Would You Pursue a Career If You Knew You Likely Would Not Make Much Money?

The article states that you have to work on your incomes so you have great future and you have to manage your budget and how you have to work out and study in your university and it says that you would have to look how much you wanna earn and how to earn it and it also says that you need to manage your time wisely to become successful in life

If you were to pursue a career that would not make enough money for you to suffice, I believe you either use that dream or goal as a "side-hustle" or a job on the side and focus on finding a job to help you pay for what you need in the world. Dreams do not always end up panning out and if you were to fully sacrifice the risk of you becoming homeless or have a sudden drought of a food supply, you aren't being truly realistic and in turn can make you unhappy. There must be a balance between things you'd like to pursue and things you must do for the sake of yourself. If you were to strive for something and that something doesn't work out, you're stuck and you're either back at point A or farther than point A, and haven't truly met your point B.

I believe if it’s something you truly want to do go for it. Money doesn’t always save everything. Happiness is more important. When I was younger I would always get asked you know the most common question teens get asked “ What do you want to be when grow up?”. Responding to this question I would say a teacher. But as I got older I realized they don't get paid that much and other people said the same thing. So I was back at square one had nothing in mind on what to do. Now recently I was thinking that shouldn’t matter if that’s something I can see myself being passionate about doing I should do it. So this is what this article reminded me of.

No, I don't think I could, unless it had higher potential that could be possibly reached. In the future if I am educated (college degree) and looking for employment, I don't think I could ever go into a career that would pay me very little with no possibility of improved salary. Especially if I was majoring for that said career in college. Throughout my life like many other children I have been told to do what I want, be open to career choices that will make you happy, but how can I possibly be happy if I can barely support myself doing what I love? I'll probably feel even worse when i'm drowning in college debt my entire life because my majors avg income cant sustain paying itself off on top of compounding interest. Its sad that this is how or society works, but I see to many of my peers completely ignoring school and focusing on their dreams because their inspiration told them to "follow your dreams." Like wanting to become a musician or rapper and sleeping through class because they think it will never help them. As bad as it sounds, sadly money does make the world go round, and if you want to sustain yourself and a family eventually, you have to abide by that statement. Your happiness is definitely important, but people should look into how earning that amount of money will affect your happiness.

A job should always be something you're passionate about. To have a job that you can go to everyday that makes you smile, is a reward for the hardwork and dedication it took to get there. My parents have always told me that my happiness is the most important thing in my life. If I'm not enjoying the things I'm doing, and it's making me miserable, cut them out, or change my perspective. I don’t have a single friend who wants to spend the rest of their life being miserable because they work a job they don’t enjoy. However, if you were to offer them a high paying job that they don’t like, all of a sudden their answers change. Why should money be a reason to take up a job that defines our careers? Why does money have so much power over our lives that we as a society are willing to give up our joy? I think that if you want to write as a career, paint as an artist, or be a musician it will always be possible if your passionate about it. When you’re truly passionate about something you do, something like money shouldn’t hold you back from reaching your dreams

Your career should always be something you're passionate about. It's sad that in today's world, a job is just a way to make money, and something not many people enjoy. My parents always told me that my happiness is the most important thing in my life. If I'm not enjoying what I'm doing, and it's making me miserable, cut it out or change my perspective of the activity. In the article, it states, “Writing has never been a lucrative career choice, but a recent study by the Authors Guild, a professional organization for book writers, shows that it may not even be a livable one anymore." My response to this is that money shouldn't matter if you love what you're doing. The term starving artist means to give up material things like money to focus purely on the artwork. If you're passionate about becoming a writer, artist, musician or dancer, a career you love is worth more than the money it makes. When you're truly passionate about something, material objects such as money shouldn't hold you back from reaching your dreams.

My parents have always driven home the idea that being happy is the most important thing in my life. They have always told me to choose what will make me happy when making big decisions. They say that they don't care what job I get as long as I'm happy and that they will support me either way. In short, to answer the main question of this article, yes I would pursue a career without much cash if it made me feel more fulfilled an happy. This is kind of ironic in a way because my dream is to become a surgeon and surgeons have the highest medium pay out of any job in the world. I choose being a surgeon as my dream occupation because I love helping people and I have never been more engaged then when I'm learning about medicine. My chosen career path is just as risky as that of being a writer. In the article it says that writers "might make zero or I might make $5 million" and my career is risky because if I went to all the best medical schools but dropped out then I could be sitting with half a million dollars in debt which would financially cripple me for the rest of my life. I think that happiness is more important then money and even though I want to go into a high paying profession I want to do it because of how much I love learning about that profession. For me, money is just a bonus!

