April 2021
“Paper chasin’.”
“Getting zeros in that bank account.”
“Being in it for the money.”
“Getting that bread.”
“Collecting those greenbacks.”
Whatever your preferred way of saying it is, most people can agree that a large chunk of their reasoning for what job they choose comes to pay. Time and time again I have heard that, “I’ll take the job if the pay is right.” Honestly, that is a poor way to view things. Now, that is not an all-inclusive view on my accord. There are genuinely some people who care about nothing more than money, and if they are making a comfortable amount in their viewpoint, they are as happy as a clam.
However, realistically, if you are reading this, there is a high probability that you do not fall into that category. You may think you do, but I can bet that if you were put into a position that you hate with a salary you loved, you would slowly start to love that salary less and less. Graduation is in the air and some of you are turning to bigger and brighter things. Amongst those bigger and brighter things is the opportunity to get a job with an agreeable salary. Unfortunately, many students will turn to the dollar amount attached to that job rather than the job or company itself, making salary the majority deciding factor on whether they take the job or not.
Take it from this old working stiff—HIGHER PAY IS NOT ALWAYS THE ANSWER!! Trust me. I know that it may seem exciting and wonderful to go from making peanuts for pay to what seems like a small fortune. That salary will put blinders on a person really quickly, and they will fall victim to a great salary and a crappy job that eventually makes the salary follow suit. Things will seem all fine and dandy. and you will feel like you are on top of the world.
But that feeling will soon fade, and reality will step in. You will forget all about the pay and start seeing everything that you hate or disagree with. This will range from the people you are working with or the company’s stance on things that are important to you. It could also be the type of work you are doing or a misconception that you had about the position when taking it. Whatever the reason(s) may be, they will become apparent and begin to add up.
From there, it will start weighing on your mental state and personal life, and before long, you will start thinking to yourself that you are not getting paid so much after all. In fact, you will start seeing that dream pay as an insult and believing that you are not being compensated enough at all. This will then form into stress, followed by anger, and ultimately leading to your resignation, getting fired or quitting altogether.
Going through that little adventure, that high pay does not seem so great after all does it? Good news for you: there is hope.
Here is my winning opinion on landing not only that stellar job, but that stellar pay. First and foremost, think about yourself as a person. What do you like? What do you dislike? What are your passions? What are your ultimate goals? You really need to take a deep look into yourself as a person to see what makes you tick and what will motivate you.
I grew up with a saying that used to be prevalent but has seemed to fall by the wayside nowadays. I was always told that “if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” It follows suit with the theme of this blog—"if you love what you do, you’ll do what you love.” Those two sayings are synonymous with each other in that, overall, you should be doing something that you love. I feel that is a lost art that people are not abiding by.
I think people have lost the thought that working is impossible to love. Quite frankly, I feel that is because they are not doing what they love. How did they get there? It could have been due to a ton of reasons. They could have been offered a ton of money for a job they ultimately hated but got stuck in due to life obligations (i.e. family, mortgage, bills, etc). You are young, and that is why it is VERY important to learn who you are as a person and try to cater to those traits before you “get stuck.”
After you have analyzed yourself and understood yourself, it is time to do some due diligence in the workforce. First things first, just because you got a degree in art does not mean you have to get a job in art. The same thing goes for math, English, engineering, agriculture, science, or whatever. JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE A DEGREE IN ONE AREA, DOESN’T LOCK YOU INTO THAT FIELD! That is just the truth of things. Sometimes you study something that you end up hating or just didn’t click with, but you stuck with it because you made the commitment or were forced to. The main point is that you finished, you should be proud, and now it is time to execute it. The key factors on your side at this point is that you are YOUNG and you FINISHED!
You can capitalize on these things more than you think. You have time to figure out life. If you need time to figure yourself as advised in the first step, then take it. If you need time to work random jobs to get an idea of what you enjoy doing, then take it. The point is, YOU HAVE TIME, SO TAKE IT! The number one thing that employers look for is a candidate who knows themselves, is genuinely interested in the position they are applying for, and has a passion for success. Any good employer should be able pick up on and know the difference between a genuine candidate and one that just wants a job. You will be that genuine person when you know yourself and what you want regardless of your experience or degree.
Now that that point is out of the way, it is time to get back to analyzing the workforce. Take this newfound knowledge of yourself and apply it to various jobs. What companies fit who you are as a person? What type of work brings you joy and aligns with your goals? What career field excites you? This is a really important step that you need to put a lot of thought into. Realistically, you will be working for the next 20-40 years, so make it count. If that seems scary, do not fret. Life will evolve, as will you. Very rarely does anyone end where they started, but to excel you will need to start well.
“But DANIEL, make like Jerry McGuire and SHOW ME THE MONEY!” That’s the great thing about doing what you love—the money will typically come with it. You will put in so much effort, passion and care that you will be compensated for those efforts. However, the grand thing about all of that is that typically you will not care if you are not getting paid a ridiculous amount of money. If you are truly doing something that you love, it will not feel like work, and the quality of life that you will have because of it will be enough for you.
Happiness is worth more than you think, especially in the workforce. Do not get caught in the glitz and glamour of what a high salary can mean to you. Focus more on yourself and what makes you happy, and everything will follow! Happiness > money every day of the week!
Wishing for your ultimate success,
-Daniel Pall =)
Daniel Pall is a master’s student in the Department of Agricultural Economics.
