“Happiness is not in having money but in its quantity”. (A Common Sense joke with some merit)
Guys, I have spent 13 years of my life helping folks like yourself to become professionals. I not only taught the classes but also mentored people, teaching them to write strong resumes and secure job offers after their first interview.
You may or may not listen to my advice; it’s up to you. After all, every person is a builder of their own happiness (or miserable life). There is no action that you will participate in that will not affect your life in one way or another. Whatever you decide to do will make a difference in your future life.
I have made some mistakes in my personal life, but alas, I did not make the mistakes in choosing a profession.
If you are a relatively young person and still unsure about which direction to take, my thoughts, as reflected in this article, will help you make an informed decision. If you are not a young person but are still at a crossroads, read my thoughts on choosing or changing careers. It’s not late, trust me.
When my son was in his 10th grade and we had a conversation about which profession to choose, he said the following: “I’d rather have the job I love and low compensation than the job I despise and good compensation!”.
Would you happen to know what I have told him in response? “Yeah, I get it, and, after coming from work around 6 PM, you will get back to your car and drive to your second job to deliver pizza because your family needs money”.
The difference in thinking was noticeable: I had the life experience, but my son was still a kid.
No doubt, his statement had merit – who would love the job that you hated every day? The problem is not so simple to solve. So, let’s get to the root of it.
- We Live In a World Where Money rules almost Everything
We like it or not, but if you have no money for even the most basic needs and paying your bills, you won’t be happy. It means your profession or occupation should pay enough to support your lifestyle.
There are so many articles about this matter that if you read all of them, you would be frustrated, at least. There are two opposing points of view:
- You can be happy with little money
- You must have a well-paying job, not to dedicate your life to living for work.”
Let’s review the first statement, A.
What do you think about it? If you are interested in the merit of this statement, you could read a few books, including one by the author who calls himself the "Money Mustache." The blog about “mustacheanism” can be found here.
I believe that if you assign a serious (I really mean “serious”) goal to live happily with little money, it is achievable, but probably as difficult (but not impossible) as assigning a goal to become a millionaire.
The whole idea of living on pennies becomes an obsession and your daily goal. You have to be ready to live with grocery coupons, looking through the latest sales, and doing comparison shopping for your food. Consider renting a studio in a more affordable area, living with a roommate (male or female), and making macaroni and cheese your favorite food. Eating in restaurants is out of the question.
Still, as I said, it is possible because if your brain is conditioned to enjoy life in your free time and not pay attention to how and where you live… well, read the blog I have mentioned above.
Let’s review the second statement B.
Unfortunately, you must earn enough money to have freedom of choice: to be surrounded by successful people or with losers; to live in an apartment or the house; to drive old Chevrolet or newly rented Lexus; to live in the center of the city or the suburb where apartments are cheaper; to date a classy girl or the part-time waitress with a cigarette sticking out of her mouse… (not that I don’t respect their occupation). I could continue on and on, but you got my point: it’s better to be rich and healthy than poor and sick… No secret here.
Fortunately, it’s up to you, man! With the right attitude and persistence, everything is achievable.
Don’t worry, I won’t brainwash you into thinking that working hard and setting goals are the only ways to succeed. While it is the reality of this world, it rarely helps in your situations because, in most cases, people are looking for some magic clue on what to do next in life and how to choose the RIGHT WAY to a new profession.
Forget about any clue. Think straight. You need an occupation that pays enough money to support the lifestyle you personally want. The higher your goal and desired lifestyle, the more money you need to make. Sorry to disappoint you, guys, but this is a reality of this life.
Money won’t buy you happiness, but it will make getting there easier. Orient yourself on having one job that would not require extra hours of your life spent on something trivial, such as delivering pizza part-time.
My son wanted to research in the field of medicine, but this kind of work requires getting grants from the government. As you may assume, this is a potential problem, as his job would depend on whether or not his organization receives the funding. Getting to know a profession that looks attractive requires some due diligence. Spend some time and learn as much as you can.
By the way, I was reminded that the average handyman makes $65/hr. Yes, without any degree! Just for having excellent hands-on skills.
- The 9 Questions to Consider for Your Due Diligence
When I think about due diligence for choosing a profession, nine questions come to mind:
- How long will this occupation exist? If I have a 40-45-year working life, will this profession remain in demand for such a long time?
