Software Engineer Interview 101 — Job You Like vs Job You’re Good At

Interest vs Proficiency

What is interest? Specifically in the context of work, interest is a long-term emotional “liking” for the methods or results of work. These methods or results align with our values and personality. Because we enjoy doing these things, we are enthusiastic and willing to invest time and effort. This is the intrinsic motivation for our actions.

Proficiency, on the other hand, is the ability to do things well. It includes the experience and skills we have acquired, which enable us to achieve good results, create a sense of accomplishment, and gain external recognition.

Interest and proficiency are interconnected and influence each other. To better illustrate their relationship, I created a diagram that categorizes work into four quadrants based on the dimensions of “interest” and “proficiency.”

• Zone A: Work that you are both skilled at and interested in. This is the ideal job.
• Zone B: Work that you are skilled at but not interested in. It may be efficient but boring; you can achieve good results, but it feels like a chore.