love and career essay

Love or Career: Which Is More Important?

How do you choose between love or career? Both could last a lifetime, but perhaps not simultaneously.

Yet some lucky people find and manage both beautifully. Which is more important in the long run? Let's study an example of one woman's struggle deciding between love or career. Her name has been changed for privacy.

Sacrificing Love For Your Career

Linda shines at Davis Polk & Wardwell, one of our nation's most prestigious law firms. Just eight years after Yale Law School, at the age of 34, Linda achieved her life long dream of making partner.

At last I have arrived, Linda first thought to herself. She spent countless hours in school studying late at night to get perfect grades and build a perfect resume. That was five years ago.

One day while working on an important case, Linda walked by the pantry only to overhear her associates whisper about her. She couldn't quite catch everything they said. But phrases such as, “ She's almost 40, ” and “ Is she still single? ” zinged her ears.

Never one to doubt herself, Linda kept going for the rest of the week. This case is my priority; it's my mission , she kept saying in her head. Her clients are fighting a hostile takeover from a competitor, and it's her job to defend them.

Breaking Down And Feeling Lonely

At 11:00 PM on Friday, she finally returns exhausted to her grey-scaled, minimalism-inspired condo at the St. Regis Residences. With a soft glass of Cabernet, Linda looks out to the Bay Bridge and begins to cry.

Why am I crying? Linda thinks to herself. I successfully defended my client and the competitor is looking to sweeten their offer. My clients will be filthy rich! I'll be filthy rich.

Linda is unhappy because at 39 she is alone. There's nobody to share her $2 million a year income with. And so she shares it with her apartment instead.

She buys the most expensive amenities, such as textured Brazilian cherrywood floors and Waterworks fixtures. Plus, she pays $2,600 a month in homeowners association dues alone so that she can have all the pampering in the world.

One touch of a button and housekeeping will come and take away her laundry and shine her marble bathroom floors. What's the point of working so hard if not only to simplify my life? Linda wonders.

If Looks Could Kill

Despite the frequent client wining and dining, Linda is extraordinarily lean . With high cheekbones and sunken cheeks, she looks almost like a gaunt cross-country runner who indulges in the latest protein bars.

Her eyes are green and intense; she is a woman of focus and intent. She'll snap you with her stare. Yet she is unable to melt you with her smile.

Linda can't believe that almost fourteen years have passed since she first graduated from law school. People told her that her thirties would be the best years of her life.

In many ways they were, as she had one success after another in her career. But, despite all the studying in college, she misses her twenties because she had her youth and her future.

As trivial as it may seem, Linda misses having long hair and the ability to wear a pony tail if she wanted to. No, that's unprofessional and inconvenient, she told herself once she turned thirty. If I am to be taken seriously, I need to have shoulder length hair that is simple, yet powerful. Linda has all the power she's ever wanted now.

The One That Got Away

The one that got away was not a case, but a man she met during work right after she got promoted. He was a new lateral hire who came in as a second-year associate.

Peter, age 28, was her subordinate. After many endless weeks of working together, they fell in love. On the weekends they would get away on road trips up to Napa Valley and stay at their favorite resort, Auberge du Soleil. Linda paid the $700 a night resort fee of course.

One weekend, as they were lounging by the pool, sipping Arnold Palmers and holding hands, the most senior partner's wife appeared. Peter and Linda's hands immediately released, but it was too late.

The partner's wife had already spotted them and she was shocked. How could one of their newly promoted partners and a second year associate be having a relationship? The partner's wife was aghast, and Linda and Peter were ashamed.

Linda was petrified that all her hard work would be for nothing if word got out that she was having a relationship with one of her subordinates, seven years her junior.

No, she's worked too hard to let some man ruin her career. Linda rushed over and spoke to the partner's wife in private, pleading her not to say a word. She agreed, but only if Linda stopped seeing Peter. Linda acquiesced.

Related: You'll Always Regret Sacrificing Love For Money

Alone In The Darkness

It's been five years since the incident, and Linda's career has been on a rocket ship's path. Word never got out about her fling with her subordinate and Peter left several years ago for richer pastures.

Linda has everything she's ever wanted, yet feels empty because she has nobody to share her good fortune with. Next week she turns forty and she worries whether she will be alone, forever.

Tips On Choosing Love Or Career

Perhaps Linda's story resonates a lot with you, or maybe not. We are all impacted in different ways and at varying degrees. So should you choose love or career?

Here are some tips to help you process your emotions and decide if you need more love or career right now. Or if you can find a way to balance both!

1. Identify Your Personal Values

It's hard to build a deep relationship with someone if you don't love yourself first. Identify your personal values and have a deep understanding of what's important to you.

Long lasting relationships are built on shared values, mutual respect, trust, strong communication, and of course love. Interestingly, long lasting and happy careers are built on these same ideals.

Identify the most important values you want to prioritize. Then you can decide if love or career is more important to you now.

For example, if you want to prioritize independence, autonomy and growing your net worth then career should probably be your priority.

Related: Career Or Family? You Only Have To Sacrifice For 5 Years At Most

2. Have Difficult Conversations

If you are in a long-distance relationship and are trying to decide if you should quit your job to be with him/her, get ready to be uncomfortable. Have as many difficult conversations with your significant other as possible before making a career change.

How compatible are you really with this person? Do you share similar long-term goals? Get the answers to questions like do you both want kids, where do you both want to retire, do your families get along, etc.

3. Take A Good Look At Your Finances

What is your financial situation like? If you're single, it's super important to familiarize yourself with all of your assets and liabilities. Open a free account with Personal Capital to get a quick and easy look at your finances.

You can see all of your bank accounts in one secure portal. Plus, you can quickly track your net worth, set savings goals, plan for retirement and more.

If you're in a relationship, take a long hard look at each of your finances together . Do you share similar personal finance goals? How do you each approach debt, spending, saving, investing?

Couples who are on the same page financially tend to have much happier, healthier relationships.

4. Weigh The Pros And Cons

It sounds so simple, and it is. Make a list of pros and cons and see how it pans out. Sometimes just writing things down makes it easier to make a tough decision like love or career.

Then go through the list with your closest friends and family. Perhaps they can lend a fresh perspective and offer additional insights.

5. Trust Your Instincts

At the end of the day, you want to make a decision that will help you sleep easier at night. Think about what your instincts were really telling you when you walked away from your job interview, got denied from a promotion, finished your last date, etc.

Hone in on what makes you happy and how you can keep that happiness going. Having a job you love to go to is priceless. Don't give that type of luck up easily. There are millions of unhappy employees out there, let alone unemployed people.

And finding someone you want to spend the rest of your life with is also priceless. If you've found your best friend, hold on tight and don't let go.

However, if you're at a job you hate or are in a relationship with a lot of holes, believe you can do better. Trust your instincts. If you put in the effort to improve your life, anything is possible.

6. Think Outside The Box

Sometimes you don't actually have to choose love or career. You can have both! Thanks to the global pandemic, working remotely is becoming the new normal. Perhaps you don't have to quit your job to move out of state to be with your loved one after all.

Many companies are opening up to permanent work from home policies. As long as you have internet access, what does it matter where you're logging in from?

Keep an open mind and think outside the box. Perhaps a beautiful balance of love and career are in your not too distant future.

Related: Don't Make Over $400,000 A Year If You Want To Be Happy

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Readers, what would do if you were Linda five years ago? Would you have defied the partner's wife's wishes for your love of Peter? Or, would you do as Linda did and break it off because she invested too much in her career? Love or Career, which would you choose?

* Note: All names and the law firm have been changed for privacy.

For more nuanced personal finance content, join 100,000+ others and sign up for the  free Financial Samurai newsletter . Financial Samurai is one of the largest independently-owned personal finance sites that started in 2009. Everything is written based off firsthand experience. 

About The Author

Financial Samurai

58 thoughts on “love or career: which is more important”.

Great article. When your life becomes connected with your loved one, you do all your actions, focusing already on “two”, somewhere you adjust, somewhere you play along with you, there are compromises in something. But the key point remains in the fact that only YOU always decide. And even if a loved one asks you very much, sets conditions, forces, takes any actions, all the same the decision how to act in the given circumstances remains only for you. You make a choice in favor of your work, no matter how difficult the situation with the partner may be, which means that at least one percent was more important and more convenient for you. Stay with your loved one, sacrificing a career – accordingly, in life for you this person is the most important thing in the world. And you don’t have to suffer that you had to miss one thing, because life is not an easy thing, not everything is perfect in it, and if we make a choice, it means, after all, we win for ourselves in something.

Another factor is how we are raised and as women the experiences of our mothers. My mother didn’t have the freedom and opportunities I had to make choices. She wanted to further her education and have a career but her parents pushed her to get married early and then she had kids to raise. She was in a bad marriage with my father and told me to focus on my education and career and getting married was not important. In fact she made me think that only women without choices get married and if she had to do it over again she wouldn’t get married. It took me until my mid-30s to admit to myself and others that I did wanted a companion. I had been in relationships before with men who treated me well, but as soon as the men started talking about marriage I broke it off. I am now in my mid-40s. I’ve travelled the world and have a very successful career, but have no idea how to find a compatible partner.

Wow, a very classic case of a successful career or love. With the constant reminder of friends that are married with a family. But this is the same case with how Michelle Obama met Barack Obama. Barack Obama was a mentee while Michelle mentored him at a law firm and well you know the rest ;) . Sometimes in the end, you just gotta go with your heart and your gut instinct. If you want love and a career you’ll find a way!

I would have clasped the hand tighter – You have to stand up for what you believe in. With endless money and no love, you feel empty – however it doesnt matter how much you earn if you find that special person – you are the richest man/woman in the world. Money can be lost overnight – love lasts forever. She has made a big mistake. If other people didn’t respect her – then she can go to another firm. Skills are transferable, relationships are not.

Is it that easy though? Does love really last forever? I see many cases where it doesn’t.

@MyATM I know dozens of women attorneys who put off finding a mate and having children to further their careers, then wish they could turn back the clock 5-10 years. Focusing on your career is a risky proposition – not everyone makes partner, and rarely do people stay at the same job/firm forever, which often means hitting the reset button on your career track.

Nothing says you can’t have your cake and eat it too. My wife fell in love and furthered her career too. I fell in love and my career has been more of a work-in-progress. Probably would’ve been easier to manage that family/life balance if we had kids a few years earlier to be honest.

I don’t think it comes to love vs. career. You can manage both. The nature of finances is instability. There is never a perfect time to start a family.

delurking myself here. but I am sick of people saying Single people have no responsibility. In this case, she is a successful lawyer, she is responsible for her clients, she is responsbile for her financially liabilities and as a citizen(taxes, hoa fees, i.e. she is not a deadbeat.) she is someone’s daughter. I am going to take a big leap and assume she takes some responsbility as a daughter or someone’s sister/cousin. Most of all she is responsibile for her own life. So far, she has succeeded to reach her goal. That’s pretty responsible.

As for sharing whatever she has with someone, that’s her choice. but to me that ideal is overrated. (don’t shoot me.) but why? why should that be the ultimate goal? The way story is written cast her as sad despite all of her accomplishment. Why? Why can’t she feels happy to just be.

Wow this is an interesting post. But in my opinion, it should be career first then when you’re stable financially, you can have the love that you want. :)

I think Linda probably dated Peter because it was convenient. She worked all the time and he was a coworker. Creating a social network outside of work takes effort. I would join some kind of outdoors club or something that interests her so she can meet someone. Heck with her money and willingness to spend it, she can probably hire an executive dating service and pay someone to do the legwork.

It’s too late to change the past, but Linda can change the future. Maybe she should decide what she really wants out of life and make it happen.

Great read, full of vivid descriptions and emotion. Have you ever considered writing a novel? Enjoyed how you captured Linda’s story.

You’re right. Putting things in perspective, she doesnt have many problems or much to worry about. And that goes to show how much more important companionship is, given she is so distraught.

