Career: Money vs. Interest

How do you pick your career? Do you pick a career based on how much you can earn a month or based on your interest?

I dare say that more people choose a career based on money rather than interest. There was once a line popularly being spoken by the typical parents who claim “I want the best for my son/daughter”.

“Son, being a doctor/engineer/lawyer is better than being a fisherman/gardener/teacher. Doctors/engineers/lawyers earn more money.”

So, this kid finally decided to go on and study medicine, only to find out that his real interest is in music industry. So, what did he do? Obey his parents or go his own way? That is sure a tough decision for in some cases when you disobey the parents, the parents disown you.

However, I would say do something that you really like rather than something for the sake of money. I don’t deny the fact that money is really important in this age when everything involves money. Going to the public toilet will cost you an average 20 cents to 30 cents. There is no free lunch so for a set of lunch you will have to pay about RM5 or 6 depends on what you order.

However, when you are into a career that is based on your interest, you will last longer in that industry. Being in an industry NOT of your choice is going to “kill” you in the long run. There is no motivation to move you forward. You are “stuck” in your own life.

That is something we do not want in our life. It is simply because this will be a reason for job hopping and there is no way you can find a steady job that you can work for a long time. You want to have a stable career in the long run and job hopping is not helpful at all.

Study shows that when you undertake a job that happens to be your interest, you will perform better compared to a job that you are being “forced” to do and not your interest.

So, how would you select your career after reading this?