Ask kids what careers they want to pursue and many of them will respond with “doctor” while others will answer “lawyer.” Of course, these are two fine professions, but do they fit most students? Are students considering more than the financial rewards of a career, or are they just choosing careers that are well known?

The world has a population of over seven billion people. Each of those seven billion has skills, talents and interests particular to them. Not everyone has the aptitude to handle syringes and patients or face a judge in a court of law. Some teens may be more suited to other fields such as business, engineering, art or science.

Teens will succeed better in professions they enjoy and can do well in. Although some think they will earn higher incomes by choosing highly visible careers which appear glamorous or financially rewarding, occupations that interest them will motivate teens to work harder. Personal interest and enjoyment allow faster progress compared to those who are only motivated by wealth.

Those who pursue high-paying careers, especially that of doctors, must also make great commitments both in time and money to succeed. Numerous years of education take dedication and hard work to complete.

Good education comes at a price, and the burden of massive loans will be a struggle for a newly-graduated student to pay off. Students who strive for esteemed titles must work hard and be willing to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for such an education.

While high school students are pressured by parents to choose a profitable career major and teens should consider parental advice seriously, the person going to school and having a career will be the one who needs to be sure of what she wants to do in the future. The early years of college allow time for exploration of personal interests, but students need to start thinking of careers and professions to choose a major and not be forced into it in their junior year.

High school students need to explore career possibilities. The innumerable number of potential occupations in any given profession is often unknown or discarded for the more popular or well known careers. Medicine and law have many careers which are not only doctor or lawyer.  To choose a career based solely on financial rewards or exposure through media sources will be less satisfying than a career chosen on personal interest, talents and values.

Students need to explore their own interests, do serious research and think about what they want to do and be.