Interesting story, Linda shouldn’t be feeling sorry for herself. She’s a well accomplished woman, and just because she is alone, doesn’t mean her life can’t be fulfilling.

Besides, what if she went for Peter, and he actually turned out to be a money grubbing douchebag, she didn’t sign the prenups and he went for all her millions in assets? What if they had a child, and he later became a douchebag, and now a child is brought into this marital mess?

There are lots of what ifs in life, and I know it’s easy to look back and say “if i could do it over again…” but that’s life. You just have to live for the present, focus on yourself and what gives you happiness, and happiness will come.

They say you once you stop trying, love comes.

Besides, 40 is not that old, there are plenty of divorced mid-life crisis men milling around. :)

Also, I have a happy ending to a colleague of mine (though she wasn’t quite as successful as Linda). She was 44, desperate to find someone, spent thousands on matchmaking services, and ended up finding someone when she least expected it. He is absolutely enamored by her. So enamored that he wrote a book about her! How sweet is that? :)

That might be a little scary if a woman was so enamored with me that she write a book!!! Maybe Fatal Attraction redux! Good for her though.

If we are in relationships, it’s easy to discount how easy it should be for single people to find someone. We say, eventually someone will come. But, when we are alone, sometimes it feels like the end of the world and we start to question what’s wrong with us.

Tough choices!

In my honest opinion, it should be career first then love. When you already have a stable career then you can start finding that love. Remember, opportunity knocks only once. Love doesn’t have expiration. But career should be established so that your future will be brighter.

Sounds like she needs to read “Your Money or Your Life.” And do a little thinking. It’s ok for her to make her career her #1 priority if that’s what she wants. But she may want to change careers to one that’s more personally meaningful. She could really make a mark somewhere. Or she may be happy with what she’s doing and just needs to assuage those nagging doubts. It may be bothering her that her colleagues think she is somehow nothing without a man in her life… the patriarchy does that.

I’ve got a highly successful professional friend who became a LOT happier once she came to terms with being single. She’s very set in her ways and likes things just so. It is unlikely she will ever find a guy as OCD as she is about home-living. But her mom and other family members are SOOOO worried that she’s somehow less of a woman if she doesn’t get married and have babies. They’re worried their friends think she’s a lesbian. Once she realized that these were her relative’s concerns and not hers and she’s perfectly happy with 2 cats and a large social network of friends, it was freeing. She may find love or she may not, but she no longer thinks there’s something wrong with her for being alone. She likes it that way.

I like that perspective alot. Perhaps it’s just who she is and she should accept it and be happy. Too bad there’s this big gorilla called Society, influencing our various ways of doing and thinking.

The answer is simple: she should look Peter up now and be ready to eat some crow and admit she made a bad decision. Hopefully she can find something in this process.

So much of life is about choices and priorities. No one can have it all. I believe the key is to be deliberate in your decisions, accept that making one choice means another that you can’t make. And then, accept the decisions you make. If I were Linda, I would make it a priority to find a partner. Life is better when it’s shared!

I say she should’ve stayed with Peter or at least tried to find someone she could share her life with because it’s obvious that she feels a void. If she didn’t then that would be a different matter but she clearly does. It leads me to think that working so hard for a career without some balance of family or friends is not really worth it. There’s no insurance for success but if you have a family you love, that’s a pretty good life.

Wow touching story, very hollywood-like. It’s tough to say really… it all comes down to how she feels now, if she regrets it then it was probably a poor choice. $2 million a year is great, but could she have balanced her work and social life better and made only $1 million year? Perhaps still making a lot of money(if not quite as much) and living your life more freely is the way to go.

I think it’ all or nothing for Linda. You can’t work 50% less and make only $1 mill. It’s balls to the wall or no partnership at all.

Absolutely true. Scaling down for less pay is many a Biglaw lawyers dream and ideal situation. Unfortunately, the system doesn’t really make it possible and that’s especially true for partners.

This is a tough situation! I think that I’d realize that I have a lot at stake in my job, but as you mention in the beginning, there’s no point in being rich if you cant spend it on someone. Does peter still work at the same firm now, or has he moved on? Can they continue their relationship today? The decision that was made in the past has already been made an reacted to by all involved parties – there’s no sense in second guessing what they were to do or what was the right situation for the time – the only thing that can help linda (and possibly peter) is if they are able to reconnect.

He’s moved on…. long ago. No idea… I think he found himself another woman already.

That’s a tough one. Just because she’s turning 40 doesn’t mean she’s never going to find someone to spend her life with. But dating takes time so if she is too consumed with work that she doesn’t have any time to date, well then her chances of finding someone are probably going to stay really low. I think people who have good work/life balances are the most happy whether single or not. Hopefully she can focus on the future and not worry about the decisions she made in the past. She could be a fascinating candidate for the Bachelorette!

Good idea! My friend got on the Bachelorette as a bachelor after his friend submitted his application for him!

Does one really have work/life balance if one is single though? Hmmmm.

She made her bed and now she’s lying in it. I’m sure there are plenty of guys who wants to be with Linda. Maybe she should open herself up to more dating opportunities. If she is happy with her career, there is no reason to quit. Good move on dumping Peter, those office romances never work out well especially when there is an imbalance of power.

She shouldn’t be dating a subordinate. It’s screwed up on so many levels.

I’ve seen it at work and it pisses me off beyond belief. Shitty performer gets special treatment, special assignments, “protection” and eventual promotions because they’re having relations with the boss – which is both unethical and against a clearly stated company policy.

Quite simply, the right thing to do before that fateful trip would have been to voluntarily report a potential conflict of interest, request that the new employee report to someone else and problem solved.

She put herself in that position, so I have sympathy.

Maybe reporting oneself is “the right thing to do”, but I’d venture to guess most people would believe that it’s really none of anybody’s damn business. That’s what I would think too.

That said, there are rules to interoffice romance due to conflicts of interest, liability reasons and so forth, and they need to be reported.

While people may think it’s not anybody’s damn business, they’re wrong for the reasons cited. No different than nepotism, blackmail or any other “hidden” relationships that influence decisions. It’s not fair to other employees or the company.

Well, I wonder how ‘in love’ Linda was if she was able to drop Peter like a hot potato in favor of her job. Office romances happen all the time. If I was truly in love (and he felt the same toward me), I would have continued the romance secretly and started looking for another job. (Or, see if Peter could find another job, although that may be harder since he just transferred.)

Unfortunately, Linda is reaping what she sowed when she chose work over relationships. I don’t see a mention of any friends either, and if that is the case, I can see why she would be lonely.

She can look at this time as a epiphany and decide to cultivate some relationships, or she can continue on her current path. Which will win love/friendships, or money?

It’s tough though bc Linda has invested so much of her time in her career. It’s like a race against time bc of mortality and of fading beauty which is often times needed to first ensnare the mate.

It’s just hard to pull away…….

@Money Reasons I see your point here, but not every woman wants children. So those women you work with who appear lonely because they don’t have children may not be as lonely as you think they are. Maybe they have fulfilling lives outside of work through volunteering or hobbies that keep them occupied and engaged.

I love kids and work around them 180 days a year (well, 175 this year due to furlough days) but I don’t have any of my own. That doesn’t make me lonely, it makes me well rested! ;)

Good point LH! Do you plan to have kids or live the well rested, free life? I love this topic, and would love to gain more perspective from you or other women who are considering not having kids. Perhaps a guest post!

I might take you up on that guest post offer! I sort of wonder how many people had children because they thought they had to, but then realized maybe they shouldn’t of (ie.e they weren’t the best parents, they had little time, etc.) Maybe I’ll angle it in that direction. I’ll get back to you on this. ;)

Hmm, yeah that is a good point.

Actually my aunt, who is married, decided not to have kids either, so the “having kids” element to my prior comment isn’t really relevant…

I guess “being lonely” is a relative thing, especially if kids aren’t involved. I think without a intimate “opposite sex” companion, bonds with friends and animals (cats and dogs) become much more intense.

I guess it comes down to the question “Is Linda happy?”. Based on her success, power and respect levels from others, I would guess that she is.

I think the only way that she wouldn’t be happy is if she views not having a partner as somehow wrong or losing something. But that just society norms, if she can get past that, it’s all good.

I’ve believed for a while now that all the money in the world means nothing I’d there’s nobody to spend it with.

Linda is turning 40, not 80! She’s still young and has time to find someone to have a relationship with. Perhaps if she wants children, she may have to decide to adopt instead of having one biologically, but then again maybe not (look at Halle Berry and Nicole Kidman!)

However, if Linda is unhappy with her life, then maybe it’s time for a change. She’s achieved her initial goal of partnership so maybe it’s time to set a new goal; one where she works less and focuses on what really makes her happy – or finds time to research what may make her happy. I’d say that this 40th birthday can be the beginning of a new start – a middle of your life start where she can set new goals to achieve. All I can say is Happy Birthday Linda -make it a great one!

Tis true. But isn’t 40 the new 60? Just kidding! It probably is time for a change. She should take her millions and at least go on a 6 month sabbatical or leave of absence!

She has achieved success in her life professionally. I agree with the others that maybe it is time to step back a bit from the career and focus more on her personal life. It is not just the lack of romance; she sounds lonely in general. Does she have good friends? My guess is that she probably didn’t have time for that either. Now is the time to make changes in her personal life so she doesn’t have regrets as she ages.

Yes she has a couple good friends, who are married with kids. That makes things even tougher for her to be around them b/c they remind her of what she’s been wanting for the past 5+ years. No regrets as they say!

I think if I were her, I would have stayed in the romance. After all, Linda is in a narrow professional niche where it would be hard to date or be involved with anyone else other than another attorney… To me Linda sounds more like a professional money making machine instead of a woman. I’m sure flowers and a confession of love wouldn’t really do it for Linda.

Even if she found someone of equal intelligence, she runs in such a narrow lane that I don’t think she would be happy with anybody other than a lawyer of the same caliber.

Sometimes running to fast toward a goal makes it so you miss other opportunities (or so I believe). She’s 40, but that not 60, hopefully she realizes that she’s already rich and it’s time to meet a near equal…

Say story, where I work at, I’ve seen a lot of beautiful women that are knockouts and that appear very lonely without children. My heart really goes out to them, even if they are very successful.

It’s not as if Linda is 80 looking back on her life. She could still easily have the romance, and possible family if she wants. Could she not just take a couple steps back in her professional life at this point? I don’t pretend to know a whole lot about practicing law, but one would assume as a partner, and someone who should be financially secure, she could determine much of her own schedule now? In fact, I’m sure there are probably more than a few personal finance guys that might be interested. I can see the PF post now…skip being frugal…don’t worry about saving…forget investing, go straight to marrying the pleasant young woman with a law degree that has more money than she knows what to do with. That being said, it would be interesting to see what sort of personality Linda would be attracted to. Strong, ambitious women sometimes find they need an equally strong and assertive guy, others will find more of a balanced relationship with someone who is laid back and follow someone else’s lead. I’d be interested in reading a “Where are they now” column on Linda in a couple years to see if her situation or views have changed.

I’d suspect that the partner’s wife had a thing for Peter and needed Linda out of the way…

I would have done exactly what Linda did. How could she have known that Peter was going to be “the one”…in fact she still doesn’t know if Peter was the one.

Rather than dwell on a romance 5 years ago it is time to figure out what she failed in the 5 years since…why hasn’t she met someone? Does she just not want to meet someone? Which is ok for some but doesn’t sound like it for her.

It seems like sometimes for women, if you have climbed so high in the ranks, and make so much money and have so much power, it becomes increasingly difficult to find that “suitable” someone. How many men are not already married and make so much? I often find that women box themselves in with their rules such as “I won’t date a guy that’s younger than me.”

Men are like, bring it on! Anybody!

Who knows. I think a lot of it is just putting yourself out there, and relying on some faith.