The information that I found surprising was how big of a decrease these professional writers had to go through with doing their job that they are passionate about. It isn't fair to them putting their time and effort into doing these types of things only for them to take on this type of decrease in money. I still feel that people in the 21st century will favor choosing a job they love regardless of the pay because those are the types of jobs they favor, they won't have the same enjoyment in any other job besides the one they are working at currently. The only importance on potential earnings I could see when choosing a career is whether or not the person likes the job or if it at least pays decent for doing something they love. I don't know what kind of job I would like spending my life working on yet, but I am interested in majoring Arts when I get to college, regardless I don't need much if I'm living with someone else in my life. My response to "do what you love" is to go for it, there aren't many opportunities to work in a job you love, it is fairly difficult to find something like that, so if you find what you love, go for it.

I was always told to work what you love doing or what was easiest for you to do. I believe that everyone should eventually do what they love or enjoy to do. Some majors or jobs may not pay as much, but i believe you can always work up in life. Maybe working until you can afford to do your passion is the path to do your passion, but it does not give a reason for you to stop. Like the author states that writers decreased as pay went lower, it may have went lower but if writing was what you truly enjoyed doing, it should not make you stop.

I’ve always thought that having the career of a writer would be pretty cool, and especially to me, it seems really fun. But unfortunately, a career that seems fun, usually isn’t necessarily a career that is financially stable. The article gives a lot of evidence for this stating that “the median pay for full-time writers was $20,300 in 2017” and for part-time writers, it drops almost $14,000. Obviously that is not very ideal for an average person but it develops the question of “is it worth it if it’s something you love?” I believe this is one of the most controversial questions asked because of the strong variety of answers. Personally, I don't think it would be worth it to me. Here’s how i think of it. If you spend some time doing something you're not too fond of but pays pretty good, you will eventually get the money you want out of that. At this point, the next step is pretty much up to you. You could start your own business or retire and do the thing you wanted, just as a hobby. You could pretty much do whatever you please (within reason, of course).

I have heard many times from my relatives and people around me that it is the most important when looking for a job, to find one that I love, above all other criteria. After reading this article, I do not entirely agree. Working takes up a very large portion of people’s lives and so it should be a necessity to wake up everyday and be somewhat excited to go to work. In the future, I certainly hope to find a job that enjoy and that makes me feel like I am impacting the world in a positive way, but it is equally important that my job allows me to live comfortably not have to sacrifice things. However, I think that people still pursue careers that typically do not pay much because they are more focused on the “now” and are living in the present. They want to be able to enjoy what they do for a living. These people would rather be happy going to work everyday while making sacrifices regarding their financial situations than to not be fully content with their career choice while making a lot of money. I think that everyone feels differently about the importance earnings when choosing a career. Some people simply do not have a desire to make more money than they need to live. In the future I will seek a job in business, and one day I hope to have my own business. For me, salary is important when looking for a job because I do not want to be constantly worried about money. However, I would like to find a job that I enjoy, and that also pays well.

In our superficial society that values materialistic items over “finding your passions,” we seek temporary enjoyment and fitting into the status quo rather than desiring fulfillment in a job that we are zealous for. Ultimately, owning “material comforts” like a coffee machine or a high-end recliner doesn’t offer the authentic satisfaction that a career like writing may bring. On the Human Condition, we long to express ourselves and find an outlet that exercises our talents and what we love to do- a deeper passion that materialistic items cannot satisfy. If a passionate writer gives up her career to be financially stable, she essentially is giving up years of dedication and treasured work for a tolerable job, all for the price of materialistic comfort; a job that doesn’t fulfill our true calling gives no long-lasting value, no matter the salary. When we don’t live true to ourselves and seek what makes us motivated and enthusiastic, a lifetime of true satisfaction can be wasted, and we hide our real ambitions under a surface of artificial happiness.

As I begin to plan my future, a topic that my parents and teachers have frequently brought up is what career I plan to pursue in the future. I have many interests, particularly in the areas of math and science, and have several career paths that I am looking into. As a straight A student, I hope to be able to select the best fit occupation, after graduating from college. As I think about career choices, income does play a role in my decision. I believe that one should not have a career just to earn money, but should find a job they enjoy, while still supporting them. Money cannot buy happiness, but I believe everyone should have the option to live a lifestyle in which they are not worried about having food on their tables. As the article states, “Writing has never been a lucrative career choice, but a recent study by the Authors Guild, a professional organization for book writers, shows that it may not even be a livable one anymore.” In my opinion, everybody should be able to have the career of their dreams, but also need to remember that not every job will give adequate earnings. I hope to become a veterinarian or a doctor, after completing graduate school. Both of these careers would allow me to live the lifestyle I would want, while still enjoying going to work everyday. I believe everyone should strive to find an occupation they enjoy, that also allows them to live their life in the way they dream of.

