Pay Over Passion: Which Matters Most?

College students face an unmatched amount of pressure when navigating the workforce and are often thrown, with no safety net, into the process. It is the season of internships and new summer jobs, which begs the question: Does pay or passion matter more? Everyone desires a job they have a passion and interest for, but today’s economy continuously challenges that notion more and more with harsh realities. Not every job you would love to work in is financially realistic. On the flip side, money cannot buy happiness. So, as you browse through Indeed and LinkedIn this week, ask yourself, “Which matters more to me, pay or passion?”

Passion 

When most of us were in our elementary years, we were always asked what we wanted to be when we grew up. Many of us were taught to “follow our dreams” and “do what makes us happy,” but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that passion is not the only factor influencing my choice of profession. 

Passion may not be the only thing swaying you when making a job decision, but it should be the leading factor. Your enthusiasm and personal interest in an area of work should ultimately be the reason why you choose to work there in the first place. This intrinsic motivation is something vital when working similar jobs over long periods of time. 

People experience burnout and grow to hate the idea of “work” over time because what they are doing at their jobs does not stimulate them; they are not enticed by their material, their routines become mundane, and they simply get bored. Oftentimes, this dilemma can start to bleed into people’s personal lives, causing further issues. We can start to lose general motivation and experience creative lulls way more often. This is why chasing after something you love to do is so important.

It’s okay to be happy at your job; in fact, it’s encouraged. Positive workers make a positive work environment and thorough, driven results. We end up spending much more time at our jobs than we anticipate, so why choose a profession you don’t even like?

Pay

As time goes on and things become more expensive, the workers of America are forced to think a bit harder about which job they decide to settle down with. Obviously, one should choose an area of work that excites and challenges them productively. That said, pay is beginning to trump passion when it comes to being realistic. 

The unforgiving truth about the job market is that not every role is realistic. Some jobs have unsteady or unreliable pay, and others have such a low salary that simple living standards become unfeasible. Even if you’re the hardest worker alive, various jobs simply do not provide employees with enough hours to make the amount of money they need to make a living. 

You need to make strategic and calculated decisions when deciding on a job based on salary. You actually need to be realistic and cautious. Making certain that your month-to-month fees will be accommodated with slight fluctuation is something you need to focus on. In addition, it’s a smart practice to give yourself a bit of leeway when planning, for emergencies or unexpected costs. 

The Happy Medium 

The idea of pay and passion seems to be the two most important components when finding a job, yet it can be challenging to find a cohesive blend of the two in one position. Unless you get lucky, you most likely have to compromise, and that is okay; it’s normal. 

You may have to make slight adjustments to what you’re used to. Maybe you’ll need to work a bit of overtime a couple of days a week, or you might find yourself twiddling your thumbs for an hour at your desk. You’ll most likely have to give a little. In the same breath, do not push yourself too far. Reassess yourself and make sure your values still align with your current work, despite small changes. 

At the end of the day, everyone is different. Some people don’t care about the pay, and some people can work a job they have zero passion for. The “happy medium” does not even have to be a balance, just whatever works for you personally.

Everyone deserves to be adequately compensated for their hard work in a profession they love, but this is not always the case. Passion and pay both drive us in our jobs, oftentimes one more than the other. Finding a healthy balance of the two is key to being successful and staying motivated within your work. Even if you need to make adjustments and adapt, you will just be that much more resilient by the end of your position. Choose the job because you can see yourself managing it without feeling like you want to quit every day. 

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• #happiness
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• college
• passion
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