To Thrive at Work, The workplace is entering the Age of the Individual. As you begin your career, you'll be on the cutting edge of this trend. The movement reflects society's growing tendency to celebrate the individual. Think "An Army of One," reality television, professional sports, among other cultural signposts. Standing out from the crowd is in vogue and is being rewarded. Will you be rewarded at work for saying, doing and looking like anything you want? Not necessarily. A vital principle of the Age of the Individual is that the more you're worth, the more you can be weird. That may be good news or bad news. You decide. You can see examples of this principle every day. Famous actors, musicians, politicians, even corporate executives may pull off stunts that an average employee never could manage without harming their professional advancement. The weird-to-worth ratio dictates the degree to which you can express your individuality while pursuing your career. How do you become a weirdo of worth? The key is to choose a career in which your abilities, interests and market demand intersect. Without all three elements, you won't be able to pursue a real calling or a financially rewarding passion. You might end up with an avocation, a pipedream or a job that merely pays the bills. 
An Avocation You can love to do something (your interests), and even be great at it (your abilities), but no one may be willing to pay you for it (the market). For example, I love to eat, and I am good at it. But I have yet to find someone to pay me for it. If no one bought my book, even though I love to write and may be a talented writer, writing would be only an avocation. 
Many college grads pursue an avocation as an escape from their work. In other words, you may not love your job, but you love the theater. You may act in local plays, but it isn't a career for you. An avocation is a rewarding escape in which you use your interests and abilities. Nothing is wrong with having an avocation. But wouldn't it be wonderful to escape into your work? Wouldn't it be wonderful to get paid for what you love and can do well? After all, work is where the majority of us spend most of our waking hours. An Impossible Dream Who hasn't dreamed of being a movie actor, professional athlete, concert musician, racecar driver or other glamorous figure? There are markets for these talents. But if you're like most people, you probably don't have the aptitude for these careers. Time to wake up. 
Some professionals strive to work in fields for which they aren't suited. They may get by for a while, but their efforts aren't rewarding for them or their employer, and eventually something has to give. Whether you develop a stress-related ailment or get fired, nothing good comes from a poor career fit in the long run. People enter fields that don't suit their abilities for numerous reasons. These can include idealism, parental pressure, misguided career counseling, financial goals and image concerns. The bottom line is: A poor career fit will catch up to you. Just a Job What's wrong with a job that matches your abilities and the demand of the job market? You excel in a given skill that an employer will pay you for. But if you aren't interested in it, motivation and satisfaction will always be lacking. It's just a job. A hard job. 
Paychecks don't drive you out of bed in the morning or make you want to excel every day. They don't make you feel centered in life. As in chasing an impossible dream, this drudgery will catch up to you and in the same ways: stress, job loss, bitterness, mediocrity or other adversity. Sweet Success It doesn't get any better than this: You're good at your job, love it and can get paid for it. These are the employees whom every employer wants to hire. Sometimes they're the "weirdos" in the workplace who are cherished high-performers. They have tapped their idiosyncrasies to the max. Life is good. They jump out of bed in the morning or maybe even in the middle of the night, anxious to take on another day. Sound idealistic? Maybe. But why not aim for it? At least you'd be headed in the right direction. When you do choose a career, don't think of it as a job title or even in terms of a particular occupation. For example, you may not be just an accountant. You may be an accountant with strong sales and negotiation skills. 
Abilities and interests are transferable across a multitude of occupations and industries. Accountants can go into sales. They can sell accounting software, financial services or even sell their skills as independent consultants. Those who are multitalented with diverse interests have more options. The larger the target, the greater your potential for hitting it. Once you find the intersection of your abilities, your interests and the job market, you'll be on the way to tapping your natural weirdness. You'll be a weirdo in demand and richly rewarded. -- Mr. Putzier is president of human-resources consulting firm FirStep Inc. in Prospect, Pa., and author of "Weirdos in the Workplace" (Financial Times Prentice Hall, 2004).
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