I know exactly what you are saying. It is sort of like nature/DNA taking over – the man has to be able to provide above and beyond what she can…

I think you’ve written about this once or twice on your site. You should write more about this topic! Very entertaining!!

I would agree. I find people put out too many restrictions and they limit their possibilities. Who cares who makes more money? Who cares how old someone is? Just try anyways. You never know what kinds of doors can open. Like you said, have a little faith and take a leap.

She could easily choose both. She just needs to find someone willing to be a “house husband” who is willing to take care of her needs. That’d be a sweet gig!

Her choice occurred much earlier! She made a conscious decision to go after professional success to the exclusion of a personal life I don’t think she knew what she was giving up. She realized it when the incident occurred. She made her choice and she will have to live with the consequences. Aside from the senior partner’s wife catching her, there was probably a policy against this behavior. She showed poor judgment dating a subordinate. Is there an alternative? Absolutely! As a partner, she should be involved socially in the community, joining boards, charities and other organizations. These places of common interests and prestige may be places where she could socialize and meet people. This could help her professionally and personally. If this were important to her, she would have participated in this earlier. There is a reason that these romances are discouraged or banned, because they normally interfere with the business environment.

Agreed. Inter-office romance normally happens because people never look elsewhere; their social circles seem to be restricted to work. Had she joined local communities, charities and other organisations of interest, she could have just as easily met someone outside of work…

Love is blind though right? How can we use judgment to determine who we can and cannot be with. It’s not like Peter was under 18 years old. It’s unfortunate the work environment can dictate who we can and cannot see.

I guess in a law firm, it might be particularly contentious if things turn sour due to the power/subordinate issue. That said, NO LAWER FEES!

I think there is another saying that goes something like this, it is easier to fall in love with a rich person than a poor one. I don’t know what Peter saw in Linda, maybe it was dollar signs. It would probably cause more problems in the firm if it fell apart or even if they marry. The reason for the policy is to avoid situations that could materially affect the work environment. In many cases the organization trumps the individual for the good of the organization. This is true in every organization.

That’s a brilliant saying. It probably is very true. I’m trying to tell the story from Linda’s point of view. So that makes her more moving then since he is poorer….

Poor Linda.

That biological clock is ticking for her I’m sure. It sounds like she tricked herself into thinking money is an end goal, when it should only be a means to an end.

I wonder, did Linda really know what she wanted?

She made her choice: career over love. But I think it might have been a snappy knee-jerk reaction which did not account for the fact that all the hours she had invested in her career were in-effect sunk costs. It seems like a bad move to keep pursuing a career over anything else (love for example) just because you have already invested a lot of time in it.

If I was Linda, I would have taken more time to think about my decision. I would have to determine whether I was happier with my new found love? If so, I would seriously consider giving up some of the career aspirations in exchange for a life that can be shared with someone special.

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Love and Work: Your Inner Life and Your Career Are Connected

...and why your psychotherapist should pay attention..

Posted November 11, 2020 | Reviewed by Devon Frye

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Christian had a smile that was absolutely genuine, while simultaneously a defense. The smile would grow whenever we would get closer to his vulnerability. A young, African American man in his early 30s, he was a gifted rising star in the finance world where people were constantly asking him for advice, time, and help, and I had never seen him decline once.

“Josh, I can’t keep doing this,” Christian decreed. “And I’m pissed Josh, I’m pissed! I really think I need like, two weeks of nothing. I mean I can’t, for a bunch of reasons I can’t. But I want two weeks where I don’t have to do anything, listen to anyone, and I can just read and figure my s**t out.”

“Christian, question,” I said, and he shook his head. Not at me but at the overwhelming life he had cornered himself into.

“This is nuts,” he said. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I know I’m talking a lot, but how do people do this?! How do you become successful without killing yourself and grinding yourself down to an effing nub!”

“So, your Dad,” I said. Christian got the same look on his face that I imagine Van Helsing gets when someone mentions Dracula. “Your Dad, Christian. Growing up, if you ever said no to your—”

He extended his hand into the space between us, cutting me off right there. “Yeah, that never… I never even would’ve tried to… there’s no way of that possibility, saying ‘no’ to him, was never allowed to even exist.” And then he stared at me. Surprised at the non-smiling vulnerability he had allowed himself to just walk into.

Since the early 1900s, the quote “Work and love, love and work—that’s all there is. Love and work are the cornerstones of our humanness,” has been attributed to Freud , and therapists have been citing it ever since. Yet, as much as therapists have drawn from this phrase to explain what makes for a meaningful life, the two ingredients of this quote have not been equally represented.

To say that psychotherapy has the ability to aid in the growth of our relationships, or lack thereof, is pretty much a “yeah, duh” statement. From early Kleinian object relations to Sue Johnson’s modern-day attachment -based EFT, it has been understood that the consultation room is a place where we can explore how our own psychology may be getting in the way of the connections we so deeply crave. The idea that our earliest formative relationships play a crucial role in our “blueprint for love” in adulthood, sounds like psychology 101. This is probably why therapists, generally speaking, do not shy away from aiding in the growth of Freud’s cornerstone of humanness, love.

Yet the same cannot be said for work. David Deida, spiritual teacher and author, said “no one tells [people] they will make ten times as much money if they learn how to breathe deep, look people in the eye, and know why they’re alive,” speaking about the connective tissue between our inner lives and our careers. However, this kind of intrapsychic work is a rarity, and therefore psychotherapy is rarely considered a viable tool to help grow our work in the same way as our love.

This is not to say that jobs, careers, finances, and the like do not come up during therapy—quite the opposite. However, all too often the therapeutic work done in these areas is only about coping with whatever pain is being caused. The therapist rarely invests in the growth of work, in the same way that they are known to invest in the growth of love. The psychological understanding that is a prerequisite for mastering our relationships is almost never considered when it comes to mastering a career . The end result of this seems to be one of the cornerstones of our humanness, remaining seemingly untouched by therapists.

A quick Google search for “relationship expert,” shows that the vast majority are psychotherapists that have branded themselves as such. However, Google “career expert,” and it is something different entirely. A hodgepodge of different people offering career help, none of them therapists. The takeaway there is that relationships need psychology but career needs… something else. Perhaps an action or a “to do"? And at some point, it might. But not before the deep inner work is done that gives our work the same psychological reverence as our love. So many of the feelings we are after can come from the deep fulfillment that comes from the therapeutic work on work.

“Christian, could you feel that just now?” I asked. “It was so slight, but you had a moment where you felt what it would have been like to say ‘no’ to dad...”

“And then you backed away from it.”

Christian sat and paused, shaking his head at the difficulty he felt himself coming up against.

I continued, “Because it was really damn scary. Saying no to your father was not an option because the results would have been really frightening. And the good news, Christian, is you learned how to survive your house. As much as you have achieved so far, and it’s impressive, it has all been in survival mode. One of the painful things about trauma is that the ways in which we learn to survive eventually start eating us from the inside out. Regardless of how much we accomplish or achieve. Aggressive trauma, in the way that you experienced it, breaks down our internal walls, and makes us feel profoundly unsafe. And so, for you, the higher the pressure of the situation, the more terrifying it feels for you to say no. The next step in your career is no longer about achievement, it is about your fulfillment. And that ain’t going to come from saying yes. It is only going to come from us building up those walls that were torn down a long time ago.”

Christian sat, thinking about all he had just heard. “You have no idea how much I want to be able to do this. Everything I want is on the other side of being able to tell all these people no,” he said. We both shared a smile. It didn’t feel easy, but we were exactly where we needed to be.

Josh Jonas is a licensed psychotherapist specializing in men's mental health and is the Co-owner and Clinical Director of The Village Institute for Psychotherapy in Manhattan, NY.

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Sticking up for yourself is no easy task. But there are concrete skills you can use to hone your assertiveness and advocate for yourself.

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The learning network | do you think you will have a career that you love.

Do You Think You Will Have a Career That You Love?

Questions about issues in the news for students 13 and older.

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Many students, when seeking career advice from a guidance counselor or teacher, will be told, “Do what you love.” But that isn’t a realistic option for many, if not most, of us. And it may not always be what’s best for our families and communities either, if not ourselves.

Do you think you will have a career that you love? Is that the most important quality you’ll look for in a job?

In the Opinionator essay “A Life Beyond ‘Do What You Love,’ ” Gordon Marino writes:

Student advisees often come to my office, rubbing their hands together, furrowing their brows and asking me to walk along with them as they ponder life after graduation. Just the other day, a sophomore made an appointment because he was worrying about whether he should become a doctor or a philosophy professor. A few minutes later, he nervously confessed that he had also thought of giving stand-up comedy a whirl. As an occupational counselor, my kneejerk reaction has always been, “What are you most passionate about?” Sometimes I‘d even go into a sermonette about how it is important to distinguish between what we think we are supposed to love and what we really love. But is “do what you love” wisdom or malarkey? In a much discussed article in Jacobin magazine early this year, the writer Miya Tokumitsu argued that the “do what you love” ethos so ubiquitous in our culture is in fact elitist because it degrades work that is not done from love. It also ignores the idea that work itself possesses an inherent value, and most importantly, severs the traditional connection between work, talent and duty. When I am off campus and informally counseling economically challenged kids in Northfield, Minn., a city of about 20,000, the theme is not “do what you love.” Many of them are used to delivering papers at 5 a.m., slinging shingles all day or loading trucks all night. They are accustomed to doing whatever they need to do to help out their families. For them, the notion of doing what you love or find meaningful is not the idea that comes first to mind; nor should it. We put our heads together and consider, “What are you best at doing?” or “What job would most improve your family’s prospects?” Maybe being licensed as a welder or electrician? Maybe the military? Passion and meaning may enter into the mix of our chats with the understanding that they sharpen your focus and make you more successful.

Students: Read the entire article, then tell us …

— Do you think you will have a career that you love? Is that the most important quality you’ll look for in a job?

— Or do you think providing for your family or making enough money will trump your desire to enjoy your job?

— Are there other motivations that will help guide what kind of career you have — such as working toward social justice or following your religious beliefs?

— Do you have particular talents or skills that you think you should put to good use?

— What career or job do you think you will have when you get older?

Students 13 and older are invited to comment below. Please use only your first name . For privacy policy reasons, we will not publish student comments that include a last name.

Comments are no longer being accepted.

I think I will have a career I love or else I would not accept it. It is important that you be happy with your job to be able to do it well and stress and anger free.

i think that i will have a career that i love because i want to wake up and not dread the day to come, i want to look forward to each and every day.

I personally think it is one of the more important things to look for a job. No matter what you do in life you will need money to do what you need to do and what you want to do. You will need to find a job that you can make money from and that job could be a job you may want to do. You would at least look forward to the next weekday and say it is worth working for the company.

I think I would have my career love. I love to cut hair and do make up. When I graduate from high school I would love to study cosmology .

In order to get the career job I love, I have to work my way up to that position.

I think doing the things that I love won’t make me a good living in my life, because what I love is shotput. I would like to do something with it later on, but I wouldn’t make it my full career. I think that I will have a career that I like or that I will learn to love my job that I get, I think it’s more important to gain a living, but if you hate your job a lot, I don’t think it’s worth it.

I love to sing, and I love to act, but when someone asks me what I want to be when I grow up I try to think of more dependable jobs that provide money, safety, and are helpful. I do not think I’ll end up doing something I love, because not everybody can have the fun job. We need janitors, we need accountants, we need a wide variety of jobs to be done, and if I don’t do them, I don’t think anyone else would choose to do them either. It is very important to look for a job you love, but that is not a choice for us to all make. We have to prioritize and go from there.

Do you think you will have a career that you love? Is that the most important quality you’ll look for in a job? Yes, I love my career. Yes followed by the money.

