When searching for great employees many employers will be asking, “What makes you the best candidate for the position?” The job seeker may try to persuade the interviewer by going over how much experience they have in a given field, or point to their very impressive degree in the subject. And while those things may help get you in the door, the trait that will keep you there and help you climb that ladder of success, is passion.
Passion is a quality that I’ve discovered in the top 3 of many lists claiming to know what hiring managers are looking for in an employee. The lists that don’t specifically mention passion, list many of the qualities that passion embodies.
Why is passion so important?
Jared Brox from Refresh Leadership states, “Bottom line, passionate employees lead the innovative and strategic development of their companies and set a shining example for other employees to follow.” He lists these 5 traits as some of the reasons that make passionate people the drivers of success:
- Focused – Eyes on the prize
- Stubborn – But in a good way
- Savvy – Constantly honing their skills.
- Competitive – Driven to succeed.
- Steadfast – Persevere through defeat.
Read more about these traits here.
But sometimes we are met with an opportunity that we are not naturally passionate about. Should we pass the offer up and find something we are more passionate about? Absolutely not! The key to being and excellent employee is not finding the job your most passionate about, but being passionate about the job that finds you.
When I first entered the job market 17 years ago I often heard the advise that I should find a job I would love doing, something I was passionate about. I became frustrated because almost every job listing I read seemed interesting to me in some way. I didn’t have one definite passion. Taking on new challenges and learning about new areas of interest is what was, and still is, most exciting to me.
How did I find a job that I was passionate about?
I followed the advice of Mike Rowe from “Dirty Jobs”. Instead of waiting to find my passion or wasting valuable time trying to discover what I might have been passionate about, I brought my passion along with me to every employment opportunity I encountered. When you bring your passion with you everyday you are able to identify and improve upon inefficiencies and help create a work environment that others enjoy being in; both fellow employees and customers. This creates added value to any company you will work for and ensures longevity in your career.
In the end it’s not about following your passion.
It’s about choosing to become passionate about any opportunity that may come your way. I hope this blog will become a catalyst for those (including me) whose desire is to be able to enjoy the challenges that come along with new opportunity and continual growth. The way to find joy while striving to be your best, is to bring that passion with you in all that you do.
To start us off on this journey together let’s hear it from Mike Rowe himself, as he addresses the graduates of 2016 via PragerU.com:
I found much interest in reading your post. This post, explaining why passion is very important, would help those who are either searching for a job or applying for a job. Just as you said, “employers will ask themselves, ‘What makes this person the best candidate for the position?’”. This is such a true statement; it is important that those applying for a job remember that they should have much passion for what they do. A job is something that should be able to keep your interest if not, there is a possibility you would be miserable going to work every day and you will lack the motivation to continue the job.
Thank you for your feedback Jonah. You got the main point about the important role passion plays in being a successful employee, and without it one can be miserable.
I would just like to reiterate that bringing passion to your job is a choice you make. Kind of like staying actively committed to your marriage even after the honeymoon phase has fizzled out. Passion is not a passive trait that you just hope to have. It’s an active effort of choosing to be passionate about your work and finding ways to constantly improve no matter what job you find yourself in.
This was my favorite post of our classmates because of how relevant it is. Passion drives so many people and they only focus on what they are passionate about. A couple years ago I had the privilege to listen to Jeph Loeb at a CSUN theatre and he explained how he never said no to any job. Every job he was offered he said yes because he knew he would learn something new. He put aside his passion for directing so that he could gain the experience that he would need. He is now an executive producer for Netflix and Marvel productions. He has written some of the greatest graphic novels to exist like Long Halloween and Hush. None of this would have occurred if he had just tried to stick with passion and only looked for jobs directing. The video was really informative and a great way to spend five minutes, a good way to look at any future opportunities.
Hi Mario,
Thanks for sharing! I hadn’t heard of Jeph Loeb before, but by what you just listed I can see that I am a fan of his work without even realizing it. I agree with his never say no philosophy, this was my mother’s thinking as well and I’m glad it rubbed off on me!
Glad you enjoyed the video as well, Mike Rowe always has very wise teachings and is very entertaining as well. I would encourage you to follow him on facebook.
Thanks, Christine
As a person who is trying to find my passion right now, this blog is very helpful to me. I like how you started the blog by hooking the reader in with the trait that all employers want and then went into depth about what makes someone passionate. I also like how you you incorporated good sources into this post because it makes what you say much more credible. Overall, this post is very informative and it caters to most people because almost everyone is looking for that special something that will get them the job.
Hi Kelsey,
Thanks for the encouragement. Writing a blog is a lot more pressure than I expected. I am really glad we were given this assignment as it made blogging less intimidating for me, and I hope I can continue even after our class has ended.
Thanks again, Christine