Laura Rodriguez de Simons, the Client Services Director for The Advocacy Center of Tompkins County, led a great discussion on her work in advocacy and her unique career path. I found the somewhat indirect nature of her career to be really fascinating. She started out as a project manager at a large real estate corporation, but discovered her true passion was in non-profit and advocacy work. She discussed how she actually enjoyed her experiences in the corporate world, but there is of course a significant difference between enjoyment and passion.
At the same time, she also recognized that with any career, some degree of pragmatism is certainly necessary. This is especially relevant for college students, where taking unpaid jobs and internships for non-profit companies seems infeasible. Perhaps a willingness to do is a true indication of passion, but is it really necessary to sacrifice financial stability to pursue what we are excited about? It is a difficult question that depends on each individual’s beliefs, but one possibility is to engage in non-profit and advocacy work in one’s spare time and then have a more financially fulfilling career as a day job.
While it’s really a personal preference, I agree that a smart balance could be to work in a job where you feel financially secure while at the same time volunteering your free time at a non-profit. However, then a question of should you not really invest all of your time and energy into your true passion in life arises, which can be a difficult dilemma to think through. I personally find it particularly sad in our society that so many people can’t pursue their passions simply because of financial restraints, especially if those passions involve helping other people and/or animals.