What Pilots and Pro Athletes Share: Downside to Achieving Your Career Dreams

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Last week, a pilot I know found out that a bunch of his friends who work at another company are going to lose their jobs…and he’s feeling a big dose of survivor’s guilt. Why? Pilots don’t just look for a new job when their current one goes away. A pilot’s career is built on seniority with the company. If a pilot loses his job, he can’t replace it with a new one at the same pay rate. Besides starting all over at the next company – his pay starts all over too. Imagine what that does to their lives? Pilots are often the bread winners of their families, earning very nice incomes after 5-10 years of service. But all that can go away in a flash, and suddenly, they must scramble to find another entry-level pilot position, taking them back to starting salaries of less than 30K, which for many of them who have spouses, kids, and mortgages to support, doesn’t seem like an option.

You might be thinking, “So what? They should be smart enough to know the volatility of their profession and plan accordingly.” I agree. As a career coach, I strongly recommend that no one ever assume that the income they are earning now will always be their pay rate. We are paid for the value of the job we are doing at the moment - it’s all about supply and demand. While some years we may get highly compensated, this can easily and suddenly change if the value of our skills changes in the marketplace.

But back to my friend’s feelings of survivor’s guilt: because it’s not the loss of the pay that he feels bad about. It’s the idea that his friends might have to find new professions. What many people don’t know about pilots is that they share the same passion for their jobs as professional athletes, with many becoming determined to make their dream of flying for a living their goal at a young age. My friend knew he wanted to be a pilot at age 11 and it became his singularly focused career ambition after that. But, while it might be nice to have a clear plan as to what you want to be when you grow up, the downside can actually occur when you make it happen. Loving your job and focusing on it so intently has the following risk: in the event you can’t do it anymore, you are faced with the daunting reality of having to settle for something else. Take this example:

I recall several years back getting an inquiry to provide private career coaching to NBA players. I remember saying to the contact, “Why would they need my services – aren’t they all wealthy?” I was surprised to learn that the average pro basketball player only spends about 2 years in the league. Yet, they spend 18+ years focused on becoming a pro player. My contact said that many ex-players end up struggling to cope with the reality that they must find another profession. After experiencing their dream job, it becomes an overwhelming mental challenge to accept that all the time, money, training and sacrifice they invested into their chosen career must be put aside so they can move on and find another job to support themselves.

There are other disadvantages to loving what you do for a living – like allowing it to consume your life. Pilots spend years after college working for small commuter airlines for very low wages in order to earn enough flying hours to apply to the major airlines. They often relocate to places far from home for an opportunity to fly; my friend once considering moving across country to Alaska just to earn hours. Pilots aren’t the only ones who willingly sacrifice for the love of their careers. Many corporate types and business owners love what they do to the point that they put it before all the other important areas of their life, such as family, friends, and even their own mental and physical health. Loving a job can make it really tough for some to create a healthy work-life balance. Sadly, as we all know, being a work-o-holic can have troubling results. Failed relationships, health problems, and other less than desirable results can occur before the individual sees the unhealthy obsession with their career.

Thus, for those who aren’t completely in love with their jobs, consider these upsides:

1) You are free to love someone or something else more.

2) You won’t mourn the loss of your job should you need to move on.

3) You won’t expect or come to rely on your job to make you happy in life.

For those of you who are in love with your jobs. I suggest the following proactive measures to minimize the effects in the event you lose them:

1. Assess your current skills, strengths and interests to determine work you could do in the event of a job loss. If you struggle to do this, then be sure to seek help from a professional. The goal is to identify at least three alternative jobs that could leverage your existing skill set so you can create a resume that would qualify you for these types of positions.

2. Create a safety net fund to ensure you can live for at least one year while you transition to a new position.

3. Identify a hobby career that you can do in your spare time to develop additional skills and experience.

I hope I’ve shown you how loving your job to the extreme can have its disadvantages. And, the next time you find yourself feeling less than excited about work, perhaps the perspective shared here might help you find a silver lining to your lack of passion.

J.T. O’Donnell owns the private career coaching and workplace consulting firm – Career Insights. Her book, CAREEREALISM: The Smart Approach to A Satisfying Career, is a proven, step-by-step course in how to find greater professional success and satisfaction in America today. With 18+ years of experience, she currently co-authors the largest nationally syndicated career advice column in the country, www.jtanddale.com. She can be reached at www.jtodonnell.com.