Creative jobs such as writing, dancing, and drawing all have something in common. People think they aren't reliable in the income department. They're right. It's definitely not reliable. Our society places importance on subjects like math and sciences rather than English, Art, and Theater. If you're bad at math, you absolutely need to get better "You need a tutor" "You have to study more" "This is something you NEED to know".Of course, it's important but why more so than the arts? If you're bad at English or drawing people just say, "it's not for everyone".As I write this comment I'm realizing that people don't respect these subjects simply because they think that the people who are good at the arts are just talented and nothing more. No hard work is needed or used. This, of course, isn't true in the slightest. Where you born into the world with the ability to put the universes that you dreamed of onto paper, to form coherent sentences that flowed with ease and that made you lose yourself in the words. No, you weren't. Its the same with math. Music, fine art, theater, and writing give us spice in our lives. We are so lucky that people in this world love their passions so much that they choose to sacrifice stability for happiness. My mom was an artist when the stock market crashed in 2008. She was forced to choose between supporting her family and her passion. I haven't seen her draw since then. She gave me all her art supplies along with her passion. I want to be an artist.

When people ask me what I want to do when I’m older I always say the same thing: “I either want to be a artist or a doctor.” They’ll respond with supportive tones about either but I know that they would rather see me become a doctor because of the paycheck. I have acknowledged the salary difference and realize that if I want to make a stress-free life for myself, having a reliable source of income has to be a part of it. Yes, I could go into art therapy and combine the two, but I don’t like interpreting art. I like doing art, I like getting my hands dirty and creating something with my art. However, even if my life would be free of stresses if I had a job with a high income, it wouldn’t necessarily make me happy. In this case, I would be happy having a job in art or medicine, but I would say one comes with significant monetary downfalls. When it comes down to it, I would probably try to find a happy-medium; I job that would provide me enough money to have a stable life and one that I enjoy doing.

After reading “ Would you pursue a career if you knew likely would not make much money?” i began to think about who i wanted to be and if i would make enough money. I'm kind of on both sides thinking about doing something you love which you should, but then thinking about if you had a family,would doing something you love be able to support your family the way you need to support, or sacrifice your family for the things you love to do. The decision is yours you choose.

I always hesitate to tell people that i want to pursue career as a musician. Either I earn a look that says “You’re in over your head”, or “How nice to be young and to dream”. I am fully aware that this is an extremely difficult business to become successful in let alone provide myself with all the basic necessities of life. However, I don’t believe that your salary determines your happiness. The one thing that keeps me going all day is knowing that at the end of the day, I can come home and play my guitar, learn a cover or write a song myself. I’m constantly exploring different ways to express myself through music and have never felt more comfortable than when I’m on a stage. I know that even if I were to not be able to provide myself performing music for others, I could still keep that in my life and work behind the scenes in a recording studio or at a radio station. I know as long as I don’t give up music and sharing that music with others, I will wake up everyday with a smile on my face.

In the modern era, it difficult to justify a career choice that fails to provide sufficient monetary compensation, particularly one that requires any type of advanced degree. As unpleasant as it is, the practicality of “doing what you love” is something that diminishes by the day. In our modern world, one of excessive competition, with a pitiful amount of room left for personal passions. While I personally revel in the practice of writing, I bar myself from entering a career as an author or journalist simply because it is no longer particularly financially lucrative as the Amazon business leviathan consolidates its hold over the publishing industry, and the influence of institutions such as newspapers and magazines wanes, a process detailed in Concepción de León’s article, “Does it Pay to Be a Writer?” In short, careers in creative spheres are no longer a viable life plan. While it is possible to achieve success, the probability of gaining true economic stability is dwindling. However, not all is lost. While being a professional writer may no longer be a reasonable option, nothing prevents those with a creative spark in their minds from writing, painting, or drawing as a hobby in their spare time. It may not be the all-immersive experience offered by a career in these fields, but it grants an opportunity for the best of both worlds. Creative pursuits such as these define people, and while a stable career is a significant part of life, they cannot be ignored entirely.

