So many people are extremely unhappy and dissatisfied with their careers. They drag themselves to work every day and count the days and hours left until the weekend. They are stressed out and complain to anyone who will listen. It is the lack of sufficient research prior to delving into a profession that is mostly responsible for this misery that seems to be so ubiquitous in the workforce today.
Everyday human beings are bombarded with messages from the media, family and friends regarding career choices. Professions in the medical and law professions tend to be held in high regard and promise prestige and an excellent salary. Meanwhile careers in the arts tend to be discouraged. Terms like “struggling artist” and “poor starving actor” are commonplace in our society. Those who have an affinity and interest for the arts are often encouraged to get college degrees in something else so they have something to fall back on. Essentially the message is that they will never be able to make a good living doing what they love. People take in all of these messages, often without even questioning their validity.
It is important for people to do extensive research about their career of choice. When they do, they will obtain a much clearer, accurate picture of what the profession requires. If the only information someone has about being a doctor is that they make a lot of money and are well respected, and then choose to pursue medicine as a result of this, they will be quite unpleasantly surprised when they are swamped with student loans, an extremely competitive environment, days without sleeping, and little to no social life .Goodbye hobbies! Having said this, if medicine is one’s true passion, then the sacrifices will be well worth it.
When deciding on a career, the following factors should be considered:
- Passion: The most important thing to consider is whether or not it is one’s true passion. Career decisions should not be based on money, fame or prestige. This will only lead to misery. The question to ask is: If money was not an issue, would this career still be the one?
- Education: Many careers require years of education. Is there a willingness to spend the time in school while possible giving up other things? Also, some degree programs require a large amount of research/writing assignments, while others base their grades mostly on tests. If there is a strong aversion to either of these, that needs to be looked at. It doesn’t mean that the career can’t be pursued, but special accommodations such as tutoring will have to be considered.
- Sacrifices: While completing the necessary education and perhaps when working in the chosen profession, it may be necessary to give up hobbies or time with friends and family. Is this acceptable?
- Schedule: Different careers require different hours. Some require working different shifts including nights and weekends. Some have flexibility with hours and allow work to be done from home, while others are stricter.
- Environment: There are many different types of work environments and cultures. There are those that require frequent interaction and communication with co-workers and others that give more independence and less supervision. Which of these is more appealing?
After taking a close look at all of these, one can make a truly informed decision about the path that they wish to take. This should reduce the number of people commuting to work each day with a frustrated, disgusted look on their face.
