32. Jobs aren't hot; people are.
It makes
no sense to pursue “hot jobs”. Just because a career is hot
doesn’t mean it’s for you. And just because it’s hot doesn’t
mean it will burn long and bright.
When you chase a
hot job, you’re following a pack of opportunists. While some of
you may get a big salary and a nice job, you will never be as
successful as those people who hold this kind of job because they
love it. They will run circles around you, because their careers
are set to burn long and slow.
Certain jobs are
hot because employers can’t find enough people to do them. They
promote this fact, and the teeming hordes of uninspired workers
run to get training and certifications. Having invested in all
that training, they’ll get burned like moths drawn to a lamp.
These are the same people who will be changing careers in a couple
of years, chasing the next hot job, because the needs of employers
will continue to change.
The best jobs are
the ones that you burn for. You see, what really counts is
not hot jobs, but hot workers. People who sweat blood to be the
best in their field. People who can make a difference in their
jobs. People who can grow to be recognized as experts.
Obviously,
you don’t want to pick a dead-end career. But, how hot you
are matters much more than what’s hot today, because it’s
your passion and interest in your career that will make you burn
long and bright. Your competition will simply burn out.