I think that doing what you love when it comes to work is vital in order to really live life. One's purpose in life should not just be making money, but to enjoy oneself. There are circumstances, however, when money should play a role in your decision, such as supporting a family. IF you are to have kids, they become your dream, so you may have to sacrifice our dream job to put food on the table for their reliant mouths, but it is not to say that you are giving up on your dream, you are simply finding a new dream. If you do have the capability to do what you want for work though, than you better do all you can to get their. A job should not just be for a source of income. Your career should give you a sense of fulfillment in what you are doing for the world. I know what I want to do and I am willing to put in my everything to get there. Are you willing?

When thinking about potential earnings for a job, I think that it should not be presented that having the most money will lead to a happier life, but it should be presented as simply having a job that allows you to care for yourself and your family. Even though having a large pay does allow people to spend less time stressing on bills and taxes, the journey and sacrifices made along the way in working in a high paying field is nowhere near easy. I think it's important for students like me to understand that hard work only matters when it is working toward something you want. Many people blind their judgment with the thought of money and waste their energy and time into something they may not enjoy. I want to become a mechanical engineer, so I can constantly work with my hands and create new Ideas. The salary of the job is only important to me if I see that it allows me to pay my bills and provides me with the necessities I need, but I wouldn’t let the amount of money lead me in a direction I do not love. Having a job you love makes life more exciting because you look forward to each day. Doing something you hate will make you want to just stay home and sleep. Money doesn’t do anything if you spend all your time trying to get more of it. It used in order to help you keep doing the things that makes life great.

While reading this article I knew that writers generally didn’t get paid a huge amount of money unless they were able to make it big, but I didn’t realize that it was almost impossible to make a career out of it. I think that it is important to follow a career that you are passionate about but I also think that money should be considered when making a decision that could affect the rest of your life. Money shouldn’t be all someone thinks about but I think that it is important to choose a job that you can create a sustainable life out of because you won’t be able to pursue or invest in a career if you don’t have some money to give you a boost at first. Personally, ever since I first started thinking about what I wanted my job to be when I get out of college, it was always a mixture between what I want to do and how much I get paid for doing it. From an early age I’ve wanted to go into the medical field and as I got older my sights have been more focused on physical therapy. I knew that I wanted to be able to help people one way or another and physical therapy had seemed like the perfect fit for me. I want to be able to have a sustainable life while also being able to enjoy it at the same time. Overall, I don’t really think that there is a perfect job out there, but I do think that if you choose something that you’re good at, enjoy doing, and has a good salary that’s fit for you, then you’ll be able to lead a good and happy life.

In today’s world, finding a job that you love while also providing a good income is extremely difficult. The information from the article does not surprise me because the mind’s of people are expanding and the writing industry can be difficult to come by. People still pursue careers in industries that typically don’t pay much because it is something they can do every day and enjoy. There are people that believe that if they are doing what they love, the money doesn’t matter. Although, potential earnings should be crucial when choosing a career. It is important to be able to sustain yourself and live a life that you want to live. When I finish high school, I hope to go to college to become a pediatric nurse. The salary of this job was an important part in deciding this career choice. Working with children is something I am passionate about, but the nursing field was chosen based on the salary. I want to be able to support myself and my potential family without struggle. When choosing a career, “doing what you love” may not always be an option. As the article mentioned, sometimes doing what you love is not a livable option. It may not always be realistic.

Only being a kid in high school, I acknowledge that I don't know much about the "real world". I don't know how to budget, or how much average rent is, or how to pay for a student loan, but I do know that all of these things are much easier to do if you have a good job that pays well. All my life my parents have pushed me to do as well as I can academically so that I don't have to worry financially in the future. This hard working mindset has been instilled into my school work so that I have a plethora of open doors in my future. However, when I reflect on my long nights studying I ask myself, "Am I happy?". Am I doing the right thing? Yes I think so, but am I enjoying myself? Definitely not. I ask myself if all of this work is really worth it if it means giving up my happiness. To be frank, I don't really know if it is. School isn't fun and I'm assuming that work isn't either if I'm not doing something that genuinely excites me. Money isn't everything, however, it certainly does make life a lot easier. But there is nothing that is worth sacrificing my happiness.

