I’ve been thinking a lot about how passion plays into a career. As I’ve been actively interviewing for internships next summer, I’ve had to focus on what I want to do post business school. “What I want to do” is a complicated question when you have to keep in mind what you’re good at, what industries interest you, which locations are compatible with your chosen field, how your future career may complicate family life, along with a slew of other variables.

In the back of my mind, I think of the supposed wisdom repeated to me in my adolescence: “Do what you love.” I repeated this mantra as I declared myself a theatre major in my undergrad. Surely loving what you do is the first guideline when settling on a career path. As I supplemented that degree with one in advertising and then worked in the industry for a few years, though, I found that loving what I did was nice, but it wasn’t a guarantee for a successful profession. Or, at least, I might approach a project from a less-than-passionate mindset, but I soon found myself enthralled once I dug into the work.

As an example, I never thought I’d be interested in semi trucks. They seemed industrial and boring—hardly what enthralled my millennial mindset. However, after I started working with the Motor Carrier Division, I grew passionate about the subject and interested in the projects assigned to me. Passion wasn’t there from the get-go, but I jumped in headfirst and was rewarded with a captivating workload. Commitment to the work was more influential than my supposed passion for the subject.

In one of my current classes, we had an in-depth discussion about passion, and whether it’s necessary to achieve career satisfaction. We read this Facebook post by Dirty Jobs’ Mike Rowe, and it reminded me of a Slate article I read back in January on the same subject. Both make the case that “happiness does not come from a job” and that the “Do What You Love” credo devalues labor done by the majority of the current workforce.

I would argue that passion is important, but we need to be careful in how we categorize it. In my case, was I interested in a theatrical career because I was passionate about acting? Or was that love founded more fully on the teamwork I experienced and problem solving inherent to theatrical work? When I focus on overarching patterns, rather than granular details, it becomes much easier to find an occupation that will keep me engaged. It’s also important to note the satisfaction that comes from hard work. Work is given that name because it involves a measure of labor. Hobbies can be pure fun, but a career is marked by exertion—pushing us beyond what is comfortable or easy.

So I’m trying not to turn my nose up at industries that I might not consider if I only think what I like to do in my spare time. Semiconductors—sure, why not? Paper products—I can make it work. And I’m trying to focus more on the undercurrents of what interest me (strategy, making ideas a reality, working as a team to achieve a goal) rather than what’s there at face value.

In short, passion is nice, but not necessary. Instead, look for a job that uses your strengths while stretching your capabilities.

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Do you “do what you love?” What have you focused on as you’ve determined how to orient your life?