Most people will experience a dilemma at some point in their life where they are unsure of whether to pursue a career in the thing that they enjoy or pursue a career in something that will make more money. Some people are lucky and get both. However, most people realize that they can’t make a living building professional Lego sets for rich CEOs.
It’s often a difficult decision. There’s a fine balance between choosing something you enjoy versus something that will make your life more comfortable. As a naive high school or college graduate, it is often tempting to want to pursue that one niche thing we were good at during our childhood. We hope it’ll carry us the whole nine yards, only to find out that there was never really a chance to begin with. Our parents may encourage us down the more practical, sustainable path, likely having witnessed horror stories of their friends’ children failing to find a job. For my Chinese immigrant parents, it would have literally been impossible for them to get a visa to the United States without obtaining their graduate degrees.
On one hand, you want people to try their hand at something risky because they love it. There’s a small chance of success, which may be worth the risk. On the other hand, there’s a good chance they will fail and blame you for not pushing them harder to study or do something more useful. Humans are complicated and emotional. You’re probably going to lose no matter which option you suggest to them.
However, there’s a broader question here: why are some careers more encouraged than others? Why are some jobs higher paying than others? When I mentioned sustainable and high-paying careers, you probably imagined careers, in engineering, the medical field, computer science, or legal studies. They are notorious for their difficulty but extremely high return on investment–all with a solid and promising career path (mostly STEM). When I mentioned risky or unsustainable careers, you probably thought of careers in art, music, history, food, or sports (mostly humanities). Jobs in these fields typically pay a lot less, and it’s way more difficult for you to “make it.” Some stars will rise to the top creating an image of glamour, but most people’s careers will never take off.
Most of my friends are encouraged to go into computer science math or engineering. They know they will likely find high-paying jobs after they graduate, and their parents typically approve of their career choice. But, if everyone thought that way, our world would implode as it became saturated with Patagonia-vested, rock-climbing tech bros. Simply put, we need our artists, history experts, and musicians. We want some people out there to pick their interest in history despite knowing they won’t make as much money in life. We need indie producers to keep on pushing out music despite their small audiences. Some of these singers and rappers eventually make it and will shape our entire culture.
But, why are some careers higher paying or more sustainable than others? It’s mostly due to the market, whether you like it or not. It decides the game. Everybody needs a doctor or a lawyer. People need their plumbers and electricians to fix their homes. We all need our cell phones and washing machines and airplanes and cars. The common thread of these higher-paying careers is that they directly impact the everyday lives of most people. They are in constant demand, and we need them to live[^1]. On the other hand, it’s harder to explicitly outline what a history major or an amateur athlete or a painter does for you. A painter’s work or a humanities research may not be realized or valued for a long time. We may not realize their worth immediately or at all. Furthermore, it’s much harder for an individual to make an impact. While the most famous painters will completely shape what art means, most painters’ names will never even be spoken. The value they add to society may be more indirect or harder to realize, and so, the market adjusts to it.
I’m not saying it should be this way, although I don’t have a good answer for it, either. If the market shouldn’t decide what a career or job is worth, then who should? How do we create a system that still incentivizes people to try things that society devalues or doesn’t encourage? We want a society full of people tackling different problems. In our own little worlds, we don’t realize the value that even the most “insignificant” people have on our lives. It’s easy to scoff at that person who clearly made the wrong career choice and may be suffering now. But, if people like that never tried at all, you wouldn’t even be alive today to judge. However, life isn’t fair. The incentive system that exists today drives certain careers above others in terms of monetary value. It’s difficult to change this system without pulling up its roots. And maybe, we don’t have a better option.