Sadly, our way of life makes us choose between financial stability and self-fulfillment. As the article covers, many writers need to work multiple jobs in order to make ends meet. Performing excess labor to survive isn't a sought after existence. This encourages us to seek out and study for high-paying jobs first, then demote what we truly enjoy to a hobby. Who wants to do work as a hobby? For this reason, "do what you love" advice, to me, doesn't seem to come from a place of understanding. You can only really afford food, housing, and a livelihood if "what you love" is, coincidentally, profitable enough to support your needs; otherwise, you must opt for either happiness or survival. This may seem grim, but it helps create a more realistic perspective and complete understanding of the dynamics at play when one is choosing a career. It’s also crucial to recognize the harmful effect of our commercial systems on people like writers, artists and designers. Amazon now promotes purchases through a third-party seller, where the money is split between Amazon and the third-party rather than the publisher (and the author). In addition, mass produced goods are made to undercut the price of anything handmade. Our modern marketplace makes it very difficult to pursue certain careers, and insight like “just do what you love” teaches nothing but how out of touch a lot of us still are about these issues.

I think choosing a career is all about balance. If you choose solely on what interests you, you cannot live. In america living costs are pretty costly, and although you may be passionate about something, you need to be able to survive. However it is possible to pursue a career while taking on another job to support yourself. However you should make sure what you are doing interests you and not go down the typical money-making jobs (ie. Doctor, Lawyer..) just for the money. I think finding a career is all about baleen as you will stay in that field likely for the rest of your life. You can pursue writing or fields that may be harder to earn a living if you enjoy it, however you need to realize what is attainable and what will allow you to pay for living, health care, and basic costs in the United States.

I would definitely pursue a career even though I might not make much money. I would also agree with the advice “do what you love” when it comes to choosing a career. I would much rather enjoy my job and be happy going to work than being miserable at my job but make a lot of money. Most likely, you will spend a majority of your day working, but if you enjoy your job, it might not feel like work. However, I do think it's important to consider potential earnings when choosing a career. If you are someone who wants to live a luxurious life with a lot of expensive possessions, it might be difficult to live with making little money but a job you love. Different people have different priorities. But, at the end of the day I want to love my job and be happy with what I have to everyday.

Would You Pursue a Career If You Knew You Likely Would Not Make Much Money? I would pursue a career that does not pay much, as long as I enjoy it. Income is important to me, when deciding my future career however, it is not the only aspect I look at. I think that we should do what we love, or something you are at least interested in, because you don't want to be stuck in a job that makes you want to kill yourself because it's so boring. However, I also think that when deciding your career you should keep in mind the salary, so that you are aware of how you might have to change your lifestyle/ choices in order to keep within budget. I don't think that money should discourage people from pursuing their employment dreams, and we should encourage them to reach those dreams.

William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, and John Cheever may not be the best examples of writers who successfully negotiated the work–life balance.

It did not surprise me to learn authors and freelance journalists do not make much money. With giants like Amazon taking over, small, independent writers do not have a guaranteed chance at a stable income. In light of these development, it makes sense for people in those industries to take on related jobs and opportunities. It is a necessity in this economy to be able to eke out a living, and a sustainable one at that; leading many to walk away from their passions because that's what needs to happen. In my family, my single mother used to search endlessly for a job to provide for my sibling and I. Her current job wasn't what she attended university for, but it would be enough for our home and necessities. Looking back at those times, I hope to find a career I love, but within reason. I have a wider scope of understanding that money needs to be made, but I have hopes that the field of journalism is still alive by the time I graduate. I fully intend to pursue what I love and is interesting to me: journalism. By reading this article I am faced with the reality that not everyone makes it into The New York Times or uncovers a scandal like the Spotlight team in 2001. There is still hope that I can write about the major stories of our society and support myself and a future family.

I would not choose to go in a career if it did not pay well, no matter how much I was interested in it. Ultimately, the most efficient way to promote physical and mental well being is to have money - not in abundance, but a liveable salary is something hard to live without. I feel like the hassle of playing catch-up with bills, payments, etc., would spoil the fun of the interest anyways, since it attracts so many hardships. When thinking about a career, the advice I would give is to think practically. Career advice typically includes something around “following your passion” or your interests. But, interests change drastically through time. Of course an interest can be persistent, but to risk everything over a fleeting hobby does not seem worth it. I think that many things need to be taken into account when looking for a job. You don’t need to be in love with every aspect of your job to see it as worthwhile . Fulfillment could range from helping others, to expressing yourself, to providing for yourself and your family. Ultimately, I think the job needs to match up with your skills, desired salary, and enjoyment of the tasks you’re performing, for it to be the perfect job. Following your dreams isn’t necessarily the be-all-end-all of careers.

