Why You Will Fail to Have a Great Career

Why You Will Fail to Have a Great Career When I heard these words a week ago my eyes sparkled and something in my brain went, Yep, youre clicking that. What I saw next has stuck with me since. So Im here today to share what I saw and why you too will fail to have a great career. An Economists View On Careers What I saw that day was a video on TED from economist Larry Smith.   And he laid it out straight,   Im an economist, I do dismal. He went on to make it clear who his audience was, Im not talking to those who want good jobs, or okay jobs. Im talking about those who truly want GREAT jobs. Oh, people who want good jobs will fail as well, he went on to say.   Because good jobs are disappearing.   There are great jobs and great careers and there are high workload, high stress, blood sucking, soul destroying kinds of jobsand nothing really in between. So people looking for good jobs are going to fail. So if were doomed from at least having a good careerwhats stopping us from having a great career. No matter how many times we are told to find your dream, your passion, we dont find it. Pursuing your passions has become one of the biggest cliches of the universe, yet we ignore it and make excuses. Our first excuse, Great careers for most people are a matter of luck. Ill do the right things, study the right courses, and if Im lucky Ill have a great career.   If not, at least Ill have a good career.   But, Larry Smith already told us good careers arent possible so that wont work. Excuse number two, Yes, some people pursue passions but theyre geniuses. We tell ourselves, Im no Steve Jobs.   I dont have the brains to carry out my passion.   We tell ourselves were competent, but in 2012 competence doesnt get you great jobs. Excuse number three, I would do itbut Im not weird. We see successful people as walking a fine line between madness and genius.   They are a little crazy, mean, odd, quirky, strange, and different.   But youyoure normal.   So you cant possibly be the next Mark Zuckerberg or Oprah Winfrey. Excuse number four, Mommy and Daddy taught me that if I work really hard Ill have a great career. Oh sure, the world will give you plenty of opportunities to work REALLY hard, but does that honestly give you a great career? Excuse number five, I have an interest. Men, would you approach the women of your dreams, bow down on one knee and then exclaim at the top of your lungs, Marry meyoure interesting?   Why are you studying the major you picked, was it because you had a passion for that subjector did it just interest you? Some of you will find your passionbut you still wont do it. Yes, some of you will find what you love and are passionate about, but will drop it for your next excuse. I want to value human relationships over a great career Youve just made yourself a hero no matter what happens. Youve given yourself the ultimate excuse for not having a great career. If you fail now, at least you were a good person. And youll pass on the same things to your children Your kid one day will come up to you and say, Dad, Mom I want to be a magician. And youll tell them, Its riskyIt doesnt make much moneyYoure good at math, you should try that. And hell look at you with his puppy eyes and plea, But its my dream! To which you will have to tell him, Look kid I had a dream too once but What do you say? I had a dream too once but I was afraid to pursue it. Or. Look kid I had a dream too oncebut then you were born. Do you really want to look at your spouseyour family and see jailors? Larry asks. Dont you wish you could say, I had a dream too son, go for it just like I did. But you wont be able to say that because you didnt. And so the sins of the parents are visited on the children. Why will you seek refuge in human relationships as your excuse not to find and pursue your passion? You know why. Because youre afraid to pursue it to look ridiculous to try to fail. Great friend.   Great spouse.   Great parent.   Is that not a packagenot who you arecan you be one without the other? Smith asks. But youre afraid, and thats why you will not have a great career Unless.unless. Watch the TED Talk image courtesy of Alex E. Poimos and mrpunto