Finding the right career is not just following a passion

When people talk about “finding your path,” the most common piece of advice is: follow what you love. It is a good start, but rarely enough. Over time I have come to understand — and have seen it happen to many people — that a sustainable career almost always emerges from the intersection of three spheres.

The first is what you love doing. What intrigues you, stimulates you, keeps you mentally alive.

The second is what you are genuinely good at. Not just what you love, but what you do well: technical skills, organizational ability, writing, systems thinking, working with people. There is often more value here than you imagine.

The third is what is needed. In the world, in your sector, in the context where you work or want to work. Real problems, emerging roles, spaces that are still poorly defined but very necessary.

Many paths get stuck when one of these three spheres is ignored. There are people who follow only their passion and struggle to find a role. Those who bet only on what they know how to do, but without desire or interest. Those who pick up on a market need, but constantly feel out of place.

The interesting point sits at the intersection. There, where what you love doing meets what you do well and what is genuinely needed. In that space, you are not interchangeable. You are useful, competent, and motivated.

It is not an abstract idea. It is a work of observation that changes over time. And it often requires you to revisit the initial idea of “profession” to notice that there are new, hybrid roles, still without a name.

A simple exercise to begin (15–20 minutes)

Take a sheet of paper and divide it into three columns.

1. What you love doing Write down everything you love doing without filtering. Even things that don’t seem like “work.” Examples: explaining, organizing, writing, putting things in order, listening, designing, connecting people, imagining scenarios.

2. What you are good at Here, try to be honest, not modest. Write down skills others recognize in you, activities that come naturally, problems you often solve. If it helps, ask yourself: what do they call me for when something needs sorting out?

3. What is needed Look outside yourself. In your sector: what problems keep coming back? Which roles are emerging? Which skills are really missing, beyond the trends?

Once you have done this, circle the words that appear in more than one column. Don’t look for a single answer. Look for patterns — for recurrences.

What emerges is not yet the definition of “the work of your life,” but it is certainly a fertile zone to keep working on. A starting point from which to explore, make more informed choices, and experiment without betraying yourself.

Understanding where you are in relation to these three spheres does not give you a definitive answer. But it gives you a map. And in moments of change, having a map is already a great deal.