Can passion for your profession be a competitive advantage? -- Career Center Blog

April 18, 2010

Can passion for your profession be a competitive advantage?

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By Michelle Goodman
NWjobs

Seattle-based career coach Curt Rosengren thinks so. And I tend to think he's right.

When the thrill is gone from your career, it shows.

If you're jockeying for a new position with your employer or a new employer altogether, the last thing you want is for your boss or potential hiring managers to notice that slump in your step. No one wants to place their faith in a person who couldn't give a whit about what they do for a living.

[Photo courtesy of Curt Rosengren]

You've probably heard it said 100,000 times, but enthusiasm for your work truly is half the battle. And in a pinch, it can go a long way toward making up for what you lack in experience.

"When you're on fire about what you do, it fuels your success, increases your confidence, and feeds your persistence," Rosengren says. For job and promotion seekers, this zest for one's profession can help you stand apart from the crowd, he adds.

Rosengren has a knack for helping those he coaches always find the positives in their situation -- without getting impractical or new-agey. Witness this excerpt from his blog:

"The problem isn't that the world is going to hell in a hand basket. In fact, I suspect the 'good news/bad news' ratio has been more or less consistent over human history. But slathered 24/7 with toxic news and entertainment as we are, it's no wonder the world can seem a little bleak.

"So what is the problem? Focus. Even if the ratio hasn't changed, we have an unprecedented opportunity to focus on the bad news."

His solution? To do the hard work of identifying what is going right for you. (Read Rosengren's 15 questions you can ask yourself to help accentuate the positives in your world.)

This Thursday, April 22, Rosengren takes his blessedly glass-half-full attitude to the classroom, where he'll be teaching a workshop called Make Career Passion Your Competitive Advantage.

No matter what your source of career frustration (unemployed, stifled in your current position, pining for a career change), this affordable class is bound to leave you energized, inspired, and brimming with ideas about next steps you can take to stand out from the crowd.

The class will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Friends, Philosophy & Tea, 13850 Bel-Red Road in Bellevue. Cost: $25 in advance; $30 at the door. Learn more or register here.

Michelle Goodman is the author of "My So-Called Freelance Life" and "The Anti 9-to-5 Guide." E-mail Michelle at mgoodman@nwjobs.com

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Sarah | April 23, 2010 12:39 PM | Reply

I hope he is right! Wish I was in WA already so I could attend this! Soon...

Get A Job Loser | April 29, 2010 9:47 PM | Reply

I am passionate about populating the correct fields with the necessary data. I am passionate about populating the correct fields with the necessary data...

What's the use? No matter how many times I repeat that mantra at my current data entry temp job, I just can't will myself to feel passionate about entering data.

http://getajobloser.wordpress.com

Am I plugging my blog to frequently on this? I'm not trying to be a bother.