Ask the Experts: Jobs That Pay Well Versus Careers You Love
Question:
I am male and completing a liberal arts degree. My older siblings are bright and very successful. I am torn between entering a career at which I could be successful in terms of making good money and having a fancy title, or teaching elementary school. I love kids and love to teach, but the low pay and high burnout rate scare me. If I go into teaching then I will likely have a lot of financial stress in my personal life and may burnout after 10 years, as so many teachers seem to do. If I don’t teach, then I’ll probably be bored or perhaps even hate my job. What should I do?
First Answer:
What it sounds like is that you are trying to choose between a job and a career. A job is a place where you work and it pays you money. A career is a place you go, love what you do and get paid to do something you love. The average person spends 90,000 working. I don’t know about you, but for me, there is no question. I want a career – I want to enjoy what I do. Regardless of how much a job pays, it is not enough, if you do not enjoy what you do. What we do in our work time and how we feel about what we do, has an effect on every area of our lives. I choose to do those things which I enjoy and make me happy. I cannot imagine going to a job every day, wishing it was time to go home all day long only to worry about having to go back there the next day.
If you have some doubts about what is a good choice for you, consider contacting the Career Center at your university. The Strong Interest Inventory is an excellent tool for providing information on the careers that you have the highest interest in.
If you decide to go into teaching, set up sets to prevent burnout. Make sure that there is time for you. Not all teachers are there because they love teaching — to many it is a job. If they don’t enjoy it — they will burn out.
Good luck on your career choice!
— Linda Wyatt, Career Center, Kansas City Kansas Community College.
Second Answer:
Seems to me that you have already figured out the thing that many more mature (i.e., chronologically older) individuals have trouble doing throughout their careers. You appear to knowwhat makes you feel good and what you don’t like.
Is there really any question in your mind about what you want to do with your life? I think that you are strong enough to follow your gut and not be swayed by the expectations that you think others have for you. So I would say to start out teaching and see how it goes. Do a multi-year plan and take it a year at a time. Do not set your mind now to either always being a teacher or never being a teacher or forever being financially successful or never reaching that goal. The key to success is finding work that you enjoy, that has sufficient meaning to you and allows you to live a life that is personally comfortable.
All life is about making adjustments and compromises and so you will probably have to choose between the big bucks and a more modest life style, between having financial resources and achieving some personal goals. Since you haven’t experienced either world, why don’t you stay open to having choices. Start off teaching which seems to be your first love and iif there comes a time when it no longer works out for you for any number of reasons, you can decide then if you want or need to make a change. I don’t believe that life comes with a permanent blueprint; you make choices and usually these can be altered somehow, someway albeit at an unknown, future cost.
— Debra Feldman, founder of JobWhiz, creator of the JOBWHIZQUIZ, and specialist in cyber savvy strategic job search consultations.
Third Answer:
You may want to talk to numerous teachers about their positions? Find out what they like and dislike about their position? Ask them, if they were to do if again, what would they change? Before you make a decision to focus on money, first, talk to several teachers and find out the ups and downs of teaching.
In this case, you may not be happy unless you teach. As for the money, you may have to compensate it by getting a part time tutor position or something similar. The bottom line, you have to be happy in what you do or you will never be fulfilled!
— Candace Davies, Director and Founder of Cando Career Coaching and Resume Writing and All Trades Resume Writing.
Fourth Answer:
The issue of burnout is real particularly for first year teachers in less affluent regions and inner-city schools of major metro areas.You may be very shocked at the lack of respect students have for teachers. Students cuss at you and challenge your authority. Probably when you were growing up you just naturally had respect for your teachers. You just did not talk back or show them you were better than they were or even equal to them. If you take everything personally you will spent a lot of time yelling or writing people up. Evaluate that approach; recognize the kids are bringing more emotional baggage with them to the classroom. They come from homes where the parents do not pay attention to grades or behavior, where parents are using drugs or alcohol. They bring the problems of their neighborhoods into the school building. While school used to be a sanctuary from bullies and scores were settled outdoors after class, the school is now center stage for fistfights and gunshots.
I do not wish to scare you from your dream but entering the teaching profession today is not what it was when you or your brothers/sisters were in grammar or high school. Know that, believe it and work to protect yourself from taking the students attitudes as a personal affront. Work to win them to your side through understanding and acceptance of reality. You will not reach each of them but one or two successes each term will bring a great deal of satisfaction to your heart. The true measure of a persons success.
As to money, U.S. Governments Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate the median annual earnings of kindergarten, elementary, and secondary school teachers ranged from $33,590 to $37,890 in 1998; the lowest 10 percent, $19,710 to $24,390; the top 10 percent, $53,720 to $70,030. This may not put you on the list of the Rich and Famous, but it is not too shabby of an earnings expectation.
Should you find you are not suited to the demands of elementary education some of the alternative fields open to you may include college and university faculty, counselors, education administrators, employment interviewers, librarians, preschool teachers and child-care workers, public relations specialists, sales representatives, social workers, and trainers and employee development specialists. A teaching education is an excellent foundation that will open many life paths for you to follow.
I think you have your answer in your heart but your mind is ruling your decision process. My suggestion is to follow your heart but recognize the road may be rocky at times.
— Robert C. Resch, Career Center, Triton College.
