While it would be nice to have a state-of-the-art home theater or a Maserati GranTurismo Convertible in the temperature-controlled garage, it won’t make up for a horrible job. You will spend the majority of your waking hours at work over your lifespan. You need to be sure that you enjoy it or feel fulfilled from it in the long run. If not, money will not fill that void so make sure that you have included other priorities for your job search. Learn not to fall for these traps early.
Trap #5: Making a lot of money will make me happy.
While salary is surely important, it isn’t the only factor you should look at when choosing a job. Countless surveys have shown that money doesn’t necessarily lead to job satisfaction. For many people enjoying what they do at work is much more important. And if you enjoy what you do, you will be good at it which will help you succeed later in your career.
Trap #6: I can’t make a living from my hobby.
Says who? When choosing a career path, it makes perfect sense to choose one that is related to what you enjoy doing in your spare time. In addition, people tend to become very skilled in their hobbies even though most of the skill is gained informally. So if you are a gamer, look into getting a summer or part-time job working for a game developer even if the job is ordering supplies. You will learn from the developers what the job is really like and what skills you need to reach your goals.