Or do you think providing for your family or making enough money will trump your desire to enjoy your job? As of now, I am my family, I am trying to do everything I can to keep it that way until I’m married! Even though money is an important aspect of life, I took a pay cut (about six thousand annually) to do a job that I loved, and I’m super glad that I did because happiness is priceless (things broke people say lol) but seriously I love what I do and until I had to answer this question and every pay day I never really think about that extra six thousand….thanks Michael Gonchac)

Are there other motivations that will help guide what kind of career you have — such as working toward social justice or following your religious beliefs? In my case I am motivated by helping others, so its easy for me to do, especially when it comes to achieving a goal, and goals tend to be more motivating and worthwhile to achieve when its doing something that you love.

Do you have particular talents or skills that you think you should put to good use? I think I should put my life coaching skills into use more, I do it on occasion for family and close friends, random strangers and sometimes even myself during breakdown situations. Also I can have old basketball skills I can put to use, I used to go to, host, volunteer, help, basketball camps all the time, I can still dribble and demonstrate a passing drill so I think I can coach or do a skills camp, were going to have to get someone else to help with the shooting part of the camp, still working on that three.

What career or job do you think you will have when you get older? When I get older I want travel to different states giving speeches, doing shows, and signing books.

Finding a career that is enjoyable will be the most productive in the work force. If a person does not enjoy what he or she is doing, the work make be average or put off until the last minute. Money, however, is another factor. Having a job that has financial benefits provides to the family. Before picking a career students should look into what careers fall into topics they enjoy. With college coming soon, I have to start thinking about what I wish to do with the rest of my life. I have always excelled in mathematics and am thinking about careers dealing with math. I have been looking at being an account and hopefully will be able to become a successful one at that.

In my opinion, everyone should pursue the career they love. the most influential people in my life are passionate about their jobs and they all have inspired me to pursue what I love, broadcasting. Every career comes with its own set of challenges, there is no way to avoid those boring college classes or horrible jobs and assignments as you climb the ladder in your career, so why not go into a career you love, the hard work will pay off in the end because you will be doing something you love. When it comes to being indecisive, it is all about self confidence and being comfortable with your skills and talents. I was in the same place as the sophomore mentioned in the article, I did not know what I wanted to do, but once I started taking electives that seemed interesting, I was exposed to fields and ideas that I love and would never have found on my own time.

Although it is important to always be happy with what you do, sometimes that option is not practical. I have many interests and passions, but my choices are narrowed based on what careers are realistic to pursue. Although I love playing the piano and performing in front of an audience, very few people are successful as professional pianists and have to dedicate much time to practicing and rehearsing. I admire those who leap for the stars and chase their goals, but I admit that I am not courageous enough. Instead, I will most likely follow a different path, but one I still would be happy to do. This does not mean that I have to abandon what I love. I can still continue playing the piano on the side, while making a living in a separate field that I enjoy. In today’s world, it is extremely difficult to “do what you love”, but that doesn’t mean you have to do something that you hate. You have to decide if you are willing to give up a successful, fortunate lifestyle for one that has a greater chance of failing. It is important to maintain the delicate balance of reaching for the stars and keeping yourself grounded.

I have always been passionate about science, and I can only see myself having a career in that field. Whether I am researching in a lab, or working directly with a patient, I think that I would be content with a job in the medical industry. Due to the fact that I am so interested by science, I would benefit myself, my family, and society if I were to become a neurologist or geneticist. Money would have to play a small role in my decision because everyone needs to eat, but overall, choosing a job that challenges me and uses my abilities to help others is the main goal. Knowing that my work has meaning and that I am contributing to the happiness or health of others is certainly enough to make me happy with my career.

I hope that I will have a career that I love because it is one of the most important qualities I look for in a job. I think that providing for my family will trump my desire to enjoy my job. Being able to know you’ve made someone’s life a little better is what guides me to what career I will choose in the future. A skill that I could put to good use would be my ability to listen. When I get older, I think I will have a career in the medical field, possibly a nurse.

I would like to have a career I love

I think that I will have a career I love. If I don’t love the job I get I won’t be able to get up to work at a job I don’t enjoy.

No, I do not think I’ll find a job I will enjoy. Every time I find a job that I like my parents do not like the job that I choose. However, if I got a job and there we’re problems in that job I would quit it even though they paid a high salary.

I believe that I will have the career that I love because I don’t believe in giving up on my dreams

As a incoming freshman of Laguardia high school many people assume I will have a carreer in the arts, but in actuality I would prefer to work on genetic engineering or cross-breeding animals. I always aspired to be the first to create a brand new innovation. That’s the carreer I would love. <3

I think I would have a career that I love. I dint think anyone should put up with something you don’t love for the rest of your life. Might as we’ll be happy with what you wanna do.

I think I will have a career I love. This is one of the most important traits of a job. If you can’t like the job you have then there is no point to doing since you won’t have the mindset of wanting to try your best.

I would Ike to have a cereer that I like because it is what I understand and I know what I am doing

I believe I will have a great career that I’ll enjoy no matter what it is

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Career Goals Essay For Scholarships (With Examples)

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Scholarship programs often want you to write a career goals essay to see that you have a clear plan for how you’ll apply your education to a specific career path. This helps show a scholarship committee why you’re seeking funds for the next step on the path toward your success. Answering “what are your career goals” effectively can help increase your odds of impressing landing a scholarship opportunity. If you’re a prospective student applying for scholarships, this article will provide tips on how to write a career goals essay, along with essays on career goals examples to help you get an idea of what scholarship committees are looking for. Key Takeaways: When you’re writing a career goals essay, make sure to write about the goals that are relevant to the scholarship. Be honest and use your own voice to stand out in your scholarship essay. Go into detail about how the scholarship will help you achieve your goals. In This Article    Skip to section What is a career goals essay? Why scholarship essays ask about career goals Example career goals essay prompts Career goals essay examples Tips for writing a scholarship essay about career goals What to write in a career goals essay if your goals have changed Career goals essay for a scholarship FAQ References Sign Up For More Advice and Jobs Show More What is a career goals essay?

A career goals essay is a personal written explanation that discusses your background, why you’re interested in participating in the program, and what career you’d like this degree to lead into. A scholarship essay functions to explain why you want to achieve your professional goals and how you intend to get there.

In almost every application process, a portion asks the candidate to answer an essay question. When applying to an educational program, like an MBA, the essay prompt usually relates to your career goals .

Why scholarship essays ask about career goals

Scholarship essays ask about career goals to assess your enthusiasm for the program, learn more about how the scholarship will help you, and ensure that you’ve considered how the program will help you achieve your goals for the future:

Assess your enthusiasm. Passion is important for scholarship administrators, and if you’re able to articulate your enthusiasm for a specific career path , it will show that you’re determined to meet the requirements to reach that goal. The most specific and well-thought-out your essay is, the easier it will be for a reader to understand your devotion and commitment to the program and the field it will allow you to enter.

Learn how the scholarship will help you. Having a firm grasp of your career goals is great, but it’s equally important that you express exactly how the specific program relates to those goals. This shows that you’ve researched the merits of the program and understand exactly how it fits into your professional goals.

Show you’ve considered your future. This goes along with the first two points — show that you know how to set goals and consider the path toward achieving those goals, and you’ll have an easier time convincing the reader that you’ll know how to set goals while participating in the program. They’ll see that you know how to prioritize education because you have a clear vision for navigating your career path.

Example career goals essay prompts

While some scholarships might come right out and simply ask, “What are your career goals?” most will rework the question into something different that still accomplishes the same goal.

Below are some examples of career goals essay prompts that a scholarship program could pose to its applicants:

Discuss your career goals. Many scholarships prefer the most direct approach when giving an essay prompt to their applicants. This type of question gives the candidate a lot of wiggle room to discuss their passions, motivations, and career goals.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years ? This question is often used as a prompt for a career goals essay because it gives the applicant a timeline to describe their aspirations. It forces them to be realistic about where their career will be and how they will accomplish this within the next ten years.

How will this scholarship contribute to your professional success? A scholarship committee wants to be sure that the money they’re giving will contribute to a student’s overall professional success. This question asks about the applicant’s game plan in the long-term and evaluates how this program is going to assist in their future.

What is your dream job ? Since a dream job is often categorized as a person’s career goals, this is a common question phrasing in scholarship essays. Asking about a candidate’s dream job answers whether this program aligns with the student’s long-term career goals.

What matters most to you and why? Sometimes, a scholarship essay prompt won’t ask about your career or future at all. Instead, they’ll ask a question like this that assesses your motivations , values, and character.

Career goals essay examples

Use these examples of career goals essays for scholarships to help write your own. Pay special attention to how they’re organized, rather than the content, to inspire your own career goals essay:

Career goals essay example 1 – Discuss your career goals

When I was six years old, I was riding bikes with my older sister around our neighborhood. She had just taught me how to ride, and I was excited to have to freedom to explore with her. When she was rounding a particularly difficult bend to see around, a car happened to be coming along at the same time. It struck her. That bike ride changed our lives forever. Over the next year, I went with my sister every Tuesday and Thursday to her physical therapist ’s appointments to help her regain walking strength. Watching her physical therapist patiently assist my sister back to becoming herself awoken something in me. A passion for helping others in the same way eventually turned into a career goal of becoming a physical therapist myself. I decided to get my bachelor’s degree in exercise science. After graduating in 2019, I knew that the next step for me was to attend a graduate program in physical therapy. I was accepted to Lassell University Master of Science in Rehabilitation Services. This presented me with my latest goal along my career path, and I’m eagerly waiting to start. This scholarship would help me afford the wonderful opportunity to be a part of the Lassell University class of 2023, allowing me to continue working towards my ultimate career goal of becoming a physical therapist and helping others to become themselves again.

Career goals essay example 2 – Where do you see yourself in ten years?

In ten years, I will have been successfully running my own construction business for about five years. I’m currently a second-year student at the University of Texas, pursuing a master’s degree in business administration. I decided to get my MBA because I knew it would be a positive asset toward my long-term career goal of owning a construction business. In my high school years, I worked as a construction apprentice for a local business. I loved many aspects of the business, such as building something from nothing. I knew that I wanted to incorporate this work into my long-term career, but I didn’t want to work as an apprentice . This led me to pursue business. In ten years and with the help of this scholarship, I will have graduated with my MBA almost a decade prior . After graduation, I plan to take a business administration internship with a carpentry business to help myself get a footing in the field. After about two years of this, I will have started my own construction business.

Career goals essay example 3 – What matters most to you and why?

The people I surround myself with matter most to me. Whether it be my relatives, friends, or professional acquaintances, I always care the most about the happiness of the people around me. Making the people around me happy matters the most to me because I truly because we find our happiness through others. I believe that this drive to make a positive impression on the people around me is what drove me towards a career as a nurse . I always thought of hospitals as places where people need someone to support them and make their day a little happier. I wanted to be one of those who spend their careers positively impacting people in need. This scholarship will enable me to finally afford nursing school and go after my dream job full force.

Career goals essay example 4 – What are your short- and long-term career goals, and how will earning this degree contribute to achieving those goals? Please provide a minimum of 200 words.

My short-term career goals involve working directly with underprivileged young people to increase the literacy rate in my community. As a student of an underfunded and understaffed school, I’ve seen firsthand how much of an impact early literacy education makes on long-term achievement. It broke my heart to see my peers embarrassed at their struggle with reading at an advanced age, and this shame added another dimension to their lack of opportunity. Being a literacy educator for young people would allow me to serve this community directly to show them not only the necessity of strong written communication skills, but the joy of reading for pleasure. This program focuses specifically on early literacy, and would provide me a direct route to a career in serving the community I hope to serve. As for long-term career goals, I hope to one day create a program where socioeconomically parents can bring their children for literacy education, not only to increase their ability to navigate the world of language, but also to instill confidence and joy in the written word. What drew me to this program was that it also has administrative, legal, and business dimensions that would set me on the path toward achieving this goal.