I would pursue a career that did not offer a large salary as long as I enjoyed it. Yes, I probably would not make maybe as much money as I wanted to, but I would wake up every day excited to go to work. In today's world, not many adults really enjoy their occupation as a part of their "lifestyle" or even "hobbie". Most of the time, these people are seen walking around miserably on the weekdays, as they are solely focused on reaching the weekend. However, making not a lot of money comes with sacrifices. I would not be able to live as luxuriously as maybe preferred. I might not be able to have my dream car, or dream house, or dream vacations. Nevertheless, all of these things bought with large amounts of money can only take you so far in life. A "dream" car can take you all the same places a mediocre car could, and a "dream" house is the same four walls and a roof that a mediocre house could provide. Also, a "dream" vacation only lasts for so long, until you must return home. My goal is to have my weekdays be as enjoyable as my weekends because we only live for so long. If that means not making a huge amount of money, so be it.

It is with absolute certainty that I state: I would pursue a career even if I would not make much money in it. This is something that I consider a necessity for happiness in life. Sure, there are careers that will make a person a lot of money. But if this work is not what someone truly wants to be doing, a person could spend their entire life accumulating wealth and not have accumulated an ounce of meaningful experience or fulfillment. Now, the condition with working for a low amount of money is that this career has to be something that you know will make you feel satisfied and fulfilled. A career path that someone chooses without caring how much money they make will have to be something that they yearn to do, and ha to be something that gives them enough satisfaction to overlook a low wage. Personally, I want to be a lawyer, which is a profession that usually pays relatively well. I also have a passion for guitar and music. This passion was something that I never considered to be my career choice, but I can easily see the appeal of playing guitar and improving myself musically in exchange for the low amount of money that is payed out from gigs. In summary, I would definitely pursue a career even if it meant I would not make much money, as long as that career gives me immense fulfillment and satisfaction.

I believe that one's happiness rules over any other factor. Personally, even if I knew that the career I wanted to pursue didn't make a lot of money, I would still choose to follow that path. Sadly, many people are left working with jobs they dislike in order to make it in today's society. However, being a high school student who's future is yet to be determined, my happiness is my priority and I plan to follow my passion rather than a salary. I believe that if you pursue your passion you're more likely to enjoy your work and strive to become better. Seeing yourself improve in an area that you feel passionate about can be more rewarding than a higher pay check because of it's personal meaning to you. To me, I'd be more satisfied seeing myself excel in a career that I love, then subside to something less challenging or risk-worthy because of its pay.

I believe that people should choose a career path whether or not it makes a lot of money. People should wake up wanting to go to work instead of dreading it, like most people nowadays. There's a famous saying that money can't buy happiness, and I believe this to be true. Material things may look nice and seem cool on the outside, but the inside is really what matters. I'd rather do something I love for a living and be not as wealthy as I would, if I had a regular 9-5 office job. Although money is important to buy necessities like food, water, and shelter. People do not need a substantial amount of money in order to buy these necessities. The joy of life is in the journey and most of that journey is a career. There is no point in living a miserable life just to make money that will mean nothing when everyone dies. Material things can not be used once dead and therefore they are meaningless. Although nice to have I would sacrifice material possessions in order to do what I love and love my life.

Personally, I believe that is extremely important to think about earnings when choosing a career. Although I do believe it is very important to enjoy what you do for work, I think that it is just as important to make sure you are making enough money to live in today's world. When choosing a career you not only have to look at your current situation, but also prepare for your future. If you choose a job that you do not make enough money to have a comfortable lifestyle in the future, I feel as if even though you might enjoy that job at the moment it may lead to difficulties in the future. I think that in my future I would be more likely to pick a job that earned more over a job that I would have fun at, so I would have the enough money saved to find enjoyment outside of work.

In all honesty, the fact that writers make less money than they did in the recent past surprises me quite a bit. Although technology is taking over, that just means books are now more accesible than they ever were before. If someone decides to be a writer, however, it's clearly because it's their passion. You don't need money to be happy in life, you just need to do something that makes you happy. That's why people work lower-paying careers despite having opportunity to easily make more money. Teachers are another prime example. No one would become a high school teacher based on the amount of money they're going to make, yet there are still enough people who want to be teachers in the world that schools can actually function. This is because people want to be teachers because they're passionate about teaching. They want to help kids learn new things, and become successful in the future. If I were offered two jobs--a job that I would love to do for low pay, and a job that I would absolutely hate for higher pay--I would take the former. Not everyone would make that choice, and that's understandable; the argument could be made that money makes you happy. The majority of your adult life, however, can be taken up by your career. Is it really worth a more comfortable lifestyle to be absolutely miserable 40 hours a week? For me, no, it isn't. A salary can (and should) certainly be considered when looking at careers, but it shouldn't be the only factor you take into account.

