Michael Dragone is an MCSE: Messaging who spends more time exploring technology than even he thought possible. You can reach him over on his Mikerochip blog at http://www.mikerochip.com/ .

If I could give one piece of advice to anyone deciding what career path to take in life, it would be this: do what you love to do.

I realize that it might not be practical at all points in life (the bills have to be paid, after all), but that should always be the ultimate goal: do what you love to do.

Many, many (many) years ago when I was in high school, we had a math teacher who, well, let's just say she could've been better. One day someone asked her just why she decided to become a teacher.

Well, it turned out that when I was in college I realized I only had to take one or two more classes to become a teacher so that's what I did.

That's really not the way to pick your career now is it?

On the flip side of the coin, I graduated from the same high school with Vinnie, a big football linebacker. He was always very hard on himself academically when he really shouldn't have been. Actually, he was like a giant teddy bear as he had a huge soft side.

In any event, after graduation he took a summer job as a garbage collector. At the time, we all thought he was nuts. For Vinnie, however, it paid well, was good exercise, got him up and outdoors early in the day, and he just flat-out enjoyed it. In his spare time he was a volunteer firefighter because he enjoyed that as well.

The summer after graduation he headed off to college with the rest of us. But he went to cooking school and turned himself into an excellent dessert chef. Why? Because he liked to cook! Now he makes a mean cheesecake.

Like so many others, after a year or so of college everyone from high school loses touch. I ran into Vinnie's father one day a year or two back and asked him what Vinnie was up to. It turns out he moved away and bought his own farm. Now he gets up early and gets himself outside to milk the cows and feed the chickens. And he loves it!

Others, including his father, think he's crazy. Despite this, everyone realizes that he's doing what he loves to do. We should all be so lucky; I'm fortunate enough to be so.

And so should you.

Here's a Microsoft College Recruiting video.

John Sumser © TwoColorHat. All Rights Reserved.
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