When school lets out for the summer many teenagers find themselves facing a few months with nothing to do. The first few weeks of summer vacation are usually spent lounging around and sleeping in until noon, but even a lazy seventeen or eighteen-year-old will grow bored of that routine. Many kids are now looking for summer job opportunities that allow them to get outside and enjoy the warm weather while making a few extra dollars. Read more »

When people are contemplating careers, they are less and less likely to figure out what fits their interests nowadays. More and more, the youth of today are looking at starting salaries as a way to determine future choices. For example, many people who would be good at instructing children do not go into this field because of starting teacher salaries. Engineer starting salaries are better, as are the salaries of accountants, business executives, and many other professionals.

 As a result, these people stay away from a field that could really use their help – one of the most noble fields that there is – educating the young.

Personally, I think this is a shame. Don’t get me wrong – I understand the importance of career starting salaries. Particularly if you have built up a big debt while in school, having a good starting salary can really make a big difference as you start to think about homeownership and starting a family. Nonetheless, it is ultimately a better idea to choose a career that you will be happy with.

Money is important, but it is not everything. If you let your starting salary determine your future, you will never get anywhere. You will be unhappy and burned out after a few years.

The other thing that people don’t realize when they become obsessed with starting pay is that you will not do as well in an industry that does not interest you. If, for example, you want to get into business because business people make a lot of money, it will be very difficult for you to do the same.

People who really succeed in business have a passion for it, as the people who really succeed in anything have a passion for that. Starting salaries are important, and they can provide an additional incentive to succeed. Nevertheless, the most important factor is whether or not you are excited about the field that you have chosen. If you are not, starting salaries still do not matter. Read more »

We all have an ideal career we’re shooting for. Some of us go to college to get that teaching degree and others tackle law school. The funny thing is that many of us fail to foresee the time and effort soon to be required of us. A prime example of this concerns sales jobs. Who wants to work in sales? Not me! I know that for a fact. If it wasn’t the several door-to-door salesmen I’ve seen in my day, it was the one I encountered as a bartender. Either way, I have no interest in ever becoming a salesman. Read more »

I love to take pictures but I am by no means a professional photographer. Perhaps some day I will take it more seriously. There are a lot of great jobs in photography out there, but I don’t know if I will ever have one. I think I might stick to writing, but if you are into taking pictures, you may want to consider it for a career. There are some fun and interesting jobs out there, and photography is one of them. Read more »