It surprised me to hear that authors do not make much money, seeing that all the authors I am interested in are constantly going on tours, taking vacations, and spending lots of money on luxuries. I guess that's only because they made it big, though. I've never thought about the authors who have published a book that didn't make it off the shelves at Barnes and Noble. But it's the same for singers. Or athletes. If you don't make it to fame, then you really don't make much at all. People still choose to follow careers like these because they're doing what they love. It's important to follow your hobbies, even if you don't think much will come of it. If you love what you do, then you'll put your time and energy into it, and make it into something great. The more you keep trying, the more you're likely to succeed. I've thought about becoming an author. I do love to read, so I've often wondered if it's the right career for me, but I've never been sure. I used to not care about salaries, but now as I'm getting older and realizing how expensive the world is, I've been leaning more towards jobs that I'll make more money in. What I've noticed is that the people who make a lot of money in a job that they hate aren't always happy, and the people who make less money in a job that they love always have something to look forward to.

I would absolutely pursue a career that does not pay very much. When I wake up every morning, I want to be happy to go to work. I want to go someplace I enjoy, and not dread every waking moment I spend there. For example, My dream job would to be a sports writer, or ESPN analyst. If you make it to the big stage of sports center, you can be making a very comfortable living, however, when just starting out, it can be an uphill battle. I think it all comes down to the type of person you are. I am not the type of person who needs material things. Do I enjoy them? Of course. However I would rather sacrifice many of the comforts that come with a well paying job in order to do something I love. The last thing I want in life is to hate where I work. Waking up everyday to go to an average 9-5 job that I hate would be a death sentence. I'm only 17 years old, and I am a junior in high school. I really haven't thought about money much in my life, so maybe its a little premature to say that I do not care about it much. However as I sit here an right this, I want to do what I love, and love what I do.

When I grow up, I want to be a forensic psychologist. Studying behavioral patterns that lead to crime is fascinating and pivotal in the prevention of many terrible acts. When researching this career, I made sure to see how much the mean salary is in Massachusetts, but never thought too hard about it. The average income is about the same as a middle class family; the same income I grew up on. So, I guess seeing that number was comforting in a way that made the thought train stop there, but I often wonder "what if it was lower?" I can only hope that my thought would be similar if the number was lower, but in a world where money seems to be everything, I don't think it would be. Though I thoroughly enjoy forensic psychology, I think I would want to pursue a job that would better support my future family, not only myself.

Since the sixth grade I have aspired to become a theatre major. Acting and being on stage is something I love to do, however, the closer I get to needing to apply to colleges, and pick a major that seems unrealistic. There are people who do what they love, and succeed in it. Although something like becoming a famous actress seems ambitious from the seat at my bedroom desk, scrolling through college websites. In other aspects of my life I love history, and english, and would also be glad to pursue a career in either of those fields. Realistically, people get jobs so that they get paid, and it can be hard to decide which is more important- doing what you love, or getting a higher salary. I personally feel that life is short, and people should not waste time in a job or environment where they are unhappy, I would choose the career that I loved, over the one that pays me more every year.

My response to advice "like do what you love" is that you should absolutely do what you love but you also have to be responsible with making decisions like that. For example, I want to go to art school in the future and pursue other artistic passions as possible careers. However, I already know that the art field is a fairly competitive one and I would be ignorant to think that I would be able to create a self sustaining career in said field with the snap of my fingers. That's when the responsibility comes into play. I know that I will mostly likely need to have a job other than what I am passionate about (maybe even multiple jobs). The thing is, I already understood this and I am willing to endure all of that for the chance of creating a sustainable career for myself in the field that I want sometime in the future. Is there a chance that I might not be able to do that? Absolutely. However, the only way I can even allow this dream to become a reality is if I chase it down by making sacrifices and being responsible. I think that in addition to "Do what you love," we should also be advising people to "be responsible" because some people may get so caught up in their dream future that the present will hit them hard and could lead them into an unfavorable position. In conclusion, I will reiterate that there is absolutely nothing wrong with choosing and exploring a career path that excites you. However, you must take all necessary precautions to make a living.

