In an industry where three important things matter the most: Passion, Relationships and networking, I got to thinking what does passion really mean in today’s world? I think in order to really enjoy whatever you’re doing, an element of passion always helps. However when we talk about jobs and careers a lot of people hate their jobs and dread the Monday morning feeling- however on the other end of the spectrum, they still have a passion to do their jobs well (but this could also be money motivated!). In any case, the current climate we see ourselves in now with limited jobs and the bad economy- should we diversify our passion?

Take me, a grad trying to get into PR- when thinking about the areas I want to get into- consumer, fashion, technology healthcare. Each time I go for a interview/meeting with an agency or press office in whichever sector- I really need to convey to them how passionate I am about the sector. For example, a couple of months back, I went to an agency in Barnes, London. They specialise in all things technology so first question I get asked is this: “What’s your favourite technology brand?” Now I have two choices in reply to this answer- either Blackberry or Apple......I go for Blackberry since I actually use my Blackberry every 5 minutes each day and really do have a passion for using it. Next question, came as a real shock and I had no clue how to answer......”Can you tell us how the seo apps on the blackberry create outlets to the key audience?” On review of this question, I could possibly rustle up some sort of answer with the help of Google. However in the moment, I was stumped... no idea. At the time, I had just got the phone and to be honest, had only just worked out how to respond to emails let alone the app. So this is what I responded to the CEO and I don’t think it was the answer they were looking for. However honestly would of been the best policy instead of churning out something that I knew absolutely nothing about!.

To be honest, technology wasn’t my big passion and I knew nothing about technical stuff-........the thing I related to was the usability factor, I use technology in my day to day life, blackberry, laptop, TV- I get on all right with it plus I created a website and write a blog all by myself- that comes under technical right? So I guess I am passionate?

As always, I think it’s essential that we go back to the roots and define Passion. Dictionary definition: expressing, showing, or marked by intense or strong feeling; emotional. I do have to conquer, that does technology really make us emotional? Perhaps but I’m only emotional when it doesn’t work or I lose a piece of work. However, I remember when I got my Blackberry and received a new laptop and really did feel an enormous amount of passion for them......or was it just provoking the massive consumer satisfaction emotion that we all suffer with?


Another interview I went to a while back was for a fashion/lifestyle PR assistant. Now just to set the scene up, I had sent a speculative email to one particular agency in Central London (lovely Covent Garden to be exact). I was enquiring about any positions that may be available in general, not really knowing if they had any. I received a response a few hours later, from the HR assistant asking me to come in for interview- she gave me the name of the person that i should ask for. The email did not at any point indicate what the possible position was for. Due to the fact, the agency have clients that span about 5 areas of PR & being the researcher that I am, I looked up the name that was given to me and I find a press release written by the women that was going to interview me.....the subject topic Fashion brand Jigsaw (one of the clients) so I know it’s a FASHION position and indeed when I turned up, it was.

I love fashion and in my personal opinion, it’s really a trial by error sort of thing for me. I spent too much on clothes; I have my brands and styles. But I have a wealth of experience dressing my own problematic body (big boobs and curvaceous body- sorry to all the men reading this). Am i passionate? Yes indeed I love love love it! HOWEVER could i rush out and pick out a pair of Gauchos or Palazzos? If I had a picture of what they looked like....no I don’t know everything about fashion (just like I don’t know everything there is to know about technology), I have no list in my mind of all the varies styles.....I still get it wrong but still have a fabulous passion for it that has indeed developed throughout my life. So when the women said to me at the interview: “could you tell the difference between two types of material.....viscose and polyester?” I was again lost for words, but my responds was that I probably could....what a crape question (but this is a blog post for another time).

In truth, I fancy myself as one of those people that go out and dress people on what I think works because I AM PASSIONATE. I could also go out to PC World and advice an old lady about which laptop to buy...because I am passionate about that too. Being passionate is not about being a guru, it’s about how you feel about it and how i want others to react to it. It’s a certain level of appreciation to something.

Take PR, to work in the industry, you need to have exceptional writing skills and have enormous attention to detail- you do need to be passionate about this. However in terms of my personal experiences of writing a blog, tweeting, making a website- I only do it because I enjoyed it.

In my blog, I don’t sit down and think I’m going to write the most amazing blog post today, I write when I want to and when I have something to say. I’m not disciplined about it- but the written word is a form of emotional discourse in my opinion. People write books because their passionate about what they write. People design buildings because their passionate about it.

Last week, I went to a high end bag retailer press offices in Central London- I took their latest lookbook and really enjoyed the design of it and the series of photo shoots that were spread over it- really loved the concept. However, did i become passionate about the brand? Some ways yes and some ways no......i don’t think I will be buying any of the bags myself soon, but I became very positive & engaged about the brand in itself. Again maybe just my consumer emotion!

The other day, I bought this really good book which I will plug right now: ’The Goddess Experience’ by Gisele Scanlon (£7.99 Amazon). The book is a very detailed guide of all things (fashion, lifestyle culture) that the author is passionate about-things that will make her happy. I think passion is all about happiness....to be passionate you really need to believe in it and that can be linked back to many things in life.

So to conclude this very long post, I will still diverse my passions to try and suit my career however I will never do anything I don’t believe in, in order for my passion and inspiration to exist.