Passionate about data analytics? Really?

"I'm passionate about data analysis."

A student said this to me the other day, about twenty seconds into the one minute intro we were working on. I couldn't help it. I laughed.

He stopped and looked at me, so I asked him. "Are you really?"

He said yeah. So I said, "You're passionate about the Mets. You're passionate about any hockey team that isn't the Rangers. But data analysis?"

Now he laughed, because he knew exactly what I meant.

There's a lot of pressure on young adults to be passionate about the work they do, and for most people early in a career, that's not realistic. We're passionate about watching our teams play and spending time with the people we love. The work at 22 is where we build the skills that might, eventually, lead to something we feel that strongly about.

He realized that using this wording was part of what was making his introduction feel so awkward. It lacked authenticity.

So we changed the wording.

"I enjoy data analysis because I like solving complicated problems with numbers, and I've found it's a great place to use that strength."

We still highlighted the skill and career path, but now it sounded like a real 22-year-old.

He had a networking call the next day. The email I got afterward said, in all caps, IT WORKED. He felt so much more comfortable in the opening that the rest of the conversation just flowed.

That's the thing about an intro. If the first sentence out of your mouth is something you don't quite believe, it's hard to relax into a real conversation.

So, if you are truly passionate about data analysis, or financial modeling, or whatever field you're heading into, good for you! But that's not typical, and it's not required in order to be great at the work. You need to have the skills and like doing it. 

The goal of an introduction is to create a connection and set up the conversation.  A great introduction delivers a clear message, feels authentic and makes the listener want to engage.  

Save the passion for the things you really feel that way about.