After reading "Would You Pursue a Career If You Knew You Likely Would Not Make Much Money," I was surprised to find out that in a survey from 2017 the median pay for full-time writers was $20,300. Personally for a full-time job the pay seems kind of low, especially if that is for the whole year, and the fact that the rate lowered after places hired part-time writers is even more unbelievable. However, I do think that if someone is so dedicated to the writing field of work, I think that they should pursue their job they are doing something that interests themselves. As what it takes to choosing a career I think that people can look at the income their job makes, but should decide only based off of what interests them because they are going to have to love with that job for a while. My dad for example has been working at his job for so long he hasn't left, but through out the years he has found it less interesting because he has been their so long, and he feels like their is so much more he would rather do.

Personally, I would definitely pursue a career that doesn’t pay as much as others. I look at people who sit behind desks from 8-6, five days a week, counting other people’s money, or creating advertisements, looking at a computer screen all day long. And some of them are happy, and like their job. But if I were offered a job like that, even if it were for triple my original salary, I would have to turn it down. We sit behind desks for sixteen or so years, why would anyone want to do that for the rest of their lives. If I’m not doing something I love, I don’t try as hard. So if I was offered my dream job, but the money wasn’t as good as I had hoped, I would still accept it and figure something out. I look at my parents, and they both love their jobs, but especially my mom. She wakes up every morning and is actually excited to go teach kids how to read and wrote, and she even takes classes for herself to learn how to teach the material better! And her salary is that of a teachers, but she loves her job more than anything, so we make it work. My dad is a FedEx delivery man, and he loves his job, too. I’m sure his salary is around that of my mom’s but he loves it. And yes, he gets hurt sometimes and it’s long hours, but he does it all the same. Everyone in my life have set good examples for my brother and I by loving their jobs. So if I find a job that makes me as excited to go to work as my parents, I would be completely content with that.

"Do what you love" is cute advice for after school activities and hobbies, but when it comes to finding a job, especially in today's economy where real estate prices and the cost of college is getting significantly higher, it becomes necessary to sacrifice a dream job (like being an author) to something with steady pay, even if you do not enjoy it as much. While I do think potential earnings should be at the forefront of someone's concerns when choosing a career, it should definitely not be overpowering what someone wishes to do with their life. If someone is okay sacrificing some leisure for a less profitable job they are truly dedicated to and enjoy, then they should! But it depends person to person. So, while I definitely think it is important to find a "dream job," and that someone should take the opportunity of that if possible, it is more important to find a career path that will provide you with a steady income.

Honestly, if I were to pursue a career knowing I wouldn't make much money, I would if it was something I loved to do. If It was a job where I would wake up everyday, excited to work, it would be completely worth it. I don't want to be that adult that makes a ton of money but is completely miserable; money cannot buy you happiness if you don't truly love what you do. For example, I would rather live in a little hut on the water with only what I needed to live, go to work everyday that is something I love to do, and then go back to my little hut and surf. Life is what you make it; if you choose to do something that doesn't make you happy because of the money you make from the job, that is not worth it at all in my opinion. I feel like because of everything going on in this world, and the economic stability of America, people feel like they have to go into a career that makes a lot of money. If that is the path you choose to take (money over happiness), I can guarantee that you will look back on your life and have all kinds of regrets. Don't let the thought of money take over the things that make you happy in life.

Speaking from someone who has always wanted to become a writer someday, I believe in a profession as such it requires lots of hard work and many years before something may take off. That is why if you see your life following that path you have to be open to very minimal pay until your moment finally comes. It took me a while to realize that I would not be happy with a profession that may take a decade to take off. That's wen I realized ow I would not be happy wit a career tat did not pay well; I believe making the money is the most satisfying part that lets you know you're doing good. This is why I decided that I had to find a job where I would be making money and wouldn't be waiting for it to come, or struggling because I didn't make enough. That is when I started stepping towards the idea of working in forensics, like a crime scene investigator where I knew my money would be a way of knowing how much hard work I am doing. I know it is not all about getting paid which is why I picked a job more on the idea of how much I'd enjoy it. I would feel like I am helping someone everyday and to me that is more important than money; even though it is still important a little.

Of course it is everyone's dream to do what they love as a job. However, I think it is becoming less practical to do what you love and make a living. It is so much easier to say that you would pass up on money than it is to actually do it. In the ever evolving world we live in today it is almost impossible to completely forget about money. No matter how hard you try money rules your life. In order to do anything in this world you need money. Like a wise group of men once said "Cash rules everything around me" This statement holds true today. As great as it would be to follow your passion. It is not an option that everyone can choose to pursue.