When it comes to IT, this concept of passion is something that is a bit controversial.

Some people argue that there is no need to romanticize our jobs. You should just get in, do your work, get your pay check and move on.

Some people argue that you should work on what you are passionate about. They believe passion breeds motivation and care, which leads to success in the end.

I’ve come to believe that both sides are right in their own minds, and there is no need to have extensive conversations around this topic to convince each group. There is simply no need to do so. We should respect everyone’s opinions.

If you belong to the former group, you can stop reading here.

If you belong to the latter like I do, I urge you to keep reading.

If you care about this topic, this question should be the first one you should answer in an honest way:

What are you passionate about?

If you can’t find the answer, that is perfectly fine. The question is surprisingly hard to think about.

Another interesting thing is, even though you have your answer right now, it might not be the correct answer. You think you have the answer, but are you sure?

I can’t tell you that, but I can try to guide you and you can find the answer.

Step One: Research.

Look, IT is a huge field, and I believe it is not possible to be passionate about IT as a whole. There is simply not enough time and resources to learn everything.

So, if you think you can do it, I applaud your energy and determination, but I would also recommend you to channel it properly by researching first.

Newcomers

If you are a newcomer, look into the broader topics, such as:

  • Embedded Programming, IoT,
  • System Administration
  • Network Engineering
  • Cybersecurity
  • Web Development
  • Data Science

There are probably a lot more that I might not know.

Use the Internet to your advantage. For instance, you can check out each topic on YouTube to get a high-level insight. There are tons of “introduction” and “what X do” type of videos around.

During your research, you may notice that some topics are more interesting than others. That is the key feeling you must follow.

Try to find a topic that sounds the most interesting and write that down.

Experienced People

If you are already working in this field, you’ve probably already figured this out. But if not, try to answer the questions below. Keep in mind that the questions are not job specific. The core thing we focus on is the field you are working in, not the specific job you have:

  • Do you feel like you are where you want to be?
  • Are you okay with investing time in the field you are currently focused on?

If your answer is “yes” to the above, you can continue to the next section.

If your answer is “no”, what about these questions:

  • Do you feel like you are doing a chore?
  • Do you feel like this “other thing” you encountered during your work is more interesting and fits you better?

If your answer is “yes” to these, there are probably two reasons why you ended up in this state:

  • You had to find a job in a field that you could not research well due to time constraints.
  • You thought you were passionate about your current field, but that faded out after the honeymoon phase.

And these are perfectly fine reasons! I was in this state as well, multiple times, actually.

What I realized is that the experience you gain through the choices you make always allows you to make better choices later on.

So, don’t think you are in a bad place. Start researching, and know that your next stop will be a better one. This is what I try to follow, and so far I haven’t regretted it.

Step Two: Invest.

When you have something in your mind that intrigues you, you need to be sure before you say you are passionate about it.

I intentionally used the phrase honeymoon phase in the previous section. The grass is always greener on the other side. But will you actually like it?

Researching helps you to make an educated guess, but guessing is not enough because you will be literally building your career around it. When you think like this, it sounds a bit risky to decide quickly, right?

The best way to find out is to get your hands dirty and start learning.

Invest some time and find out what that field is for you. Learn more about it, apply your learning and pay attention to how you feel during this investment period.

Let me give you an example. Say that web development sounds interesting to you, particularly the frontend field. Go out, learn the fundamentals and play around with them. Learn HTML, CSS, JS, and build small projects with them. For instance, take a well-known design like Netflix’s login site and try to replicate it.

Get your hands dirty, and regularly check how you feel.

Now, this investment period may differ for each individual. For me, I needed several months to decide. I started taking my decision seriously when I said $%^& YES (yes, with caps) to the questions below:

  • Do you feel motivated to learn more?
  • When you encounter a problem, do you push through it?
  • When you finish a project, do you feel proud of your work?

If you say the same, you can move on to the next section. If not, you may need to invest a bit more time or rethink your interests.

Step Three: Iterate.

Looking back on my own experience, I’ve come to believe this:

Finding your passion is an iterative process.

The things I was passionate about back when I first got into IT and now are vastly different from each other.

Why? Because I basically knew nothing about IT back then. I chose a field and thought I was passionate based on my knowledge at that time. Don’t get me wrong, I still have a lot to learn, but I am glad that my focus has changed entirely.

This reinforces my point in the first section: IT is really a huge field. We are basically wandering in an endless sea with other people, learning things ourselves and from them. This whole journey translates into what we call experience, and our interests may change in time with experience.

That is why I believe we should not pinpoint our passions once and be done with it. As we grow, we should ask ourselves and - if necessary - revisit the previous steps.

If you believe passion brings motivation and success like I do, I really want you to think about it. This iterative approach reinforces another important nature of IT. No matter whether your passion changes or not:

The learning phase never ends.

A Reminder Before Closing.

Unfortunately, the world is not all sunshine and rainbows. In the end, everyone works to pay their bills. That is the hard truth.

Not everyone has time to find their passions. Some people may need to push through with what they have at hand.

Please keep in mind that if you find a job in which you do what you are passionate about, that is a big luxury you have right there.

If you do not have this luxury, I would recommend sticking to what you have and plan ahead. Do side projects to learn more about your passion. When you get the opportunity, steer your career accordingly.

And that’s it. I hope you like this post. I wanted to write this as another guide for you, the reader, when I noticed that I’ve been implementing these steps unintentionally throughout my career.

I would also like to remind you that your mileage may vary. In IT, everyone has their own journey. The things that work for one may not work for another.

I hope this helps. Thank you for reading!

:wq