Tips for writing a scholarship essay about career goals

Here are some tips to keep in mind for writing a career goals scholarship essay:

Write about goals relevant to the scholarship. Although you may have many different kinds of goals for your personal and professional future, a scholarship essay only discusses objectives that are relevant to the program you’re applying for.

Be honest. Applying for a scholarship is stressful because the applicant’s education is usually reliant on receiving these funds in one way or another. Even though it’s tempting to exaggerate your skills or pretend you’re more passionate about something than you are to make yourself a more competitive applicant, it’s a bad move.

Use your own, unique voice. The essay portion of a scholarship application is your chance to stand out by using your voice. Nobody else, regardless of their academic or professional achievements, is you. Make this clear in your career goals scholarship essay by keeping your unique written voice engrained in the words you produce.

Be specific. A big reason that scholarship committees ask applicants to write a career goals essay is to determine how prepared they are in planning their long-term professional goals. They aren’t interested in providing a scholarship to students who aren’t going to follow through with their career plans.

Explain long and short-term goals . Even if the essay prompt asks you to describe where you see yourself in ten years, you still need to tell them the steps leading towards this picture of success.

Include the short-term goals that add up to your larger career objectives in your essay response. Explain how accomplishing the smaller goals gives you an advantage when tackling long-term ones.

Explain how the program and scholarship will help you. Before writing your career goals essay, consider how this program and scholarship will help you in your career. The answer to this question is essential.

Follow the essay formatting guidelines. This may sound obvious, but it’s surprisingly easy to forget this step when your essay is finally flowing and when you’re scrambling to get it submitted on time.

Check, double-check , and triple-check the essay guidelines for content, word count, and formatting requirements. If you miss any of these steps, your essay may be immediately disqualified no matter how good it or the rest of your application is.

What to write in a career goals essay if your goals have changed

Many times career goals essays are written by students who have already completed at least some college or are applying to a post-graduate program and need more money to continue.

There’s a good chance that your career goals have changed since you started or graduated college. For example, say you wanted to be an engineer , so you got your undergraduate degree in engineering but realized you didn’t like it after working in the industry for a few years.

You decided that nursing would be more up your alley, and now you’re applying for a scholarship for a nursing program. While this isn’t unusual, it can make it more difficult to write a career goals essay since your past work doesn’t necessarily match your future goals.

In this case, you’ll simply need to explain why you changed your career path and why this next one is the best choice for you. Share your decision-making process to show that you haven’t taken the switch lightly, and talk about what you’ve already done to try to pursue this path.

Career goals essay for a scholarship FAQ

How do you write a career goal for a scholarship essay?

You write a career goal for a scholarship essay by sharing your passion, explaining both your long- and short-term goals, and relating your goals to the scholarship.

Explain why you want to pursue the career you’re pursuing, where you hope to be in the future and how you plan to get there, and how the scholarship will help you do this.

How do you describe your career goals in an essay?

You describe your career goals in an essay by explaining what you want to do in your career, why you decided on this career path, and what you’ve done so far to make that a reality.

You can usually work these factors into any prompt you receive, so think through them before you start writing so that you can use them as an outline of sorts.

What are career goals examples?

Examples of career goals include:

Working as a grant writer for a nonprofit organization.

Becoming a department manager and eventually an executive in your field.

Owning your own plumbing company.

Caring for underserved communities as a nurse practitioner .

What are some goals for success?

Some goals for success include growing in your role, building your network, and finding joy in the job. Most careers don’t just happen overnight and require you to set the right milestones that work best for you. Not everyone will have the same goals for success.

How do you start a career goals essay for a scholarship?

You can start a career goals essay for a scholarship by directly answering the prompt. Most scholarship prompts include a word count of between 200 and 500 words, so it’s essential that you immediately respond to the prompt. Attention-grabbing sentences and narratives can be helpful for setting the scene, but an efficient and direct answer will show a clarity of mind that helps enhance the quality of your answer.

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Sky Ariella is a professional freelance writer, originally from New York. She has been featured on websites and online magazines covering topics in career, travel, and lifestyle. She received her BA in psychology from Hunter College.

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Examples of Scholarship Essays for the “Career Goals” Question

Emily Wong is a writer at Scholarships360. She’s worked as a social media manager and a content writer at several different startups, where she covered various topics including business, tech, job recruitment, and education. Emily grew up and went to school in the Chicago suburbs, where she studied economics and journalism at Northwestern University.

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Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.

Writing an essay is often the trickiest part of the scholarship application, not to mention the most time-consuming. However, the essay section also allows room for creativity and individuality. If you can communicate effectively, you can use the essay portion to stand out from the crowd. Let’s go over some tips for writing, as well as a couple of scholarship essay examples about career goals.

How to write a scholarship essay 

At this point, you’ve probably gained plenty of experience writing papers for school. However, it may still take a couple of tries to nail the scholarship essay. Since scholarship teams often have to get through a lot of applications, it’s important to stand out while staying concise. Here are some simple guidelines for writing scholarship essays.

See also: How to write a winning scholarship essay (with examples!)

Take five minutes to brainstorm

Before you even start your essay, take some time to gather your thoughts. Think about what you’ll want the paper to focus on. Why did you choose to pursue your career path in the first place? Where do you want to be in five years? How would this scholarship help you further your studies and work toward your goals?

Once you’ve jotted down a few ideas, choose one or two to center your essay on. Identifying the focus of your paper, it’ll make it easier to keep your thoughts organized. In turn, it’ll make it easier for the reader to follow.

Related : How to start a scholarship essay (with examples!)

Stay within the word limit

Unlike the four-page essays that you may have written in English class, scholarship essays are often only a paragraph or two. In order to respect the selection committee’s time, be wary of going too far about the specified word count. A general rule of thumb is to stay within 20 words above or below the limit. That may entail a few rounds of edits to get the wording just right.

Stay positive!

Feel free to use part of your essay to talk about your life’s challenges. After all, the selection committee often wants to give the award to a candidate who needs it. However, make sure your anecdote doesn’t devolve into a sob story. If you’re going to bring up hardships you’ve endured, try to balance it by talking about how you’ve overcome them. By demonstrating resilience, you can show readers how you would use the scholarship to succeed in your current situation.

Leave time to proofread

Especially for a short scholarship essay, proofreading can take as little as 5-10 minutes. Still, it can be tempting to just hit “submit” after your first draft. However, being too impulsive can leave your essay riddled with typos and grammatical errors.

Try to avoid unnecessary mistakes by finishing your draft at least 24 hours before the scholarship deadline. That way, you can proofread it with fresh eyes before you submit it.

If you’re struggling to close out your essay, read how to end a scholarship essay in five steps .

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How to write a 100-word “career goals” essay.

When writing a 100-word essay, you’ll have to choose your content carefully. Since space is limited, you’ll want to identify the most important details to include beforehand.

First and foremost, make sure to clearly communicate your current pursuits. Talk about your academic and extracurricular activities related to your career goals. Additionally, it’s important to be specific about what you plan to do in the future. Then, if you have extra room, you can talk about how the scholarship will help you reach your goals.

My name is Alison MacBride, and I’m a sophomore at the University of Illinois. I’m currently pursuing a major in Journalism with a minor in Natural Resource Conservation. After completing my program, I plan to combine my areas of interest to become an environmental journalist.

During high school, I volunteered at an eco-conscious farm, where I learned about how our actions affect the earth. Since then, I’ve been set on raising awareness for the environment. This scholarship would go a long way in helping me finish my degree with the skills I need to investigate and report about critical issues.

Word count: 100

How to write a 250-word “career goals” essay

For the 250-word essay, you can go into more detail. Give the readers some context by talking about how you first got interested in your chosen career. Storytelling can be especially effective in engaging your audience. Try to capture their attention by choosing one or two concrete examples and relaying them vividly.

Additionally, you can spend more time talking about the scholarship and how it’ll make a difference in your studies. Go into more detail about how and why you need the award, but remember to keep it positive! For more help, check out how to write a 250 word essay . 

I first decided that I wanted to pursue a career in environmentalism in early high school. The summer after my freshman year, I joined a volunteer program at an eco-conscious farm in my community. In addition to helping out with the operations, I learned about current environmental issues related to farming and other consumer industries.

After learning about the agricultural industry’s impact on the planet, I was inspired to make a difference. The next year, I started a monthly earth magazine at my high school in which we broke down environmental issues and offered tips on how to be more eco-friendly. When I started college, I founded an on-campus publication with the same mission.

In recent years, I’ve been troubled to see how some media outlets downplay the gravity of issues like climate change and deforestation. I’ve admired reporters who publish trustworthy and comprehensible information about environmental issues, and I aim to follow in their footsteps.

When I entered college, I was initially concerned that I wouldn’t have enough money to finish my degree. Fortunately, I’ve been able to cover most of my tuition using merit scholarships and paychecks from my part-time job on campus. Receiving this scholarship would allow me more time to focus on acing my classes and pursuing environmental advocacy work on campus.

Word count: 261

Final thoughts

Planning is essential in making your “career goals” essay clear and concise. Hopefully, these scholarship essay examples about career goals can be your guide to writing a scholarship-winning essay. Good luck!

Additional resources

Maybe you need to write a longer scholarship essay? We can help with our writing a 500 word essay guide ! Be prepared and learn how to write essays about yourself and how to craft an impressive personal statement . Learn the differences between a personal statement and a statement of purpose as the terms might come up on college websites. If you haven’t decided on a college already, check out our guide on how to choose a college . No matter where you are in your educational journey, make sure that you apply for all the scholarships you qualify for!

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Accepted Admissions Blog

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February 29, 2024

• Writing Your Career Goals Essay

Check out all the blog posts in this series:

• Identifying the Ingredients of a Winning Essay
• Finding a Theme for Your Statement of Purpose
• Revise and Polish Your Application Essays

Your career goals essay demands a laser-like focus. A personal statement, by contrast, allows for some flexibility in its content, though you can – and often should – discuss your career goals. But a career goals essay has a particular and packed agenda. In fact, the prompt for a career goals essay could actually include multiple questions, and in such cases, you want to make sure you address each of them.

For example, in 2022, Kellogg asked applicants to its one-year program to respond to the following prompt: “Please discuss your post-MBA career goal, the current experience you will leverage to support the transition, and the Kellogg 1Y opportunities that will help you reach this goal.” 

This prompt has three parts: (1) What do you want to do post-MBA ? (2) Why is the 1Y program appropriate for you? And (3) what experience has so far prepared you to succeed in your target role? 

So, always pay close attention to your target school’s prompt to ensure that you answer all the questions within its “single” question. 

Three elements of a successful career goals essay

In addition to having a distinct theme , your career goals essay should achieve the following:

• Highlight specific career achievements. Choose from your most notable or defining experiences. These could be related to your work, community involvement, or extracurricular activities. The experiences you select should showcase your leadership skills , creative thinking, collaborative abilities, and personal reflections about what you learned or gained.
• Explain why your experiences and influences make your career goal a logical and wise choice.
• Demonstrate why you are suited to a particular field as a result of your education, experience, abilities, and enthusiasm. Ideally, the material you choose to include will also allow you to prove your knowledge about industry trends and suggest how your abilities and strengths can help you contribute to that field.

It’s a very tall order to achieve all this.

Putting these elements together to create your goals essay

Let’s take a look at a sample MBA Goals Essay and see how these three key elements are incorporated.  

You should be able to easily recognize why the writer’s opening is attention-getting for all the right reasons. The writer introduces herself as the supremely busy executive she visualizes becoming in the future. She trades large amounts of stock, rushes off to a Zoom conference, hurries downstairs, flags down a taxi, then hops on a plane. As she describes this whirlwind of activity, we can practically feel her heart pumping.

After establishing her voice and personality in this opening, she offers context for her MBA goal. Notice that in writing about her work as an accountant for a major firm, she provides relevant details, including how many years she has been in the field, her bilingualism, and her specialty area as an auditor. This information is her springboard to explain why she is pursuing an MBA: she’s bursting out of her limited role as an accountant. Her eyes and ambition are set on a larger playing field as an international investment manager.

