31 Mar How to Choose A Career

I went into advertising because it was the perfect union of my two passions: art and writing.

Communication Arts. I loved the whole idea of it.

And when I discovered the strategic part of marketing and advertising, the circle was complete. Strategic thinking, art and writing challenged every part of my brain. It still does.

I believe everyone has a skill s/he can perform like no one else. A skill that inspires and excites her.

Jim Collins calls it the Hedgehog concept. It’s a vin diagram where your passion, your talents and your ability to produce income overlap. He says that’s the sweet spot where you can be successful and do your best work.

Think of Steve Wozniack who loved to tinker with computers and ended up co-founding Apple with Steve Jobs. He didn’t set out to become a bazillionare. He just liked working on computers.

Think of Michael Jordan who didn’t make the varsity basketball team when he tried out his sophomore year in high school. He just loved to play basketball. He kept at it and made a little money along the way.

Think of my son Dalton who studied Criminal Justice, then graduated from the Police Academy and is now chasing bad guys on the midnight shift in the worst part of town. He loves it!

So to every college senior struggling to figure out what you want to do when you graduate:

You already know what you’re passionate about and what you’re good at. Now you just have to see if anyone will pay you to do it.

If you can earn a living, do it!

You don’t have to get rich. One good hard look at our wealthy friends proves that money doesn’t make you happy. Spending the finite amount of time you have on this planet doing something that you truly enjoy, however, does. And, in the end, time is really all we’ve got.

What are you doing with yours?