When picking a career today, many people only focus on money rather than their passion. Many students look toward getting a job that earns a great deal of money, such as a doctor. According to Forbes, the average salary of a doctor is $189,000 a year. Parents tend to be a major factor toward their child’s career and decision. The question is, should money be the only element to consider when choosing a career?

No, money should not be the only element to consider when picking a career to pursue. I understand that money is a major decision in picking a career, but it shouldn’t be the only decision. People need money to sustain themselves, their family, etc., but you wouldn’t want to do something the rest of your life that you hate.

According to Bushra, a Bob Jones parent, “Money does not bring happiness. I majored in Electrical Engineering, and I work as a Product Engineer.  When I began to work, I did not enjoy my job, but the only thing about my job that kept me going was the paychecks I received.” Even though she doesn’t really enjoy her job, to Bushra money is sometimes the only factor of her career that motivates her to keep going because that’s one way of sustaining her family and herself. Now Bushra is sitting for her PMP(Project Management Professionals) Exam.

According to Fast Company, “New research shows that richer and poorer people are generally as happy as each other. ”

Cassidi Wilson, a student at Bob Jones and an aspiring lawyer, said, “When money becomes more accessible after college instead of being poured into student loans, a career’s salary will become less of a factor in deciding one.”

Let’s say you decide to choose a good-paying career, though it doesn’t necessarily reflect your interests or personality. You go through all four years of high school, go to either to a college, finish the minimum required years of college for your field–bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or maybe your PHD.  When you start working, you are bored and you regret your decision for the rest of your life, but you’ve already invested so much time and money into the whole process and perhaps you now have a family who expects a certain standard of living.

I think you should pick a career based on what you enjoy and love. Do not pick a career based only off of how you make because in the end, I think happiness is what really matters.