Passion for your job is a mistake

Job listings, especially at start-ups, frequently appear to be in search of “a passionate team player to take this rocketship to the moon,” or whatever.

Even if the job is at a company with a mission that aligns with your values (which is a great way to choose a job), be cautious that you aren’t taking the job for the wrong reasons, because the outcome could be burnout, or worse.

Consider that the relationship between an employee and a company is almost universally unequal. Though there are aspects of being employed that may feel entirely fair—for instance, performing some service and being paid money for it—most modern jobs are burdened with a huge range of other powerful incentives and levers.

Think about a relationship that you have with a close friend. Think about the things you have done for them, and the things they have done for you. Now keep that in the back of your mind as you read this list of imbalances in the employer/employee relationship:

  • In the US, you generally need an employer to receive adequate health care. When would any of us use the health of the other as an incentive to maintain a friendship?

  • While ubiquitous “at-will” contracts mean that you can quit at any time, your employer can also fire you at any time. Who is at the most disadvantage if the relationship ends abruptly? Surely the employee’s loss would be greater.

  • Because we spend most of our time working, our relationship to our work is complex and emotional. As a result, we have a lot of personal growth, gratification, and social justifications tied into our jobs. Companies have no emotions. This is an impossible imbalance of power.

The point I’m trying to make is that, unless you own it, working at any company larger than, say, 50 people, is like dating a sociopath. You probably have a lot invested in the relationship, but it’s built on the premise of quid pro quo and companies can’t have feelings, so you are never guaranteed reciprocation of your emotional investment.

Certainly any company on a clear path toward IPO or acquisition, which has taken investment, and which is growth-oriented as a result, is not going to have as much loyalty for you as you will have for it, if you do the work because it is your “passion.” A company cannot have a passion. People at companies have passions, but people at companies come and go.

That doesn’t mean you should choose a job based purely on compensation and treat it as coldly transactional; in fact, doing so could put you on a path toward equal dissatisfaction in the long run. But if you are going to work for a company, look for a job that aligns with your values, and preserve your passions for pursuits outside of work.

Or, if you want to be passionate about a job… Invent one.

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