Taking a dive into where you can find happy mediums in your career of interest!
Look, I’ll say it so that you don’t have to – the financial approach to a career does matter. I mean, how else would you build stability in your life? Especially in this day and age, where everything requires money. Seriously, you basically have to be a human bank just to experience another country. Naturally, we all take money into consideration when choosing careers. It’s not often that people speak about how this can lead to dissatisfaction in career fields when it’s the only thing prioritized.
What people often fail to realize is that career fulfillment doesn’t have to be a “give and take” situation. You don’t necessarily have to give up money to be happy, and you don’t have to risk happiness for wealth. Arguably, the problem at hand with some of us is that we don’t trust that our desired career will make us “good” money (rightfully so).
But what if I told you that societal norms play a significant part in your distrust? People are always talking about careers that typically don’t pay enough (e.g., visual & performing arts, communications, drama & theatre arts, social work, cosmetology, etc.). The problem with that is that so many people want to be in those career fields, but constant talk about low pay discourages them. If you are one of those people, here’s some encouragement:
At first, it was very frustrating to try to pinpoint a happy medium between money and happiness in a career. Some people may argue that choosing a career that makes you happy and makes you money isn’t realistic. Some may argue that it’s only realistic for people who just so happen to genuinely enjoy jobs like being a doctor, lawyer or engineer. But I argue that it’s realistic for all people in every career field who trust their potential. The truth is, we put ourselves in boxes that eventually shape our reality. If you know that you are great at something and you have the work ethic, it has no choice but to work out in some way.
There are many people who thrive in non-financially ideal careers. These people can be some of your favorite actors, authors and journalists. You can do it too!
If you love a particular field, but you’re nervous about salary, here are a few ways that you could potentially do what you love and make desirable pay while doing it:
1. The Side-Hustle Method
Side hustling is an intelligent way to balance your desired paths and financial stability. But remember, side-hustling will make you a little busy. This way includes doing what you love part time, while finding yourself in a field that pays the salary you desire. It’s important for you to remember that whatever job you choose for salary purposes doesn’t have to be one you’re not interested in. It can relate to the side hustle or relate to another trait of yours (e.g., desire to help people). Maybe you grew up writing books, but always had a passion for taking care of children. Who’s to say you can’t be a pediatrician and write books? If anything, this opens up more opportunities for you to possibly even connect the two things you do. You could write books about being a doctor or even give people in your workplace free samples of your medical books.
You would have to make sure your workplace allows these sorts of things if you wanted to do a side hustle and/or connect your side hustle to your job. This is just one example, but apply the thought to your personal situation and ask yourself these questions:
- What else do I have a passion for that can connect to this passion?
- How can I manage these two passions while avoiding burnout?
In a Northwestern Mutual article, expert Holy Reid, a financial literacy educator, encourages side hustles, “Having a side job in an area of interest can quickly give you the experience, knowledge and confidence needed to reinvent yourself and actually begin working in an area you love.”
This method isn’t for everyone, and it truly depends on your side hustle. Things like writing are far easier as a side hustle than performing arts or acting. If side hustling doesn’t fit your situation, don’t worry, there are other ways.
2. Finding a related field
Your selected career field can be something related to the thing you love. If you feel unsure about the salary of your desired passion, there’s more than likely a path that requires the same skill set you fell in love with. An example of this could be having a passion for general graphic design. That same skill set can be taken to a niche that’s more likely to guarantee money, like product design.
“If you have a clear understanding of how your skills transfer, create an opportunity to show those skills in action.” In her article, career strategist Carole-Ann Penney recommends transferring skills into new roles.
“You’ll be able to establish a track-record, demonstrate your know-how, and prove that you have the chops to take on the new role,” Penney said in the article.
You may just get to explore that skill set even more once you’ve decided what niche you want to partake in. This method is very useful for people who have a general passion that they’re afraid won’t earn them their desired salary. Researching related paths may help you find a job for a lifetime that you will enjoy doing.
3. Aim for Larger Corporations/Organizations
The good thing about being great at something and having a good skill set is that you can get recognized for it by large organizations! The only way that this works is if you put yourself out there. Working to showcase the work you do, networking and reaching out to larger organizations are the most effective ways you can ensure you have financial stability while doing what you love.
Nia Michael, a clinical analytics software engineer at Philips & Company, writes, “There is no denying the lure of a great benefits package and corporate perks… big corporations can offer long-term financial stability, peace of mind, and an atmosphere that fosters good employee relations.”
A great example of this method is being a fashion designer. Initially, people hear the passion of being a fashion designer and shoot it down. What isn’t mentioned are the possibilities of working as a designer for commercial corporations. This could be essentially easier than becoming an independent designer with no prior established connections. Aiming for large organizations in your desired career is a method that is probably the most reliable in terms of a happy medium. This is simply because larger companies normally have set salaries for different positions. Keep in mind, this may not be for everyone.
These are just a few ways you can meet a happy medium in a career! Always remember, there is always a way and every way is possible if you put your mind to it. It’s a cliché, but a true one!