by GRACE NOACK
“So what do you want to do after college?” This might be my least favorite question. Nevertheless, I, like many other college students, am inevitably asked it at least three times every holiday season. Being the fickle and overall indecisive person I am, my answer is always changing. If you also find yourself unsure of your future post-graduation endeavors, you’re in luck because I’ve compiled a list of the best and worst career paths!
Kicking off the best jobs category is being a nanny for the Kardashians. This is not a joke. The Kardashians take their nannies everywhere, including on their very luxurious vacations. According to Celebuzz, Kim and Kanye have several nannies and they make around $100,000 each. Kimye is also, as can probably be expected, rumored to be a nightmare to work for, but for 100k you have to make sacrifices and those kids are cute.
If you’re not fulfilled working for the Kardashians, you might find more meaning in the nonprofit world. In terms of job fulfillment, it’s hard to go wrong with non-profit work. It typically doesn’t pay a lot, but for those who are dedicated to the mission of their organization, it’s well worth the pay cut. Furthermore, 80,000 Hours, a group that has been researching what makes a ‘Dream Job’ since 2011, identified six key ingredients that you should look for in a lifelong career. Unsurprisingly, one of the six was work that helps others, which is essentially what nonprofits are all about.
According to literally every website that ranks jobs, I’m obligated to include nurses and doctors among individuals who are most satisfied with their careers. Which makes sense because their job is essentially to help people – an aforementioned key ingredient to a happy career – plus it doesn’t hurt that they are well compensated. Additionally, jobs in the healthcare field are stable and according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, have a projected growth rate of 14%.
In the worst category, and I know this is a horribly unpopular opinion, especially at Drake, is being a pharmacist. Yes it’s a lucrative and steady career path with reasonable hours, but at what cost? The fluorescent lights of Walgreens are enough for me to rule it out completely. Also, never have I ever gone into a pharmacy and seen a happy pharmacist. Never.
Next up, human resources. If Toby Flenderson is any indication, HR is a sucky job. If you work in HR, you literally have to deal with the most uncomfortable aspects of the workplace- hiring and firing, internal conflict, salary and benefit issues, etc. I don’t know about everyone else, but I definitely don’t want to be the person who has to tell Jerry from legal that the company will no longer be able to provide spousal health insurance. One of 80,000 Hour’s key ingredients is to work with supportive colleagues. Well if all your colleagues hate you because you’re cutting their health insurance, you’re probably not going to feel very supported. With all that being said, however, human resources is a dependable job and HR managers can make over $100,000.
Sales. I think sales might take the cake for the worst job. Again, a lot of my knowledge of sales is based on The Office, but I also learned a lot from Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman. He literally died because he was a salesman. Or maybe not, but the point is selling is stressful and at a certain point it’s like you’re selling yourself, and what are the psychological ramifications of that? I suppose some pros of sales are that you’re working on commission – which is ironically a con – and selling is a skill you can use across many different fields.
In all seriousness though, what you decide to do with your life is a big deal, which is why choosing a career can be so intimidating. But picking a career shouldn’t be scary, it should be fun and exciting. College is the perfect time to seek career advice; Drake offers professional and career development services. 80,000 Hour’s extensive research is also really interesting and can definitely help point anyone looking for guidance in the right direction. If you still don’t know what you want to do, the Kardashians will always be there, building their empire and waiting for you to take North to ballet.
