Before you choose a career, read this.
“So David, are you also a photographer?” I asked in between sips of warm Moroccan wine, sitting under the stars in the Sahara Desert.
“So David, are you also a photographer?” I asked in between sips of warm Moroccan wine, sitting under the stars in the Sahara Desert.
“I AM NOT A PHOTOGRAPHER” Maria interrupted David’s answer with an outburst of passion. “I just wasted 6 years studying it. I work in a restaurant.”
“It wasn’t a waste.” David consoled her.
“But I feel the same way sometimes. I studied for 6 years to become an architect, and now I work 80 hours a week for crap pay. Half my work gets thrown out. I wish I knew all this before I started.
Being honest, I hate my job.”
“Me too.” Maria agreed. She shot me a curious look.
“You seem like you’re doing very well, travelling here alone.
What do you do?”
I felt guilty answering the question — because I love what I do.
(In a sentence — co-founded a fast growing online business that gives me the freedom to write this from a hotel room in Morocco.)
As this precise moment, I am exactly where I want to be in my career.
It is a nice feeling that I want everyone to have — and a result of following the 4 steps outlined here.
It breaks my heart to meet people all over the world who aren’t happy with their work. Talented, hardworking people who are not where they want to be because of decisions made years ago — angry at years spent chasing a career that is unfulfilling at best and soul-wrenching at worst.
Whether you are a soon-to-be student, soon-to-be-graduate, or experiencing a quarter to mid-life crisis — this post will give you a basic framework for making those scary (but important) career decisions.
If you are going to aim — aim high. It is never too late to get on the right path to getting what you want. Here’s the foundation.
Step 1: Read books
A book is a dream that you hold in your hand. — Neil Gaiman
If that two word sub-title scared you off — you’re already screwed.
People who read, succeed.
Here’s what to read when it comes to choosing a career.
Personal development books
I naturally lean towards realism, but decided to suspend disbelief 5 years ago and dig into some of the personal development classics. For a few reasons:
Many very successful people recommended these books
Skeptics are rarely successful, nor happy
Why not?
These books changed my life. And I cringe a little when I say that.
Awaken the Giant Within and Unlimited Power — Tony Robbins
The Magic of Thinking Big — David J Schwartz
Think and Grow Rich — Napoleon Hill
Bonus:
The Success Secrets of Self-made Millionaires — Brian Tracy
Suspend disbelief, and actually do the exercises in Tony’s books with an open mind. It feels weird to plan your next 5 years, but I can tell you it feels damn good when you hit those goals 3 years later.
For the lazy (or the Yogi) just follow Lululemon’s format.
Total time: 11 hours
Total cost: $36
Career books
Most career planning books are awful. Namely because they’re written by professional career planners. The following are very good.
The Start-up of You — Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha
You are not an employee. You are your own mini-startup. This book shows how to win in the new world of work.
So Good They Can’t Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love — Cal Newport
A simple premise: Get the skills first, then pay the bills. You can have it all, just not tomorrow.
Choose Yourself! and The Rich Employee by James Altucher
The road to riches comes from ideas, adding value, and creativity. The Rich Employee is an especially good read for those in career limbo.
Dan Pink’s Anime style book crushes most career advice books out there. It is worth the 47 minute investment.
The Recession-Proof Graduate — Charlie Hoehn
How to use “free work” to get past the gatekeepers and skip the career ladder. This stuff works. Being different is never a bad strategy.
Looking back, this book is a main reason why I avoided the 9/5. It’s hilarious, raunchy, and poignant. Disclaimer: This book is HIGHLY offensive.
Total time: 14 Hours
Total cost: $59
Philosophy books
This was a much longer section until I realized that though I’ve bought many philosophy books, most are gathering dust.
Read Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. It will help you cope with the crushing existential doubt that results from taking the uncommon path.
Buddhism might also help. I wouldn’t know, I only read the first two chapters of “Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind.”
You might need a good philosophy for a successful career, but maybe not.
Total time: A lifetime
Total cost: $12
Business books
I have an extensive collection of half-read business books. They’re usually boring as hell. Read the blog posts instead. Here are the two (fun) reads that might be useful for career decisions.
