A Fan Asks Mike Rowe For Career AdviceWhy His Response Was Brilliant

A Fan Asks Mike Rowe For Career Advice…Why His Response Was Brilliant Do you have a big, audacious goal? Ours is to help people find a career that suits their strengths and matches  their natural behaviors as much as possible. A job that doesnt require them  to play chameleon 24/7 in order to merely  survive. Because that kind of situation creates great stress and eventual  burnout. In many cases, it doesnt even require a career change. Our tools  help folks  to quickly discover their strengths and realize their natural behaviors, and enabling  changes in their current role,  increasing their satisfaction at work. We talk a lot about finding the perfect career fit. About matching up your natural strengths and behaviors with the requirements of a particular career or job environment. Because were realists we understand that  no job is wine roses all day, every day. There will always be tight deadlines, unpleasant interactions, days that go on and on seemingly forever. The goal is to find the best fit possible, with the  options available today. The idea that the perfect career can fulfill  every desire  we have in life fun, excitement, stability, inspiration, travel, family flexibility, high earnings, etc can leave us disappointed. And explaining this in a one-on-one situation can be delicate. Unless youre Mike Rowe, the entertaining, former host of Dirty Jobs. What Would Mike Rowe Say? Mike Rowe runs a varied Facebook page, commenting on issues from the workplace, to airliners with limited lavatories, to suspected shoplifters. But it was this letter from a fan that caught our eye. Hey Mike! I’ve spent this last year trying to figure out the right career for myself and I still can’t figure out what to do. I have always been a hands on kind of guy and a go-getter. I could never be an office worker. I need change, excitement, and adventure in my life, but where the pay is steady. I grew up in construction and my first job was a restoration project. I love everything outdoors. I play music for extra money. I like trying pretty much everything, but get bored very easily. I want a career that will always keep me happy, but can allow me to have a family and get some time to travel. I figure if anyone knows jobs its you so I was wondering your thoughts on this if you ever get the time! Thank you! -Parker Hall We were very impressed with Mikes reply, which didnt pull any punches: Hi Parker, My first thought is that you should learn to weld and move to North Dakota. The opportunities are enormous, and as a “hands-on go-getter,” you’re qualified for the work. But after reading your post a second time, it occurs to me that your qualifications are not the reason you can’t find the career you want. I had drinks last night with a woman I know. Let’s call her Claire. Claire just turned 42. She’s cute, smart, and successful. She’s frustrated though, because she can’t find a man. I listened all evening about how difficult her search has been. About how all the “good ones” were taken. About how her other friends had found their soul-mates, and how it wasn’t fair that she had not. “Look at me,” she said. “I take care of myself. I’ve put myself out there. Why is this so hard?” “How about that guy at the end of the bar,” I said. “He keeps looking at you.” “Not my type.” “Really? How do you know?” “I just know.” “Have you tried a dating site?” I asked. “Are you kidding? I would never date someone I met online!” “Alright. How about a change of scene? Your company has offices all over â€" maybe try living in another city?” “What? Leave San Francisco? Never!” “How about the other side of town? You know, mix it up a little. Visit different places. New museums, new bars, new theaters…?” She looked at me like I had two heads. “Why the hell would I do that?” Here’s the thing, Parker. Claire doesn’t really want a man. She wants the “right” man. She wants a soul-mate. Specifically, a soul-mate from her zip code. She assembled this guy in her mind years ago, and now, dammit, she’s tired of waiting!! I didn’t tell her this, because Claire has the capacity for sudden violence. But it’s true. She complains about being alone, even though her rules have more or less guaranteed she’ll stay that way. She has built a wall between herself and her goal. A wall made of conditions and expectations. Is it possible that you’ve built a similar wall? Consider your own words. You don’t want a career â€" you want the “right” career. You need “excitement” and “adventure,” but not at the expense of stability. You want lots of “change” and the “freedom to travel,” but you need the certainty of “steady pay.” You talk about being “easily bored” as though boredom is out of your control. It isn’t. Boredom is a choice. Like tardiness. Or interrupting. It’s one thing to “love the outdoors,” but you take it a step further. You vow to “never” take an office job. You talk about the needs of your family, even though that family doesn’t exist. And finally, you say the career you describe must “always” make you “happy.” These are my thoughts. You may choose to ignore them and I wouldn’t blame you â€" especially after being compared to a 42 year old woman who can’t find love. But since you asked… Stop looking for the “right” career, and start looking for a job. Any job. Forget about what you like. Focus on what’s available. Get yourself hired. Show up early. Stay late. Volunteer for the scut work. Become indispensable. You can always quit later, and be no worse off than you are today. But don’t waste another year looking for a career that doesn’t exist. And most of all, stop worrying about your happiness. Happiness does not come from a job. It comes from knowing what you truly value, and behaving in a way that’s consistent with those beliefs. Many people today resent the suggestion that they’re in charge of the way the feel. But trust me, Parker. Those people are mistaken. That was a big lesson from Dirty Jobs, and I learned it several hundred times before it stuck. What you do, who you’re with, and how you feel about the world around you, is completely up to you. Good luck Mike PS. I’m serious about welding and North Dakota. Those guys are writing their own ticket. PPS Think I should forward this to Claire? Is That  Parker I See in the Mirror? Mikes point is valid sometimes we have to take whats available to get started. To figure out what we like and what we dont. It sounds like Parker is at the beginning of his career, without having tried a little of this and a little of that to make such a determination. Sometimes theres a bit of trial error involved. And  yes, sometimes  we have to  reflect a bit and determine  if  achieving our laundry list of needs is truly possible, given the actions were willing to take. We have to take a look at ourselves and see if were putting up our own  walls to our  possibilities. Simply because we dont want to leave our zip code, metaphorically speaking. Have you taken a look at your requirements for the perfect job? And how much flexibility you have within them?