How did your plan to become a history professor ultimately work out? What were your odds of becoming a history professor at the time you decided to start working towards that goal? What would you have done if you had failed in your goal? Would failing at becoming a history professor been better or worse than succeeding as a medical doctor?
For the overwhelming majority of people, neither history professor nor medical doctor is a good career choice. I had a cousin who last Thanksgiving mentioned he was considering history for his major in college. I strongly advised against it because of his low probability of success and the amount of work he would have to put in to succeed. By Christmas, he had changed his mind to Structural Engineering.
After considering my options and preferences, I decided that money and security mattered less than a profession that would be genuinely satisfying and meaningful. What’s the point of making a million bucks if I’m miserable doing it, I thought to myself.
You’re welcome to believe a history professor’s job has more meaning than a medical doctor’s, but you’re probably on an island in that belief. Money, job security, job meaning, and career interest are just some of the reasons to choose a job path. There is also:
How well you like your boss
How well you like your coworkers
Job perks
Difficulty of obtaining the job
Number of hours worked
Consistency of hours worked
Amount of travel away from home
Job Status
That is to name but a few. Money is a good barometer of the first four because higher demand jobs generally give you more options for where you work. The high-paying career paths right now are mostly in Engineering, Technology, Business, and Health Care. Medical Doctor is a bad idea because of the amount of debt and time you have to give up to get there even though it does have high pay and job security once you succeed. It also often has strenuous hours.
That is to name but a few. Money is a good barometer of the first four because higher demand jobs generally give you more options for where you work.
Not necessarily, See this comment for some opposing considerations. Some highly lucrative jobs can be pretty restrictive in terms of where you have to live to do them.
Thanks for the feedback! Responding to the specific question, my plan worked out fine. But you raise many good points about the importance of factors to consider when making a career choice. The post I’m making is not meant to convey all the factors that people should consider. The last part of the post is the key takeaway for people to think about. I will be writing future blog posts on this topic, and will definitely integrate what you suggested about the variety of important factors regarding career choice into those. Thank you!
How did your plan to become a history professor ultimately work out? What were your odds of becoming a history professor at the time you decided to start working towards that goal? What would you have done if you had failed in your goal? Would failing at becoming a history professor been better or worse than succeeding as a medical doctor?
For the overwhelming majority of people, neither history professor nor medical doctor is a good career choice. I had a cousin who last Thanksgiving mentioned he was considering history for his major in college. I strongly advised against it because of his low probability of success and the amount of work he would have to put in to succeed. By Christmas, he had changed his mind to Structural Engineering.
You’re welcome to believe a history professor’s job has more meaning than a medical doctor’s, but you’re probably on an island in that belief. Money, job security, job meaning, and career interest are just some of the reasons to choose a job path. There is also:
How well you like your boss
How well you like your coworkers
Job perks
Difficulty of obtaining the job
Number of hours worked
Consistency of hours worked
Amount of travel away from home
Job Status
That is to name but a few. Money is a good barometer of the first four because higher demand jobs generally give you more options for where you work. The high-paying career paths right now are mostly in Engineering, Technology, Business, and Health Care. Medical Doctor is a bad idea because of the amount of debt and time you have to give up to get there even though it does have high pay and job security once you succeed. It also often has strenuous hours.
Not necessarily, See this comment for some opposing considerations. Some highly lucrative jobs can be pretty restrictive in terms of where you have to live to do them.
Thanks for the feedback! Responding to the specific question, my plan worked out fine. But you raise many good points about the importance of factors to consider when making a career choice. The post I’m making is not meant to convey all the factors that people should consider. The last part of the post is the key takeaway for people to think about. I will be writing future blog posts on this topic, and will definitely integrate what you suggested about the variety of important factors regarding career choice into those. Thank you!