The Four Hour Work Week — Tim Ferriss
Another book that changed my perspective, despite the title sounding like an infomercial. Working just 4 hours a week isn’t my goal — but freedom of time, location, and money is.
The Dip — Seth Godin
A book that teaches you when to quit, and when to stick it out. Quitting can lead to amazing things if done for the right reasons.
Total time: 6 Hours
Total cost: $32
Step 1a): Actually read all of these books.
If you don’t like reading, flip through them. Or download the Audiobooks. Or find the summary notes online.
You should probably learn to like reading.
Total time: 31 hours
Total cost: $139
Step 1b) Actually do the exercises
This applies mostly to the personal development and career books. Follow the instructions. Especially the Tony Robbins vision thingy.
Throw out all the limiting beliefs you have for an hour, and let your mind run wild. It might feel stupid, but my 3 months eating steak and drinking Malbec while growing a business in Argentina this year begs to differ.
Pro tip: Go for a big run before, and drink a large glass of wine during the exercises. You want to be at your best when planning your future.
Step 2: Explore all the options
Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect. — Mark Twain
I went to business school and majored in accounting. I still can’t tell you why, besides “it seemed like a reasonable thing to do.”
I did not want to become an accountant.
I did not know what business school was (I still don’t).
So many major decisions are made without knowing WHY, or exploring all the options. Take the time to reflect before committing to a career.
You can be ANYTHING in the world. A doctor, a tech entrepreneur, an undersea welder, a graphic designer, a hippie nomad who makes necklaces, a charity worker, a videographer, a city planner.
Explore the options. And taste a few of them.
It is ok to go work for a fast growing technology startup in Silicon Valley. To open up a line of Bagel Shops. To find a job that lets you work in a new city every 3 months. To quit a 6 figure consulting job and start a tech company. To film a TV pilot and get it picked up by Discovery.
All of those examples are people I know.
It is a big world out there. And it is yours.
Step 3: Try it on for size
Nothing ever becomes real till it is experienced. — John Keats
How many people choose their career without knowing exactly what it is actually like?
Do lawyers put on their high heels and kick ass in high-profile murder cases in the courtroom every day? Likely not. For every hour in the courtroom they spend hundreds on the paperwork.
I’ve met lawyers who LOVE the paperwork. To be a good lawyer, you probably have to.
Talk to 5 people who are doing what you think you want to do in the next decade.
These could be people 2 years into the job, 5 years into the job, or 10 years into the job.
Ask them out for coffee, or better yet, drinks. The goal is to get past the surface level pleasantries and dig into what they love and hate in their careers.
Ask what a typical 10 hour day looks like for them.
If you can, spend a day shadowing them in the office.
If this feels like too much work, you might want to rethink your choice of careers. Better the extra effort now than a crisis after 8 years of schooling.
Another good option is doing summer internships throughout your degree. It’s ok to hate your internship for 4 months, rather than your career for 40 years.
Total time: 1 month
Total cost: 12 Mojitos
Step 4: Do the work
Be micro-ambitious. Put your head down and work with pride on whatever is in front of you… you never know where you might end up. Just be aware that the next worthy pursuit will probably appear in your periphery. — Timothy Minchin
Know the rules of the game before the kick-off.
Happiness happens when your expectations meet reality.
If you decide to become a doctor, it will take a decade of hard work, lots of money, and sacrifice. We need you. Thank you for sticking it out.
If you decide to become a hippie nomad necklace maker — you will be financially poor. That’s fine. I also kind of envy you.
Choose a path that looks promising, do the research, and make an informed decision whether you’re willing to pay the price for the rewards.
If you are willing to pay the price — follow Timothy’s advice. Put your head down and work. Get excited about your decision and follow that path with all your energy.
You might reach your goals and live your dream. You might decide in 6 months that you made the wrong decision. Or you might discover that bright shiny object in your periphery that changes your life all over again.
In any case, once again you will need to start asking yourself the right questions to make your next career move.
And that is the adventure.