Write an essay, not a list or CV

Outstanding career goals essays are not lists of an applicant’s roles and achievements. Instead, they have a narrative flow and arc that convey the candidate’s palpable excitement about their career choice. This writer’s enthusiastic, dreamy first paragraph achieves this, and she returns to that image at the end, where she paints her idealized (if frantically busy) future. She also proves her seriousness by noting that she registered for the CFA exam.

Connect your career goals to your reasons for choosing a particular program

Many essay questions, especially those for MBA programs , will ask why you have chosen the school you’re applying to. Be prepared to respond knowledgeably and enthusiastically. And the only way to become knowledgeable – and enthusiastic – is by visiting campus in-person or virtually, attending student recruitment meetings, participating in forums, reading student blogs, watching videos of students speaking about their experiences, communicating directly with students and/or recent alumni, and otherwise doing your homework. As part of your research, make sure you have familiarized yourself with the courses and specializations that are relevant to your goals.

Summary Tips

• Focus on answering each and every question asked in a career goals essay prompt. Often, there is more than one.
• Highlight specific achievements vividly and in a way that shows that your career choice is logical for you.
• Do the research so you can write about why the school is a good fit for you and do so with genuine enthusiasm.

In the next post in this series , we’ll explain how to take all this advice and apply it to create an exemplary first draft.

Work one-on-one with an expert who will walk you through the process of creating a slam-dunk application. Check out our full catalog of application services . Our admissions consultants have read thousands of essays and know the exact ingredients of an outstanding essay.

By Judy Gruen, former Accepted admissions consultant. Judy holds a master’s in journalism from Northwestern University. She is also the co-author of Accepted’s first full-length book, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools . Want an admissions expert help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related resources:

• The Winning Ingredients of a Dynamic MBA Goals Essay , a free guide
• Grad School Personal Statement Examples
• Focus on Fit , podcast Episode 162

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• Applying For Scholarships

Writing Tips for a Career Goals Essay (2023)

Jennifer Finetti Mar 1, 2023

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For your college scholarship essay, you may be asked about your career goals. The scholarship committee wants to see how investing in your education will help your career. Do you have a definitive plan? Will a college education fit into that plan? These are the answers they want to see.

In this guide, we will provide some scholarship essay examples about career goals to jumpstart your essay writing.

Writing tips for career goals scholarship essays

Here are some quick tips for writing career goal scholarship essays:

• Write about career goals that tie into the scholarship. This doesn’t mean you have to lie about your career goals to make them fit. Find a way to relate them to the scholarship committee or other elements of the scholarship.
• Be precise about your career goals. Avoid vague statements that suggest you do not have a plan. Judges like to see determination because it shows they’re making a worthy educational investment.
• Discuss how your education will help you achieve your career goals. The scholarship will assist with your education. Show a connection between the two so they can see why you deserve this scholarship.
• If you mention multiple goals, indicate which one you feel most strongly about. Longer essays may allow you to mention a backup plan, but the committee needs to see where your focus lies.
• Avoid cliché statements. Describe how your specific talents, experiences, and degree pursuits will help you succeed.
• Point out solutions, not problems. You may mention struggles you’ve had in the past, but pinpoint how you will learn from them. Moreover, show how those struggles led to your career goals.
• Organize your thoughts in a fluid manner. This will most likely be in chronological order, starting with your degree and progressing through your career growth.
• Write, revise, rest, revise. This goes for any essay writing. Write the first draft from start to finish. Then read through it and edit any grammar or flow errors. Take a break, preferably overnight, and then re-read your content with fresh eyes.

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Example 1: Scholarship essay about career goals (100 words)

In a 100-word scholarship essay, you need to quickly make your point. There is not enough room for a lengthy intro or backstory. Use concise, comprehensive statements to deliver the most information in the fewest words.

I’m a sophomore at Texas Tech University, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Companion Animal Science. After graduation, I hope to attend Texas A&M to become a veterinarian serving rescue organizations and animal shelters. I was born and raised in the south, where it is common for people to abandon animals in rural areas. Those animals then go into a rescue – emaciated, frightened, and confused. I want to work with rescues to provide affordable veterinary medicine to the animals they save. This scholarship would help me continue my education and potentially save thousands of abandoned animals in the future.

Word count: 99

Example 2: Scholarship essay about career goals (250 words)

With a 250-word scholarship essay, you have a little more room to discuss the details of your career goals. You can explain situations from your past that inspired your career pursuits. You could use one paragraph to talk about your short-term goals and another to talk about your long-term goals. Just make sure the big picture ties into the scholarship.

My name is Patrick Holden and I am a freshman at the University of Michigan, majoring in English and minoring in linguistics. I plan to become an English teacher, but this wasn’t always what I had in mind.  When thinking about my future, I always saw myself in some sort of corporate office, perhaps as an executive assistant or a loan officer at a bank. My father works in the finance office for a car dealership and my mother works at a call center. I assumed I would follow a similar, albeit boring, path in life. In my junior year of high school, everything changed. My English teacher inspired me in ways I could have never imagined. She got me to love writing, literature, etymology, and everything about the English language. She made me want to be a better student in all of my classes, and she helped me see the value of education. I decided then that I wanted to inspire other students just as she did for me. My parents are unfortunately not able to contribute much toward my college expenses. I have earned a tuition scholarship based on my ACT score, but I still need additional funding for books and supplies. English majors have particularly high book costs because we have to purchase multiple books for each class. With the help of this scholarship, I could afford to continue my degree and become an English teacher.

Word count: 240

Example 3: Scholarship essay about career goals (500 words)

With 500 words or more to play around with, you have plenty of space to talk about your career goals. Maintain the same theme throughout the scholarship essay. Each paragraph should connect to the next, and they should all work together to describe your career plan. Avoid making disconnected statements for the sake of word count. In the end, the scholarship committee should have a clear view of your educational plans and professional aspirations.

Internet marketing has gone from an optional method of advertisement to a vital step in business outreach. Even small businesses in remote towns look to the internet to attract customers and spread the word about their services. I am currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Business Marketing with an emphasis on Digital Marketing. With this training, I will be able to enter a profession that will only grow year by year. When I was younger, I found print advertisements to be fascinating. I loved reading the newspaper with my father just to see the full-page ads in between stories. When I got older though, those ads became less appealing because they were not adaptive. They seemed dated, static and ill-fit for changes in society. That’s when I discovered internet marketing. It was still in its infancy when I was in middle school, but by the time I graduated high school, it had become a staple in business development. I loved the way internet marketers had to constantly adjust to fit Google’s algorithms, new mobile devices, and new audiences. I knew this was the career for me. Originally, I planned to focus solely on business marketing because there were not many digital marketing degrees available. Over the last two years though, several schools throughout the country have developed internet marketing courses that explain fundamental methods of search engine optimization, website analytics, and more. These are the foundations I will build my career around. The best part about internet marketing is that there is always something new to learn. I can use my creative mind and exploratory nature to try new advertising methods that help businesses succeed. Every time they do well, I do well. This is the kind of job fulfillment most people can only dream of, but my educational plan and job prospects will allow me to achieve it. I have picked up some freelance jobs online to supplement my studies and help pay for my education. It is difficult to maintain a steady stream of income in freelance because I spend so much time on my school work. This scholarship could offset some of the costs and reduce my workload as a whole. While I will still work throughout the semester and full-time in the summers, having extra financial aid would greatly reduce my stress in college. I look forward to a future where I can use my marketing skills to help business owners achieve their career goals. I plan to spend the first few years after graduation working for a successful, long-standing digital marketing company. After I have enough on-the-job training to feel confident in my abilities, I will open my own internet marketing company in Chicago, where my family lives. I have a clear picture of where I will be in the next 10 years, and I know this degree is going to help me get there.

Word count: 481

• Scholarship Essay

Jennifer Finetti

As a parent who recently helped her own kids embark on their college journeys, Jennifer approaches the transition from high school to college from a unique perspective. She truly enjoys engaging with students – helping them to build the confidence, knowledge, and insight needed to pursue their educational and career goals, while also empowering them with the strategies and skills needed to access scholarships and financial aid that can help limit college costs. She understands the importance of ensuring access to the edtech tools and resources that can make this process easier and more equitable - this drive to support underserved populations is what drew her to ScholarshipOwl. Jennifer has coached students from around the world, as well as in-person with local students in her own community. Her areas of focus include career exploration, major selection, college search and selection, college application assistance, financial aid and scholarship consultation, essay review and feedback, and more. She works with students who are at the top of their class, as well as those who are struggling. She firmly believes that all students, regardless of their circumstances, can succeed if they stay focused and work hard in school. Jennifer earned her MA in Counseling Psychology from National University, and her BA in Psychology from University of California, Santa Cruz.

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How to Write an Awesome Essay About Your Career Goals

• Before you begin, ask yourself a few key questions like:
• What are my short-term and long-term career goals?
• Where do I see myself in ten years?
• What events in my life have led me to have these goals?
• What major will help me reach my goals?
• What skills do I need to reach my goals?
• What impact do I want to have on society?

Career Goals Essay Template

Need more inspiration.

After you brainstorm the responses to these questions, look for common themes, or pick out the most interesting stories. You can build your main essay “thesis” or idea around this.

Once you’ve got the main idea, create an outline to put your ideas into essay format. This will give you a general idea of structure.

You can use the career essays template below to give you some ideas. But remember that some rules are meant to be broken, so don’t be afraid to be innovative and think outside the box!

Also, when you’re done, head over to Going Merry to apply for the Career Goals scholarship essay bundle (one essay, one application, multiple scholarships!). You might as well make that essay count. Sign up for Going Merry to apply for scholarships more efficiently.

Here’s a paragraph-by-paragraph breakdown:

Paragraph 1 : Establish the main theme of what you’re going to talk about. It should also grab the reader’s attention. For example, instead of starting your essay with something generic (e.g. Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to be a zoologist), get creative with it! Try something like My greatest memory as a young girl was going to the zoo for the first time or While most kids play house or school, I always wanted to play zookeeper.

Paragraph 2 : Elaborate on what inspired your career goals. Perhaps it was a relative, a TV show, or simply an experience that you had. Remember that old writing adage, “Show, don’t tell.” In other words, try to demonstrate your interest with story or description. 

Paragraph 3 : Discuss your short-term career goals and your intended major. How will your intended major help you reach these goals? What skills do you need to learn to reach them? At the end of the paragraph, try discussing how your short-term goals can help you achieve your long-term goals.

Paragraph 4 : Focus on your long-term goals and the impact that you hope to have on society. If you’re not sure what your long-term goals are, don’t sweat it; they’ll probably change anyways. You can instead focus on the difference you’d like to make overall. And don’t worry too much about the size of the impact…remember that just doing what you’re truly passionate about has a massive impact on those around you.

The last paragraph is your conclusion. You can use this paragraph to summarize what you discussed in the previous few paragraphs. If you want to be even more creative, try ending your essay with a question for your readers or a new insight. Good luck!

And now that you’re ready with that essay, put it to good use! You can recycle that same essay, when applying for the Career Goals Scholarship Bundle. We’ve joined together multiple scholarships (all requesting essays on career goals), into just ONE simple application! See more info here , or just sign up to get going.

Check out examples from other students just like you. Here are links to some great career goal essay examples:

• Example 1  
• Example 2  
• Example 3  

Or maybe you’re looking for help with an academic goals essay — we’ve got you covered there too.

Also, check out this helpful list of the 10 most common scholarship essay topics !

Sign up for Going Merry today, and upload your career goal essay right to your profile. It’s that easy!

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Choosing Between Your Career And Love? Consider These Things First

It’s everyone’s worst nightmare: having to choose between your relationship or career. In rom-coms, the choice always ends up being love, but in real life it’s not always that simple — or smart. The truth is, no one can tell you if you should choose love or your career. It takes time to figure out the best path and can be confusing, so ask yourself these 11 questions to clear things up.