- Do I have enough intelligence or hands-on skills to be successful in this profession?
- What is the average compensation after working for 5-7 years in this occupation?
- How many people with this occupation are required in my area of living, or the location I don’t mind choosing as my new home? Or, in short, what is a demand?
- What do I need to learn, and what professional level should I reach to make the maximum money in a chosen field?
- Do I need to pass any certifications, have any diplomas or degrees?
- How long does it take to learn my professional skills?
- How much does it cost? Well, money again…
- And, finally, would this profession be attractive to me?
- Is there any new technology or direction in the job market? (Ex: Artificial Intelligence)
I will explain the need for answers to the questions shown above, but first, let me tell you a few stories from my life that will give you peace of mind.
When I was almost 40 years old, I faced a situation that many of you may face today: the need to choose between my first profession and another because the current one is no longer viable. It was a recessionary time when people were laid off in bunches.
I agree that being faced with this situation in the middle of your working career is not enjoyable. Yet, when you have a family and two kids, you have no choice but to swallow “why did I deserve it?” or “why did it happen to me?” and get to the “drawing board” again.
Well, I’ve grabbed the newspaper (it was before the Internet) and a piece of paper and began scrolling through the Help Wanted section. I have drawn a simple table: job position in one column and the number of similar ads in the second column. As a result, I found that there is a massive demand in the Computer Networking field. It sounded attractive since I was a technical person, and I had previous knowledge in the field of electronics.
That evening, I turned my life onto the right road to success. Several years later, I was working for a major University as a Novell-certified network engineer. How I got there is another story, but my even small due diligence made a significant impact on my life, and later, a much bigger impact on the lives of more than 800 people who came through the education in my Training Center that I started a few years later.
Without the Internet, I would not have been able to answer all those nine questions. In fact, I had no idea what computer networking was about until I spent some time in the library. However, you have the luxury of searching using the power of the Internet and search engines. A piece of cake, right?
Here is another story about the daughter of my old friend.
You may be familiar with Columbia University, a private Ivy League research university in New York City, the oldest institution of higher education in New York, and the fifth-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. So, in short, his daughter was able to secure the loan, and, having a talent for art, she completed her education there.
To give you an idea of the cost of that education (and how much her parents had to spend), just one credit costs approximately $2,100, not including the cost of books and living expenses in New York. For Spring 2020, the tuition fee for only 15 credits is $25,968. So, to make a long story short, she has earned a degree in the Arts and found a job as an art teacher in a school. Salary? Around $50K/ year.
Can you believe it?!
To get the degree from an Ivy League university and get the job with only $50 a year, without any prospect of getting it much higher in the future (because the average salary for art teachers in the U.S. is $53,000).
Did she do her due diligence? Even if that were the case, it was poor preparation.
Now, please let me know how long she will take to pay off her tuition loan. Maybe until retirement or beyond? She might like her job, but do you think it was a good idea?
- A Few Things I Need to Clarify
Here is another story about the son of my close friends.
He has obtained a degree in Information Technology from our local University, but several months of his job search attempts have not yielded the desired results.
So, his parents asked me if I could enroll him in the computer networking training program. After 7 months of training on an evening/weekend schedule, the guy received a job offer within 12 days after graduation.
You may think: "Why does it happen? Why 4-years degree not guarantee a job?"
The answer is quite simple. Universities and colleges deliver academic skills, while the training program provides technical skills that every employer is looking for. As a result, after graduating from college, you are getting the piece of paper that confirms that you have academic knowledge on a particular subject, but no hands-on experience. If you took the training program in a vocational (occupational) school, you are ready for real-world tasks because you have hands-on skills.
There is the same approach for career changers. If you have decided to change your career because your skills are no longer marketable, keep in mind that you have to have the hands-on skills and, perhaps, some experience (maybe as a volunteer or having completed some project?), so the potential employer would feel more comfortable hiring you.
The last piece of advice: never be discouraged from getting a new career. I have plenty of examples when the men in their forties (taxi drivers, engineers, or mechanics) have successfully switched to another profession. What you need is a clear goal, thorough due diligence, and sufficient persistence if you don’t want to hate every day of your life while searching for a better-paying job.
I wish you success in your endeavor.
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