How I found my way to my dream tech career

Ryan Holmes, founder and CEO of Hootsuite

As CEO of Hootsuite, I’m lucky enough to be surrounded by hundreds of employees who love what they do. But I know for a fact that that’s not the case at every company.

According to Gallup, 51 percent of full-time employees aren’t engaged at work, meaning they feel no connection to their jobs. In other words, one out of two people would rather be spending eight hours a day doing something else.

That’s a sobering and quite sad statistic, but not entirely surprising. I know from experience how easy it can be to end up chasing the wrong career path or to be stuck in a role that you’re not meant for.

But I also know that it is possible to find your dream job. I was fortunate enough to eventually discover my calling, though it did take a little trial and error. In hindsight, there were some key clues that I overlooked along the way, which could have saved me a lot of trouble.

Your 10-year-old self would have a blast doing it

When I was in Grade 5, I wrote a fan letter to Richard Garriott, the video game developer behind the classic Ultima series. I said I wanted to make computer games when I grew up, just like him. (I never got a response, but that’s not the point.)

Eventually, I gave this up as a childish fantasy and, many years later, ended up pursuing a degree in business. It would take me nearly a decade to find my way back to tech and computers and the things that I loved as a boy.

I think we carry with us an instinctive knowlecoudge, present from a very early age, of what we’re meant to do. These “childish” aspirations usually don’t take money into account—they’re born of pure passion and joy. It can be helpful to honor these early dreams rather than dismissing them out of hand.

I’m not saying that you should literally become a ninja or a dinosaur or a Transformer. But there’s a map to your future in those 10-year-old fantasies, if you’re willing to read it.

People always said you’d be great at it

During my first year in university, there was a computer science prerequisite for my business program. I spent countless hours just coding—at the expense of my other classes. My teacher noticed my enthusiasm and suggested that I consider changing my major. I didn’t listen. To me, a business degree was the ticket to a “real” career.

I didn’t listen. To me, a business degree was the ticket to a ‘real’ career.

Looking back, there were lots of moments like these—teachers, family, and friends trying to point out the obvious to me. These days, I’m much more inclined to trust the wisdom of the crowd. The people around you often see aspirations and potential (not to mention flaws) that, for whatever reason, you may be unwilling or unable to see in yourself.

Back then, all the arrows pointed toward a tech future for me, except the ones in my own head. So, I slogged my way through a business degree until I couldn’t stand it anymore and dropped out before my final year.

It’s the sweet spot of your personal Venn diagram

It can be tempting to romanticize and say we all have one true passion and one true calling. Find that and you’re set for life. But the older I get, the less I buy that.

It’s not about the money

You’re consistently in over your head but, amazingly, never drown