• Where’s your heart at?  A life that’s focused on logic and reason might make sense, but if your heart’s not in it, then you’re wasting your time. What makes you really happy? If your partner is your soulmate, choosing to leave them behind for a future overseas chasing your dreams might feel like the wrong thing to do right now because you might get what you want only to feel miserable. Similarly, if you’re choosing your partner but can’t squash the desire to spread your wings in a career sense, that’s also BS. The best thing is to go where you are pulled. It might not always make sense on paper, but it’ll make you happy.
• You want it, but why? Make sure you want things for the right reasons! Choosing your relationship just because you feel guilty about breaking up with your partner isn’t a healthy decision. Similarly, choosing your career because you’re driven by status and money isn’t so great either as it won’t make you happy. Such choices will lead to a dead-end.
• What price are you willing to pay for love?  It’s easy to get wrapped up in a new relationship and not want to be without it. You can’t predict the future of your relationship, but your gut can guide you. Is this person you’re dating really someone who wants to build a future with you? Are they totally committed and worth your time? At what cost does this relationship come and is it a price you’re happy to pay or will it leave you emotionally broke?
• Are you going to neglect your passions?  If your career is linked to your dreams and passions, you should always pursue it. If you don’t, you’ll regret the missed opportunities. It sounds harsh, but your partner will never be able to fulfill the dreams you had for your life before he came along, and it’s unfair to expect him to!
• Are you being passive about things?  You don’t want to be in a relationship that leads you blindly through your life. That’s just going to end in pain and disappointment. Choose what you want out of life and where you’re going before you choose the person to accompany you on your journey, otherwise you’ll be living someone else’s life and chasing their dreams instead of yours.
• Will you resent your partner in future?  If you choose not to take that job offer across the country or that holiday job in Paris because you’d rather stay with your partner, be sure that you won’t resent them for your choices in future. You have to be 100% sure that you’re making the right choice, not just when it feels good but when things don’t turn out the way you hoped. A life with no regrets is the most important thing.
• Is your relationship standing in your way? If you feel that your partner won’t stand by you or they tell you straight up that they won’t support you if you follow your dreams, your decision’s just become much easier. Ditch them!
• Can you have both?  Who says you have to choose between love and a career? It’s not always so black and white. Often you can find ways to have both, but maybe not at the same time. Maybe your relationship will have to become a long-distance one for a while until you complete your dissertation overseas or finish your internship in another state. Or, maybe you’re just not keen on a relationship, marriage, or kids until you move up the corporate ladder. So what? A UK study by YouGov found that 35% of women between the ages of 18 and 24 put motherhood on the back burner to have a career. That’s okay – you still have time.
• Could your love and career work together?  If you’re in a supportive relationship where your partner wants the best for you, you need them in your life. Your relationship will offer you support and love that you’ll benefit from in your career. Think about that before you tell the person you’ve been dating that you’re way too busy for a relationship. Sure, your relationship will require more compromise, but it’s worth it.
• Are you listening to society too much? Society might say that “love conquers all” or that a career won’t keep you warm at night, or perhaps that if you choose a career over your relationship that you’re going to wind up an old spinster. But seriously, everyone’s going to have a different opinion. The thing to remember is that you’re the only one who’s going to have to live with your choices. No pressure!
• Who says your life is about one thing?  You might think you need to give 100% of yourself to your dreams or 100% to your relationship, but that’s turning yourself into a human sacrifice and making you miss out on other ways to be happy. Your life needs balance, not tunnel vision, so that you can get fulfillment from different priorities. Don’t expect one thing to make you happy; you need at least a few to keep you feeling satisfied in different ways. If your job or relationship is worth being in your life, it’ll make your life better, not worse.

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• July 16, 2024
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Passion vs Money: Should You Choose a Job You Love or One That Pays?

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Passion vs. money—this is an internal debate that everyone has at some point in their life. On one side, you probably hear parents, relatives, or even strangers advising you to be realistic and find a job that pays well . But on the other side, there are friends or even TED talks of successful people telling you that “following your passion is the secret of success.”

And, only naturally, you feel stressed, confused and anxiously question whether you should follow your passion blindly with little chance to get money from it or choose a career that you don’t even like just because the job itself seems promising for your future .

But, even so, following your desires can leave a sense of well-being and happiness in everything you do. While there is no doubt that this is a question of opportunity and the hand you’ve been dealt with, following one’s passion seems more appealing to most.  However, should you choose a job you love or one that pays? Let’s explore more.

Benefits of Choosing a Career You Love

In the world we live in today, money is definitely a powerful tool, but choosing to chase it often comes at the price of not being able to do something you love and look forward to every day.

This ancient dilemma is by no means black and white; there are many benefits to a dream job. It is worth noting that should you choose to pursue your passion, workdays will seem less monotonous, and there won’t be a dull feeling washing over you when the alarm clock rings. The phrase, “Choose a job you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life,” may seem like a washed-out cliche, but it does hold some truth in it.

In terms of higher motivation , doing the job more effortlessly and passionately, you can see how that sentence got so famous. It’s true that a day of work still remains a day of work, however, the small factors in and around it do change and ultimately have an impact on our overall sense of self. Here are some:

1. Career growth

Growth in a career is more probable when the job consists of things that motivate you. You won’t simply be finishing tasks and not thinking about them, nor waiting for the clock to strike five (if you’re doing a 9 to 5 job), so you can leave your workplace.

It seems like a minor thing, but it plays a vital role in how far you go in your career. Hence you will be looking for more creative ways to do your job and spot details that you wouldn’t have if you didn’t put your heart into it.

2. Being passionate about work

Being passionate is directly linked to being productive. If it really is something you’re passionate about, there is a sense of being content with what you have accomplished during the work hours and beyond. The by-product of your work will be something you take pride in, and that will serve in giving you a reason to keep doing it.

3. Motivation

Obviously, loving what you do brings in motivation because it is activated by your own desires rather than material gains. Oftentimes in life, we can find ourselves lacking the motivation to do anything, but if someone presents us with something we enjoy, it will possibly make us get out of bed and get working.

HuffPost tells the tale of Richard Weinberg , a man who found that salsa was his passion at 49 years old. This discovery led to him participating in multiple dance categories, and it gave him a sense of purpose in his life.

4. Better health

How much you enjoy your job primarily affects your mental health, as doing something you don’t like on a daily will eventually start to consume you and you will get burnout . On the other hand, doing something you enjoy waking up for in the morning can help you not only feel better but even get lost in the work if you’re having problems in other areas of your life .

According to a study , the time spent engaging in our passions contributes to lower stress and our happiness. Your work can be some sort of an escape. And when it plays out like this, your productivity may increase due to the focus you shift on your job.

5. Pleasure in the work environment

It’s no secret that a career you’re passionate about will, in most cases, provide you with a more pleasurable work environment. Chances are that your coworkers will be like-minded, and besides the working part, you’ll have fun during the hours spent interacting with them.

Even without that, there is comfort in spending time in a place that has intentions that coincide with yours.

6. Fulfillment

It goes without saying that you feel fulfilled when you work on something meaningful to you. And especially after achieving the end goal of it. Obstacles you find on your way won’t be as relevant because you will always find a creative way around them.

We spend most of our days working, and that alone should be a reason to follow something that leaves us with a feeling of satisfaction during the hours we put in.

Disadvantages of Doing What You Love

As with anything in life, choosing to follow your dream has another side to the coin. While it can turn into something beautiful and life-changing, there’s also the possibility of not being in tune with the current market. Thus, either not allowing you to make a living out of it or make as much as you would ideally want.

According to Forbes , when we tell people to follow their passion, we assume they have one, which is not always the case. There are people whose passions change over time, and that is entirely normal. Plus, you can have interests that aren’t necessarily something you love but merely something you find appealing and intriguing that can also serve as a money-making career.

Now, although it is mostly a personal issue whether you choose to chase your dreams or focus on a career relevant to today’s market, here are some disadvantages of doing what you love.

1. Your passion might turn into a job

This is a big risk when you start pursuing your dream. We know that work can sometimes be stressful, and it may seem as if deadlines are hovering over our heads, and that treads dangerously close to turning us against our passion. At some point, your passion may not be something you do for yourself, but something that brings in the paycheck at the end of the month, and it can lose the shine it once had.

Another risk you will be taking is that your dream career does not have a promising job outlook . Sure, if your passion lies in IT or business , it is likely that you will be getting a steady salary out of something you enjoy doing. However, more times than not, people have passions that either don’t pay well or the industry is too big to penetrate, which can be problematic and discourage them from pursuing it.

3. Passions can change

Although this is not always the case, for many people, passions change over time, especially if they have roots in their early years. It’s by no means a bad thing, but it can intervene in your life if you have chosen to pursue your passion as a career.

Because we are continually developing and learning new skills , it can be hard to say if your fascination with a certain field may fade over time, but to some, that’s just a risk worth taking.

Benefits of Choosing a Career with a High Salary

For some people, doing what they love and earning enough money for a normal life don’t go hand in hand. For others, it’s a matter of either not having a passion or growing out of a dream they once had. Consequently, these reasons make a high-paying career a valuable option. It is understood that without a steady income, it’s unlikely that passion will be the thing you want to follow.

Of course, following one’s dreams has the emotional rewards that a job that pays your bills is unlikely to offer, but if you aren’t able to afford rent or pay off your student debt, maybe it’s time to postpone your passion and focus on solutions. We’ve all heard that money can’t buy happiness, but is that phrase completely true?

There are many things money can’t buy, but sometimes having it can make many of our problems go away, which is why there’s a list of benefits to choosing a job that provides us with a high salary.

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1. The obvious one: money

This is a prominent perk of choosing to seek a job that will pay you well. A study shows that money can be associated with happiness, but not in the way you’d think. The study shows that people making under $75,000 a year tend to have lower happiness levels.

However, past that point, money doesn’t seem to have an effect on the human brain. Furthermore, having a steady income influences our mental and physical health. It is undoubtedly more comfortable knowing that you don’t have to worry about the price of something you like and how you will make ends meet from month to month.

People tend to respect those who are well off. Although it’s considered as an artificial way of gaining respect by some, most of the time, it works. Generally, a high income is associated with success, and we tend to respect successful people. In addition, there is a correlation between “important work” and high salaries, which leads us to think that only a high-paid job is respectable.

There is safety with high income, no doubt. You won’t have to worry about many things that take money to acquire. Plus, a high-earning career is oftentimes placed in a big industry that isn’t going anywhere, so you can find employment opportunities just about anywhere.

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Disadvantages of Doing Work That Pays Well, But You Don’t Like

As good as money and safety sound, there is a downside to pursuing a career in a field you simply have no connection with. For starters, it will never feel as if you are close to living your dream unless, of course, that dream consists of a high-paying job that you don’t exactly like.

It’s hard to enjoy working in a place that doesn’t seem to motivate you to do the job well, and even when the working hours aren’t long, they are likely to seem so. When you’re stuck performing tasks you see no point in, you may lose focus on working on your skills and may feel lost in the job.

Most well-paying jobs can cast a lot of pressure, especially when it isn’t something you feel excited about, and that can have an impact on your view of life.

1. Long working hours

Jobs that offer a high payday often tend to go hand-in-hand with long working hours. Even when they don’t, to see that large number at the end of the month, you will probably have to put in a few extra hours, and that can be tiring.

This is not always the case, but when it is, it can leave you little to no time to do anything else apart from work. A survey has found that executives and managers with smartphones—who are all well compensated—tend to spend 13.5 hours a workday interacting with work.

2. Pressure

Usually, in the world of big money, there is a lot of competition and a lot of things changing rapidly. You have to constantly chase the next big thing and keep fighting for your position within the organization. However, this is not the case with every job, and maybe yours doesn’t really come with this downside. But for those it does, the pressure can oftentimes be overwhelming.

