A Tale of Two Careers
This is the story of Sergei and Tony. Both of them served in World War II. When they came home, they chose their life’s work in the same way.
They looked at projections of what the “best jobs” would be in the years ahead. My guess is that the lists they looked at resembled the one at “Hottest Careers for College Grads” or the one at “Top Ten Careers.”
Both of them were successful. They both retired financially secure and after receiving honors from their companies and their industries. But that’s where the resemblance stops.
Sergei is the essence of a “grumpy old man.” He wasn’t always grumpy, though. His wife thinks the job did it to him. I agree.
When you talk with Sergei, he never mentions his work. Not ever. He doesn’t socialize with people he used to work with.
Tony is the polar opposite. He laughs a lot and spends time with old work friends. He tells stories about work.
It’s not that Tony is living in the past. He volunteers with the SBA’s SCORE program to help small business. And he’s set himself the goal of playing the best golf courses in fifty countries. Did I mention that he loves golf and loves to travel?
Being “successful” is not enough for most people. Most of us want to do work that is important and rewarding with people we like. Tony had a career like that. Sergei didn’t.
I’m guessing that you want to wind up more like Tony and less like Sergei. If you do, use those “best careers” lists as starting points for research.
Find out what kind of daily work the people in different careers do. Use part-time jobs and internships to check out interesting career options.
Look for work where you can make enough money doing something you love. That’s the recipe for both a great career and a satisfying life.
