The Career Triangle: Why Passion Matters More Than Ever in an AI World

LinkedIn Post

I was struck by a recent article by The Wall Street Journal about tech parents steering their children away from STEM fields and toward the arts and trades. Reading between the lines, I saw a powerful reminder about career fundamentals that apply to all of us, regardless of industry.

Throughout our career journeys, we're constantly seeking the alignment of three critical elements: what we're genuinely good at, what we're passionate about, and what will provide financial security. When these three overlap, we find our sweet spot.

The WSJ piece highlights how quickly that alignment can shift. Tech professionals who once believed coding was the ultimate "safe" career are now questioning whether programming skills will remain valuable as AI advances. As one engineering director discovered when consulting an AI about his toddlers' futures, tomorrow's in-demand skills may be creativity and interpersonal abilities rather than technical expertise.

This rapid evolution underscores a crucial truth: we neglect our passion at our peril.

Passion is what gets you out of bed in the morning when markets are uncertain. It's the resilience that helps you adapt when yesterday's critical skill (Python programming for elementary schoolers) becomes today's easily automated task (just ask Claude or ChatGPT to handle it).

Consider Jeannie Chung from the article - steered away from her English major dreams toward engineering by practical-minded parents. A decade later, she's telling parents in her circle that "jobs that require just logical thinking are on the chopping block" and would encourage her future daughter to develop her creative voice instead.

Or Rajeev Madumba, who once pushed his children to learn coding as a fallback plan but now encourages his daughter's musical interests, noting that teaching dance seems relatively "bot-proof."

Passion is also what makes you stand out to prospective clients and employers. In a world where technical skills can be replicated or automated, your authentic enthusiasm becomes your competitive advantage. It's what makes someone choose you over equally qualified providers.

As we coach our children—and ourselves—through career decisions, let's remember that while skills can be acquired and markets will fluctuate, passion provides the foundation for sustainable success and fulfillment.

The question isn't just "Will this career pay well in ten years?" but "Will I still want to do this work when the landscape inevitably changes?"

What drives your career decisions? Has your thinking evolved about the skills that matter most for the future?