The story below if from the ABC and I’ve made a few comments as well.
I’ve used the word ‘passion’ less and less in resumes and covers as it has become emptied of meaning.
Dr Lisa Cohen is an associate professor of organisational behaviour at McGill University in Montreal.
She argues that ‘glossy work’ is most common in cultural industries, like film, music and theatre. Glossy jobs often straddle two worlds: external charm and inner dreariness, Dr Cohen says.
According to Dr Cohen, there’s a deceptively simple word that can lead to glossy work: passion.
“I have to say, I hate that word [‘passion’],” Dr Cohen says. “It’s one of the most dangerous words when it comes to jobs and looking for jobs.”
She argues it conveys a sentiment that can be easily masked as something else, particularly in the realm of start-ups.
“I did about 200 interviews with people in start-ups … and so many of the entrepreneurs said, ‘We want passion, we are looking for passion’,” Dr Cohen says.
“I asked them what that meant, and how they would determine if somebody had passion. They had absolutely no idea … why they wanted it or what they really meant.
“I think what they meant is that they wanted somebody who would work like a dog for them.”