We need to have our life figured when we are applying to college.
We have been told that we need to understand and be certain of what we want to do when we are applying to colleges in our senior year of high school, and we need to participate in extracurriculars that reflect that so really we need to know during high school. I think this is such a horrible thing to tell high school kids because their world is so small in high school.
When I was in high school, I believed that the only viable careers I could have were an engineer or a doctor because, in my family, that is what everyone was; however, all of my sister’s friends who are in their late 20s have had some kind of career shift.
My sister’s career change was less drastic: she wants to go to business school to increase her job possibilities. My sister’s friend shifted from finance to user experience and user interface design. Their experiences have shown me that I don’t need to put so much pressure on myself.
Making money = selling out.
The second lie is that making a lot of money, a six-figure salary is equivalent to selling out. I think this idea comes from the notion that all companies that can pay you this much are horrible but that isn’t true.
A lot of the really big companies have a lot of different projects that they work on, and on top of that, donating a portion of your salary is also another way to do good. I think there’s a misconception that making less may even be equivalent to more ethical work, but there are unethical company practices at all levels. We should be grateful for the money that we have.
However, you can work at a “good” company and still make a lot of money. My sister and my cousin both work at hospitals and healthcare platforms, and they both make a six-figure salary. At the end of the day, it comes back to you and what you are doing.
Your job will be the source of all your fulfillment.
The third lie is that your job will be the source of all your fulfillment. I think that it was ridiculous I ever felt this way because they make hobbies for a reason. I am one of those people where my interests span such a wide area that it is so hard to choose just one.
I love the entertainment industry, but I want to work on climate change issues and data privacy issues, and if I’m completely honest, I am more cut out for them later. I realized that I do not want to work in a creative industry but rather have a creative outlet and grow my photography Instagram and take up a little corner of the internet.
I think it was hard for me to see that I could do both because school, especially school during a pandemic, takes so much of my time, and a lot of the photography I want to do is travel photography.