3. Not focusing on skills

Money-focused jobs are mostly concentrated on making the best out of the skills you already possess. Meanwhile, with a job you start out with because of your love for it, you will probably take time in developing and nurturing skills, like critical thinking , that can guarantee long-term success. Nevertheless, there are jobs out there that guarantee a good salary as well as skill training programs.

How to Decide Between a Job for Money vs. Passion

Choosing between money vs. passion is an ancient dilemma that troubles the minds of many people all over the world to this day. The stakes are pretty high as only a handful of people are fortunate enough to find a job that pays well and fulfills them. This is backed by research, too; According to a survey by Harris Interactive , only 20 percent of people across America feel passionate about their jobs.

On the other hand, Pew Research Center found that about half (49%) of American employees are very satisfied with their job.

So, should you try and settle for a promising career without much passion, or should you risk it for a job that you love and fulfills you? Well, there is no simple yes or no answer to this question, and there are many important factors to consider before deciding between a job for money vs. passion. We will try to help you with this critical decision, so keep reading to learn how to choose between a job you love and career growth.

Making Money Vs. Doing What You Love: Things To Consider When Choosing

Both of the options have a yin and yang, and sometimes deciding between the two can seem like mission impossible. But, that shouldn’t be the case, and it won’t be if you study your options closely and decide based on facts and feelings equally.

At the end of the day, isn’t your fulfillment and ability to say that you’re happy with your choices the most important thing?

However, it’s not that simple; there are many things to take into consideration when making such a big decision for the path in which you want your life to follow. You have to look at all sides carefully and then decide how and what you should be doing and do it.

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1. Earning potential

Before diving into a field of interest, you should consider the earning potential it offers. There is a chance that your passion has great pay on the menu as well. Yet, the time when you should consider putting your passion aside—not forgetting it—is when you know you won’t be able to afford it.

If it keeps you from life’s necessities, then you can always opt for treating it as a hobby, giving it your free time of the day, and making money in another field.

2. What you want from life

This is honestly the most crucial element in your decision-making process. Maybe you want to turn your passion into a job you love, but there is a chance that you want to keep far away from responsibilities and only enjoy it in your leisure time.

Neither of these is incorrect; it’s merely a point of view. Clearly, none of us are absolutely sure in what we want from our lives in every aspect of it, but having a slight idea might help you come to a conclusion with this dilemma.

3. Sometimes, you can do both

Doing both does not have one final meaning. It could be that your dream job just so happens to be a career that makes you more than enough money, or you follow passion at the same time as following a different work pathway.

Maybe you get lucky and make money off of a passion that you thought would take you nowhere, or you happen to fall in love with a job that you didn’t feel strongly towards at first; the possibilities are endless.

The Bottom Line: Choose a Job You Love or One That Pays?

Choosing between a beloved field or the one that will pay your bills can sometimes send you into a spiral of thoughts that is hard to get out of. However, it is a significant decision that will follow you for the most part of your life. When making this judgment, you should look into all the advantages and disadvantages that come with either one of the possibilities.

From money and stability to happiness and fulfillment, these all play a role in this puzzle. But, most importantly, remember to listen to the logic and your heart simultaneously because they generally come up with the best verdict together.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Is it better to love your job or make more money.

The answer to this question definitely depends on your priorities and values. Some prioritize job satisfaction and fulfillment over a higher salary, while others prioritize financial stability and security. Ultimately, the answer will vary from person to person.

Is salary more important than passion?

There is no universal answer to whether salary is more important than passion. Your decision should be based on your individual circumstances, values, and goals. It’s important to strike a balance that aligns with your overall well-being and allows you to lead a fulfilling life.

Should I follow my career or passion?

It’s possible to find fulfillment and success by aligning your career with your passion, but it may require some creativity, perseverance, and adaptability. The key is to make a decision that aligns with your values, goals, and circumstances and that ultimately brings you satisfaction and happiness in the long run.

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Love vs. Career

If you ever have to choose between love or career, always find a way to choose both. Because if you don’t start creating a balance between both now, it may soon be marriage vs career and then family vs career. The priorities in life in which you will succeed are the ones you make time for now. This choice comes irrespective of your gender, and it is completely okay for this to happen. It could be a case of a long-distance relationship or even to step back from the relationship if the situation demands so. Remember, the person who truly loves you will never stop you from growing and being happy and successful in your career and other goals. Your career, money, car, etc. cannot love you back. It may break your heart to make such bold moves, but if it is for a happy future of you both, it is worth it.

When choosing and making a decision, always keep in mind that it is your decision and you can never blame the other person for this.  Choose wisely and stick to it. If you choose your career, you will have to let go of those cuddles in the cold winter nights; and if you choose your relationship, you will have to let go of the job you’ve always wanted.

There might be times when you want both. The best way here is to talk to your other half. Talk and try to make things work between both of you. If you are the one who is being talked to, listen without any bias and understand how important you are to the person talking to you. Remember, a compromise on a few things is far better than separation.

Both are important,  so be ready to choose a way  that gives you the option to pursue love and your career.  If that’s not possible, choose the one you love more and make sure you love your choice and have no regrets.

Essay on Career for Students and Children

500+ words essay on career.

Career is a very important thing in one’s life. Whatever career path you choose to follow, it will impact your life greatly. Your career will define your status in a society in addition to your lifestyle. In other words, your career will determine your social circle and relationships.

Therefore, it is extremely important to choose the correct career path . From a very young age, we aspire to be something or the other. While someone aims to be a doctor, some wish to become a painter. Our career choices depend on a lot of things. Thus, it is important to consider all factors before choosing a career path.

How to Choose your Career?

You must consider a number of factors before deciding on your career. Each factor plays a significant role in your choice. Firstly, always assess yourself thoroughly. You must understand your area of interest to choose a career. For instance, someone who dances well can surely become a doctor, but his interest will always be in dance. Thus, ensure that you have the caliber to perform well in the field you choose. This will come from your area of interest itself.

After that, you look for the opportunities available as per your area of interest. Now that you are aware of what you like and dislike, you can easily look for occupations matching your passion. Make a list of the occupations you can get into following your interests. Furthermore, shorten the list you have prepared. You must do so as per what suits you best. Consult with your seniors and parents to make informed decisions.

Most importantly, acquire the skills for the career option you are interested in. Ensure you earn the qualifications and degrees for it. Try taking training programs to enhance your skills. This will give you an upper hand in knowing whether you are correct in choosing the specific career plan. Furthermore, create an impressive resume which can help you get the right opportunities.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

How to Achieve your Career Goal?

There are steps you need to take before achieving your career goal. As they say, success doesn’t come overnight. You must work along the way to accomplish your goals. There is always hope if you have the will. Firstly, create profiles on different job portals to attract the employer’s attention. When you maintain your profile well, you will be able to get good career opportunities.

Moreover, always maintain your network. Build a solid network and create sources in the field. This way you can update yourself with the latest happenings in the industry. In addition, try to attend the related seminars and workshops that happen related to your career choice. You will meet influential people of the same field who can broaden your thinking.

In short, always remember to stay determined. You can easily achieve your career goal if you set your mind to it. In other words, people usually distract themselves easily. You must not do so and focus on your career path to achieve your goals efficiently.

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What To Choose Between Love And Career

Love and career are two aspects of life. We can’t make a decision based on one aspect. Love is a very beautiful feeling which a person feels for their family or it can be for a person or in another side we want to settle in life and career for our loved ones only. Each person feels one or another way if they are settled in their life then they can take care of their love one’s requirement and also it will be easy to fulfil their dreams.

But many a time it is not that simple, multiple time we would have come across with the people for settle their life they have to sacrifices their personal life or many have chosen their love life and they are struggling in their career.

Love  and career both are important in life but in a different situation we may have to deal differently such as Army people who are working in the border can’t take their  family  or loved ones there but for their career, they compromise and their family also stand with them to support.

So we can understand this difference if you have proper love and support that also can motivate you to move on and perform better in your profession but at the same time, if this kind of supports is lacking in your life, you become emotionally week that also can impact your career.

If you want to make any decision in your life. First, you need to aware that what decision you want to take and why? If you are loving someone so that person also can support you for your growth. You can’t mix your personal and professional life because to survive if a person needs to settle down in their career, at the same time as human being love and belongingness are also a  basic needs  and requirement which a person has to fulfill.

Still, if you feel that you need to choose only one then you should give some time to yourself and think about your priorities. Many a time in life we can’t take everything together. Sometimes you can have a priority that what you can priorities based on the situation. 

Suppose if you think first you need to focus on your career but that will not affect much on your personal life then you can think about it or if you feel your loved one can be a big supporter in your future goal then you can take decision accordingly.

Especially, about love and career, we can’t come up with one set of solutions. Each person’s life is different so everyone has to deal with this differently.

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The night my ex-husband and I got divorced, we went out to dinner to celebrate. I will always love him.

• After 35 years together, my partner and I decided it would be better if we got divorced.
• After our official divorce, we went to dinner together to celebrate.
• My ex-husband and I are better as friends, and I will always love him.

One night, about a year after our divorce, I phoned my ex-husband to tell him about my bad day.

He asked if I had any sangria, my favorite drink; I did not. Within an hour, a delivery person showed up at my door with sangria — ordered by my ex. I called him, thanked him, and posted it on Facebook. One of my friends replied, "I love your divorce!"

My ex and I had been together for 35 years (married 25) when we divorced. We'd tried everything we could think of to stay together, and it took years to get to the point where we both gave up. But after we did, things improved immediately. In fact, they got so much better during the divorce process that we both wondered whether maybe we were making a mistake.

We truly like each other as people — even though we changed so much. But when the pressure of the marriage was no longer there, we were able to see each other again as simply family. We weren't the same people we married — nobody is the same person after almost 40 years — but we were still, at our core, people who enjoyed being around each other. We still love parts of each other.

We celebrated our divorce with an intimate dinner

On the night before our divorce was final, we celebrated the imminent end of being tied together by paperwork.

Related stories

We went to a local restaurant we'd always wanted to try but had never managed to. It was margarita night; they were "jumbo" drinks, and we each had two.

We made friends with the owner and the hostess — as usual, wherever we went. We silently agreed not to tell the employees we were about to get divorced. They didn't find out until my ex went on a date there one night, and they were really confused when we went in for margaritas again a few months later when I was in town.

My ex-husband has remained one of the most important people in my life

I know many divorced people who aren't friends with their ex-spouses. I'm truly sad for them because having this man who had been my rock for many years still be available as part of my support system has contributed to the strength I've needed to recover from the collateral damage of a divorce.

There was some emotional fallout, and we were able to bounce things off each other. We were able to commiserate about difficulties in dating and communicate the best ways to help our young adult children.

There was financial fallout , and we were better able to successfully navigate the dips in both our incomes and figure out strange tax situations without yelling.

There were difficulties that resulted from the team — our family — being split up. Thankfully, we had each other to navigate this new terrain together.

That dinner marked an end to the people we once were

On the night of our celebration, we had yet to know all that, but we were already aware that things looked brighter for both of us.

It didn't take long for us to move to a different role in each other's lives and look fondly back to when we were married without dwelling on what eventually caused the divorce. Yes, it might be romanticizing or applying a nostalgic lens, but why is that bad?

We can't be married anymore for several reasons, but that doesn't mean I regret marrying him. That marriage was right for both of us — for a very long time.

We met when I was 19 and he was 20. As another of my friends said, we grew up together. Large parts of our personalities were shaped by each other. We don't hate those people. We simply no longer want the same things out of life and can better manage what we do want without the other as a partner.

On the night of our divorce, we said goodbye to the bad parts, but the bad parts didn't negate the good parts. We decided to find new ways of walking in this world, but we still want to make new memories as a family.

And we raised a glass — well, a few glasses — to happiness and love.

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