“Most people choose a career on the basis of such pragmatic considerations as the needs of the economy, the relative ease of finding a job, and the salary they can expect to make. Hardly anyone is free to choose a career based on his or her natural talents or interest in a particular kind of work.”

We spend a major portion of our lives working. How many people are actually happy with their jobs? There are a lot of people who picked up careers that were far from their natural talents and interests. Why does this happen to a majority of people? The answer is obvious. Money makes the world go round! The perks and privileges of a job along with the respect and popularity associated with it are the major factors that govern your choice of career. Who does not like money flowing into his bank account and who does not want to live a comfortable life with little or no financial constraints? Therefore, most people are bound by these restrictions that force them to choose careers that do not hold their interests and the people may not have the necessary talent for the careers that they choose to pursue.

The decision to choose a career based on considerations other than an interest in that kind of job is based on several factors. A major factor is the necessity of raking in enough money to make life comfortable for yourself and your family. Another important factor is the lack of proper guidance. School students learn a lot from the environment around them. They easily get impressed by popular career options like those associated with the world of glamour because not only do these careers boast of a high income but they also provide you with fame and publicity. Before choosing a career in films, how many people actually bother to test themselves to see if they have a natural flair for acting or whether they actually have an interest in acting? This kind of a career requires late working hours, lots of traveling, a fitness regime, an endless struggle to get your first break etc. Nevertheless, people are drawn to this career just because of the glamour and money associated with it irrespective of their interests and talents. Moreover, there are many jobs that earn a lot of respect and therefore, they are chosen as careers by most people irrespective of their interest for that kind of a job. Take the example of a career in medicine which is respected by one and all. There are numerous students who prepare for the entrance examinations to medical colleges without assessing where their interests lie.

The careers chosen by people are largely influenced by the thoughts and aspirations of their parents. The school going children today are under a lot of pressure from their parents to do well in life and for that they are grilled into preparing for a particular career very early in life. A family of doctors, lawyers or businessmen would obviously want their children to become doctors, lawyers and businessmen respectively in order to carry their businesses further. If one such family has an only child who has a natural talent for playing basketball, would the family allow him to choose a career in sports and let the family business go without an heir? There have been so many instances in history when sons and daughters of politicians have joined politics, but no one really knows if they actually had an interest in politics or whether they were forced to join politics by their influential parents who wanted them to carry the family name ahead.

Finally, there are numerous students who are interested in fine arts or who are talented painters and sportsmen, but their countries may not be having the necessary infrastructure to provide them with a rewarding career in these fields. Therefore, the students are left with no other choice but to choose a career that fulfills other criteria like a good salary and good job seeking options.