“Getting zeros in that bank account.”
“Being in it for the money.”
“Getting that bread.”
“Collecting those greenbacks.”
Whatever your preferred way of saying it is, most people can agree that a large chunk of their reasoning for what job they choose comes to pay. Time and time again I have heard that, “I’ll take the job if the pay is right.” Honestly, that is a poor way to view things. Now, that is not an all-inclusive view on my accord. There are genuinely some people who care about nothing more than money, and if they are making a comfortable amount in their viewpoint, they are as happy as a clam.
However, realistically, if you are reading this, there is a high probability that you do not fall into that category. You may think you do, but I can bet that if you were put into a position that you hate with a salary you loved, you would slowly start to love that salary less and less. Graduation is in the air and some of you are turning to bigger and brighter things. Amongst those bigger and brighter things is the opportunity to get a job with an agreeable salary. Unfortunately, many students will turn to the dollar amount attached to that job rather than the job or company itself, making salary the majority deciding factor on whether they take the job or not.
Take it from this old working stiff—HIGHER PAY IS NOT ALWAYS THE ANSWER!! Trust me. I know that it may seem exciting and wonderful to go from making peanuts for pay to what seems like a small fortune. That salary will put blinders on a person really quickly, and they will fall victim to a great salary and a crappy job that eventually makes the salary follow suit. Things will seem all fine and dandy. and you will feel like you are on top of the world.
But that feeling will soon fade, and reality will step in. You will forget all about the pay and start seeing everything that you hate or disagree with. This will range from the people you are working with or the company’s stance on things that are important to you. It could also be the type of work you are doing or a misconception that you had about the position when taking it. Whatever the reason(s) may be, they will become apparent and begin to add up.
From there, it will start weighing on your mental state and personal life, and before long, you will start thinking to yourself that you are not getting paid so much after all. In fact, you will start seeing that dream pay as an insult and believing that you are not being compensated enough at all. This will then form into stress, followed by anger, and ultimately leading to your resignation, getting fired or quitting altogether.
Going through that little adventure, that high pay does not seem so great after all does it? Good news for you: there is hope.
Here is my winning opinion on landing not only that stellar job, but that stellar pay. First and foremost, think about yourself as a person. What do you like? What do you dislike? What are your passions? What are your ultimate goals? You really need to take a deep look into yourself as a person to see what makes you tick and what will motivate you.
I grew up with a saying that used to be prevalent but has seemed to fall by the wayside nowadays. I was always told that “if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” It follows suit with the theme of this blog—"if you love what you do, you’ll do what you love.” Those two sayings are synonymous with each other in that, overall, you should be doing something that you love. I feel that is a lost art that people are not abiding by.
I think people have lost the thought that working is impossible to love. Quite frankly, I feel that is because they are not doing what they love. How did they get there? It could have been due to a ton of reasons. They could have been offered a ton of money for a job they ultimately hated but got stuck in due to life obligations (i.e. family, mortgage, bills, etc). You are young, and that is why it is VERY important to learn who you are as a person and try to cater to those traits before you “get stuck.”
After you have analyzed yourself and understood yourself, it is time to do some due diligence in the workforce. First things first, just because you got a degree in art does not mean you have to get a job in art. The same thing goes for math, English, engineering, agriculture, science, or whatever. JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE A DEGREE IN ONE AREA, DOESN’T LOCK YOU INTO THAT FIELD! That is just the truth of things. Sometimes you study something that you end up hating or just didn’t click with, but you stuck with it because you made the commitment or were forced to. The main point is that you finished, you should be proud, and now it is time to execute it. The key factors on your side at this point is that you are YOUNG and you FINISHED!
You can capitalize on these things more than you think. You have time to figure out life. If you need time to figure yourself as advised in the first step, then take it. If you need time to work random jobs to get an idea of what you enjoy doing, then take it. The point is, YOU HAVE TIME, SO TAKE IT! The number one thing that employers look for is a candidate who knows themselves, is genuinely interested in the position they are applying for, and has a passion for success. Any good employer should be able pick up on and know the difference between a genuine candidate and one that just wants a job. You will be that genuine person when you know yourself and what you want regardless of your experience or degree.
Now that that point is out of the way, it is time to get back to analyzing the workforce. Take this newfound knowledge of yourself and apply it to various jobs. What companies fit who you are as a person? What type of work brings you joy and aligns with your goals? What career field excites you? This is a really important step that you need to put a lot of thought into. Realistically, you will be working for the next 20-40 years, so make it count. If that seems scary, do not fret. Life will evolve, as will you. Very rarely does anyone end where they started, but to excel you will need to start well.
“But DANIEL, make like Jerry McGuire and SHOW ME THE MONEY!” That’s the great thing about doing what you love—the money will typically come with it. You will put in so much effort, passion and care that you will be compensated for those efforts. However, the grand thing about all of that is that typically you will not care if you are not getting paid a ridiculous amount of money. If you are truly doing something that you love, it will not feel like work, and the quality of life that you will have because of it will be enough for you.
Happiness is worth more than you think, especially in the workforce. Do not get caught in the glitz and glamour of what a high salary can mean to you. Focus more on yourself and what makes you happy, and everything will follow! Happiness > money every day of the week!
Wishing for your ultimate success,
-Daniel Pall =)
Daniel Pall is a master’s student in the Department of Agricultural Economics.