Many factors go into choosing a college to attend. An important factor for sure, is ensuring the school offers the major and/or academic program that you want to study. There’s no sense in attending a college and paying those steep tuition fees, if that isn’t going to help you realize your career goals.
However, these goals, once driven by a person’s interests, talents or passions have evolved to include a filter that looks at earning potential. Rising costs have changed our outlook on how we perceive the return on investment for a college degree. In an effort to secure a career that will afford a comfortable lifestyle upon graduation, as well as the means to repay for that education, many are foregoing what would otherwise be career driven by individual passions and interests for one that will deliver a sizable paycheck.
The Decision Tree for Choosing a Major
Traditionally you would walk through a few steps when deciding on a major.
- 1st - What do you love to do;
- 2nd - What do you love to do, that you are good at;
- 3rd - What do you love to do, that you are good at; that the world needs;
- 4th - What do you love to do, that you are good at; that the world needs; that you can get paid for
This decision tree has been inverted as of late, focusing first on what you can get paid for, and paid well. It’s hard not to understand this line of thinking. College is expensive. College costs have risen exponentially over the last few decades, outpacing salaries making it less affordable to attend. Once popular majors such as Education, English and History have given way for more STEM related majors like Health, Science and Engineering.
If left unchecked, the variety that adds so much to society is going to give way to communities lacking in the arts and humanities. We are already seeing a decline in teachers, specifically K-12 teachers. This group provides an essential service by educating and preparing children to be our future leaders. What are we going to do if we lose our teachers because they can’t afford to be teachers? And we certainly don’t want a population of people unfulfilled with their career. Surely there must be a happy medium? There is, but you have to be creative.
Pursuing Your Passion
“Find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life”. Both Mark Twain and Confucius are credited to have coined this phrase and no would argue the wisdom in these words. Turning your passion into your career is ideal.
If you want to ensure that you can live comfortably while pursuing your passion you might need to be creative about it. This could involve thinking beyond just doing what you love to do but thinking broadly about how your passion could address a need on a larger scale.
For example, two women who loved to bake started a bakery in their kitchens in 1997. Their recipes were tasty and their simple cakes were a huge hit. Today they have over 500 locations in over 40 countries. Their little bakery that started in their kitchens is known today as Nothing Bundt Cakes. The two founders are arguably quite successful turning a passion into a thriving business.
Letting Salary Drive your Career Choice
There are a number of high paying careers, especially in the worlds of healthcare, tech and finance. If you are looking to ensure financial stability choosing a career with a high salary can still be fulfilling and satisfy your passions.
To find this illusive combination, sit down and take inventory of how you love to spend your free time. Think about the essence of what it is that defines that activity. By distilling the true source of your passion, you can find a way to express it within a high paying job.
For example, if you love to play chess but don’t imagine a career playing chess for yourself you might want to be an engineer. Chess involves strategy, critical thinking and problem solving. Engineers must also possess these skills to develop solutions to problems both existing and anticipated.
It can be easy to think that you must pick a side passion or paycheck but, if you are creative enough, you can satisfy both with your career path. Don’t settle but create for yourself a life that is both fulfilling and well-paying.