrinsic motivation will show a tendency towards spikes and bumps in their performance. It can be triggered by offered bonuses or promotions.

In the current world of fast-paced market changes, the resilience of the company is of great value, therefore your employer should care about your passion as much as you do.  

Here are 3 arguments stating why following your passion is a good core for your career development plan:

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1. Desire to pursue excellence is self-driven

Nowadays, if you ask anybody to rent a place from Airbnb they will immediately recognize the name of this prominent application.

The story of the $31 billion company started in 2008, when the CEO Brian Chesky with two other friends began renting out air-mattresses in their apartment Within 10 years they became the biggest competitors of the hotel industry. But how did they manage to accommodate the concept of sleeping in the stranger’s house?

Chesky emphasizes the importance of being passionate about your job. It can impact not only the company’s performance but also the customers’ perception of your brand. A dedication was a driving force of his vision and made it easier to believe that Airbnb can be a breakthrough in the industry. He expects the same from his employees, as he acknowledges the importance of self-driven motivation, which emerges directly from your passion.

It is hard to argue with those arguments. Passion will undoubtedly help you sustain your inner drive and boost your level of engagement at work.

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2. Passionate equals productive

Productivity became one of the words associated with Gen Z, however not in an appealing way. Video titles such as "how to get things done" or "habits for a more productive life" are trending on YouTube. It pictures the struggle of millennials to sustain the motivation, before giving up the task too early. Sadly, they mostly list a set of necessary external actions and omit the main driving force, which is simply being passionate about your job. Having a sense of purpose can lead to development on a more personal level and highly contribute to the overall well-being.

Karl Moore, McGill Oxford University professor and author of How To Increase Your Performance By Finding Your Purpose commented on the relationship between passion and productivity. "Meaningful careers emerge when one can see a connection between one's purpose and the role one plays in a given company. This is true both across generations and across industries. Ultimately, finding real purpose makes people willing to work harder, more diligently, and with greater passion,"

In the end, your inner drive will positively impact your well-being, as well as your boss’ satisfaction with your performance.

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3. Positive energy reduces workplace stress

The workplace became a major stress trigger within the last decades. High expectations, time pressure, or losing control over the workload can be some of the top causes. It is important to remember how destructive stress can be. It will take a toll on your ability to focus and lower your performance immediately. While experienced chronically, it can lead to physical symptoms such as fatigue or sleep deprivation. According to a survey by Korn Ferry,  76% of the respondents state that job-related stress harmed their personal relationships.

Understandably, people’s interest in stress management is rising. It could be eased with certain exercises or a healthier lifestyle. However, its level can also be influenced by the intrinsic aspects such as your attitude towards your daily tasks. The more passionate you are, the harder it will be to go down the stress spiral. It might be easier for you to dedicate time to a more demanding workload if you feel the excitement and inner drive while completing them.

If you want to deepen your knowledge about the stress you can check out this article about stress-management techniques.

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What to do next?

The main takeaway for your career development plan would be to aim for a job that will make you feel passionate at least to some extent. Then you will become a huge value for your prospective employer and create an inner driven motivation for yourself.

How do you know what you are passionate about? And is being passionate enough to be good at what you do? If you are a student, or young professional starting on a career path, and you have these questions - know that you and many others are in a similar situation.

This is why Kibo was created. To help everyone doscover their passion and guide them in every aspect of their career development. If you're interested to read more about Kibo check out our Instagram or our website.