Do I have to "Like" or "Love" my career?

hell911

*Title*

And what about you guys, Do you guys Love or Like your career?

Find more posts tagged with

SAVE $250 on Your Boot Camp — Use Code "EXAM26"

Exclusively for TechExams members for Infosec Boot Camps starting before April 30, 2026

View Boot Camps

Comments

Iristheangel

Do you have to? Naw... but it sure as hell makes it easier to do it.

Do I love my career? Hell yes I love networking. Even when I have crappy moments at my job, I still love picking up a book to read about it or configuring some new shiny toy

hell911

I think I asked wrong question, it should be Do I need to go into a career in which I like it or love it.

jvrlopez

Have a career in something you're good at as opposed to something you like.

Sounds pessimistic but that's how it works.

Chitownjedi

If you can make a decent living doing something you don't love or like then do that. If you want to focus on doing something you love, then position yourself to do that. Just make sure you keep common sense in the equation.

For example:

I have a friend that wanted to be a pro basketball player, but had some issues at college, and never was able to get picked up professionally.

He got his degree in Business Management, and graduated almost 8 years ago. He's been unemployed 6 years because he'd rather play in rec leagues, and find every way back in to being able to have basketball as a part of his career (coaching-playing)

I've told him to get into project management maybe 5 years ago. Was willing to tutor him on studying and habits, help him find resources. To this day I get random text asking if he can borrow $20.00 because he's hungry. But he will hop on Instagram and post 15 pictures a day shooting hoops with 200.00 gym shoes on and a gut the size of a basketball.

On the other hand, my wife was a cosmetologist- her passion/love. She wasn't going anywhere with it, and making crap for money. (massaging peoples scalps, scrubbing their toes (nothing against it, but personally its not something I feel I would do if I had a Business Finance Degree, the way she does) she wanted to get into IT because she saw my progress and I have tons of resources. She's been working in IT for 9 months, has 3 certs, and makes 2.5x what she made as a cosmetologist... and she's a tier 1 migration noob (Has a ton of growth and earnings potential.) I tell her do what she loves as a Hobby. Do this IT for the house/car/savings/kids college/etc....

Dakinggamer87

I like my job and love my career in IT. I enjoy learning about new technologies and how things work on a daily basis. It is always changing and presents new challenges which is exciting!! I enjoy solving and making technology more efficient in solving complex problems for businesses.

It also pays nicely as well so I can have my own car/house, take frequent vacations, pay my bills, and having new games/toys too hehe...

It is only second to my passion for gaming which is still king!!

xenodamus

I think one tends to make more money and be more successful when doing something they like/love.

I do enjoy working in IT - I think primarily because I'm good at it and it pays well. That's a nice combination for success.

Do you have to like/love IT to work in the field? Absolutely not. But personally, I couldn't spend such a large chunk of my waking hours doing things I didn't enjoy.

ShabazTech

In the IT business, you have to at least somewhat like what you are doing at work, otherwise its very hard to keep up with the ever changing technology. In production environments, its not sufficient to assume how things work, you have to know how things work.

Deathmage

Iristheangel wrote: »

Do you have to? Naw... but it sure as hell makes it easier to do it.

Do I love my career? Hell yes I love networking. Even when I have crappy moments at my job, I still love picking up a book to read about it or configuring some new shiny toy

this sounds like me! - no matter the obstacle the fun is always there...

kohr-ah

I like my job but I don't love it. Just because it isn't my permanent home yet (I call it the place I ride out until I retire).

I however love my career. Networking is a puzzle to me and I LOVE puzzles. When I fix something that is broke (be it BGP, a simple VAN, or a routing issue, and the director looks at me like I just saved a flaming bus full of angelic school children.... Nothing but extasy in my soul. That is what drives me every day.

That and I take the train downtown and I see so many miserable people and remind myself I am 32, I am young, and I refuse to be like them.