Blog: Passion or pragmatism – The 7D formula to help you choose a career

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Passion or pragmatism – The 7D formula to help you choose a career

Should you stay with what you feel passionate about or should you go for a pragmatic career to sustain yourself and your family? Is it possible to make your favourite dream come true? Read on to find out.
Passion or pragmatism – The 7D formula to help you choose a career

Rajeev had been working as a Software Engineer for 5 years. He was happy doing his job until one morning he woke up with a thought “Is this what I wanted to be?” After spending 4 years studying Software Engineering and working in the IT field for 5 years, he felt something was missing in his life. This is not where he wanted to be. He was passionate about singing and enjoyed it during his college life. He wanted to be a playback singer. However, his parents saw no future in his singing career and persuaded him to take up Engineering. Today after 9 years of struggle and hard work, Rajeev is successful as an IT professional. However, he is not happy. He always felt a strong call for his passion to be a singer. He finally decided that he would take up his passion once again and start from where he had left.

One Question that most of the youngsters deal with day in and day out is which career they should go for. A question that experienced people also struggle with at times, making them wonder, is this what they actually wanted to be? Cambridge Dictionary defines career as “The job or series of jobs that you do during your working life, especially if you continue to get better jobs and earn more money:”  A career is often composed of the jobs held, titles earned and work accomplished over a long period, rather than just referring to one position.


Most of us go through this phase in life, where we take up various Jobs/responsibilities without thinking much. We are passionate about something, but then we take up a Job that has nothing to do with our passion. Those who bring passion to their career usually outperform others.

When we are born, we start with a clean slate, full of possibilities without any tag attached saying, ‘I must become a Doctor/Engineer/Lawyer…..etc..’ However, as we grow, we tend to pick up tags for ourselves, so that we can survive in this world full of competition. We get into this race of being someone.

Now, who decides what you become?    

The opportunity to decide your career path, as a young adult, rests with you. However, there are times when you are stuck in a dilemma as to which path to choose. In such situations, you can talk to your parents for their guidance. You are the driver of your career; your parents are your guide and support.

This leads us to our next Question.

How important is it to have a career, to be specific, a good career?

What can we do to choose a right career? Is there a magic wand that we can sway and have our say?  Unfortunately, NO.

Based on experience, here is a 7-D formula that can help you chose your dream career:

  1. Discover your passion: What is the field in which you would like to invest your energy, efforts and time. Stay in discovery mode for a while to ensure that you do not pick up a subject impulsively. It’s always better to take time.

  2. Dabble with Opportunities: Once you discover your passion, explore all possible opportunities in that field. Get there and practically see if you understand the field, understand the way it works, talk to some expert to understand the real-time experience. Dabble in opportunities and make your way to success.

  3. Decide early in life: Time and Tide wait for no one, so decide early in life what you want to be, the earlier the better. Most of the achievers started early in their life to be where they are today.  Sachin Tendulkar, Mark Elliot Zuckerberg and A.R. Rahman started their respective careers at a very young age. This gave them ample time to explore, learn and establish their presence.

  4. Dodge the Obstacles: Obstacles are bound to come. You might come across different hurdles at different points. However, remember to take these obstacles as an opportunity to learn rather than letting them be the reason for your career to stop. Dodge the obstacles, change them as an option to challenge your own self and emerge as a winner.

  5. Deal with emotions: Emotions play a significant role in deciding your career. It is difficult to stick with what you want to be when the whole world seems to be against you. This point applies especially for women, there will be times in your life when you have to take up a firm decision on shaping up your career or letting it go for various reasons (Marriage/childbirth…). Talk it out with your family members and make them understand the reason for you to pursue your career rather than just giving up even before trying. Take a wise decision here; do not let your decision be the reason for regret at a later stage in life.

  6. Determined approach: A strong determination can take you places. Remember, failures are the stepping stones to success. Take failure as a part of life, get up, take a fresh start and get going. Amitabh Bachchan personifies the word determination. He faced failure many times during his acting career, but he never gave up and today he is a living legend.

  7. Dance your way: The most important point to remember while building up your career is to do what you enjoy doing. Rajeev wasted 5 years of his life doing something that he never wanted to. He was unhappy with his work. Happiness is the key to a successful life, hence be happy in doing what you want to. Dance is the best form of showing your happiness. Ensure that your work keeps you dancing.


By discovering your passion, dabbling with opportunities, deciding early in life, dodging the obstacles, dealing with emotions and determination, never to give up, you will definitely dance your way through your dream career with the 7D formula.

As Seth Godin aptly said, “Instead of wondering where your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from”-

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Topics: Watercooler, Life @ Work, #Career

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