Every piece of career advice I’ve read lately has been all about finding a job you’re passionate about, something you’ll love and will make you jump out of bed in the morning with a huge smile on your face. It’s a great aspiration, and as a Career Counselor, I’ve preached the same career-path-to-happiness model more times than I can count, but I’ve also learned that there are certain times it’s okay to not be head-over-heels in love with your job.

Survival

Sometimes, your job is just about survival. Let’s say you get laid off and have a family to support. If another job in your passion field doesn’t open for you immediately, you still have to keep a roof over Junior’s head. Maybe you take a job at Sonic or Home Depot or the local distribution center to make ends meet while you continue your job hunting for a position in your preferred field. Perhaps you take on odd jobs around town to keep food on the table.

We do what we have to do to provide for those we love, even if the job doesn’t inspire us. It definitely helps if these in-between jobs are at least somewhat in our wheelhouse, but if not, we suck it up, learn what we need to learn, and do what we have to do to survive. Our family is what’s most important, not our immediate work-life fulfillment.

Security & Stability

Other times, your job is simply a means to security and stability. This way of looking at work seems to belong more to generations past, but it’s a good reminder for us today: Take Great Uncle Ernie, for example. He decided to become a plumber because it was a recession-proof career move. He may not have been super passionate about being elbow-deep in sewage and rusty pipes all day, but he knew the work would be steady and would provide for the family he hoped to have one day. The security and lifestyle Ernie wanted to have was more important to him than what exactly he did all day to afford it.

Sense of Belonging

A third instance where it’s okay to not love you job is when your sense of belonging is more important than the job itself. This mentality is another that seems to have gone out of fashion with younger generations, but once upon a time it was quite normal for Aunt Josie to work as a secretary at the local factory because it was the only position open to her in the area, and she wanted to live near her parents. She may not have loved clerical work, but she loved her family, and being able to live near them took top priority when she started searching for jobs.

Know Your Priorities

In each of these situations, choosing to take a job that you are not passionate about becomes all about priorities. What is most important to you? Location and being able to stay near family? Job security and never having to fear being laid off? Or is day-to-day survival the only thing you can focus on right now?

In a world filled with “find your passion” messages, please also hear that it is absolutely acceptable to work without loving it for either the short-term or for the long-haul – provided your priorities are guiding your decision-making. Both passion and priorities are perfectly permissible driving factors in our work choices. Make the choice that makes the most sense for you in the season you now find yourself.

 

Laura Stufflebam Holth

As a former University Resident Director, Career Counselor, Certified Personality Trainer, and high school Spanish teacher, Laura has quite the “scattered” background — with one underlying theme: education! She writes to teach and inspire women on topics related to faith, family, and lifework. She is also a resume writer, specializing in resumes for moms, career changers, and new graduates.