It Is Not Just About the Money

Much has been written in the media about who makes what both by name and by profession. Whether PARADE magazine, the WALL STREET JOURNAL or other periodicals, there seems to be a focus on paychecks. What do doctors, lawyers and Indian Chiefs make per year? How little do the people who keep our streets safe, clean and in good repair make per year? How much do university presidents make vs. the teachers who educated our kids day-to-day. While I think this information is interesting, it only tells PART of the story. The paycheck is just a small part of any career, occupation or job. It is not just about the money. There are other factors that anyone looking toward a job, career or field should consider even long before college or university.

Prerequisites

Having desire is sometimes not enough. I always wanted to be a naval officer. Although I received an appointment to the U. S. Naval Academy, I was found while there to be color blind. The PREREQUISITE for a line officer in the U.S. Navy to have unimpaired color perception. Even though it was my dream, it was not to be and I left the Naval Academy to follow another career direction. Want to be a basketball player? Odds are if you are short it is not going to happen. Want to be musician but are tone deaf? Unlikely that success will follow. Desire to be an astronaut but afraid off small spaces and confinement? Think again. Interested in high finance but hate mathematics. Probably not the best choice. Some limitations, such as my color blindness, we are born with and cannot change. Others the strong preferences, likes and dislikes. More on that to follow. The point is – consider whether you are even “in the game” as your set your sights on a career.

Talent

What are you good at? Do you have a “gift”? Are you musical? Are you athletic? Are you mathematically talented? Do you write well? Do you have a knack for taking things apart and putting them together again? Do you have the “gift of gab”? Are you a talented public speaker? Are you a natural leader? Think about what you are really, naturally good at doing. This is the next area to think about after you get past the “prerequisites”. If one has a natural talent in an area, it may be the launching point for a career that relates to that talent. Keep in mind it may be academic, athletic, artistic or it may be a manual or mechanical skill.

Passion

The phase is overused these days but it still holds true - “what do you love”? What do you think about every waking moment and dream about while sleeping at night. This is your passion. What would you do even if no one paid you to do it? This is your passion. What do you care about regardless of the views and opinions of others? This is your passion. Think about and identify your passion. And then think about it as it relates to careers. Do you have the prerequisites? Do you have the talent? If you have the passion, then you have a winning combination to follow it into a career or occupation. If you follow, train for and do what you love, then you will not count the minutes, hours and days until the weekend, your vacation or retirement. You will look forward to doing it each and every single day.

Pay

My father used to say “there is more to life than money BUT you can’t live without it”. How true! Even if you have the prerequisites, the talent and the passion, if there is no demand for the skills that you have then there will be no money in the field or occupation. Think of it as supply and demand. It is about what is needed and about what is valued. I used to thing that the most educated people were the highest paid when I was a youngster. What a shock to find that many without college degrees make more than some job requiring PhD’s. It is balance. Again, look at the prerequisites, look at your talent, think about your passion and THEN look into the supply and demand for the occupations and jobs that relate to the fields you are both best suited for and also most passionate about. The dollars should not be the only factor driving one’s decision – but they are a factor.

Most people today have multiple jobs if not multiple careers over a lifetime. Regardless, when one is starting out – ideally before college – it is time to think about four factors. These are: prerequisites for any field or profession, one’s natural talents, what one is passionate about (what you live, eat, sleep and breathe and would do for free) and finally what the compensation or pay is for a related job or occupation. It is important to look at all of these factors and not just one of them. Especially not just the pay factor which is so common today. By looking at all four factors, the potential exists to be happy, enjoy one’s work, make money and use natural talent to make a living and hopefully contribute to the world in a positive way.

George F. Franks, III is the President of Franks Consulting Group - a Bethesda, Maryland management consulting and leadership coaching practice. A speaker, facilitator and coach to both individual leaders and organizations, George is a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and the Institute of Management Consultants (USA). His practice spans businesses and non-profit organizations globally. George can be contacted at gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com

His web site is http://franksconsultinggroup.com

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