IS IT JUST ABOUT MONEY?

[Badshah Mamun]

IS IT JUST ABOUT MONEY?

Well, if it is, consider a career as a financial planner, computer techie or epidemiologist according to Fast Company because those are just three of the top 25 jobs as the top-paying professions in the future.

For some, it is all about the money and the great toys it buys. Cool cars, surround sound and two cell phones (16% of cell phone users carry two). Indeed, money, the quality of life and financial independence are great motivators to get up and go to work everyday. But for some, the toys don't matter as much, financial independence isn't even a consideration and quality of life isn't measured in an asset portfolio.

There are lots of people making lots of money who go to work everyday to a job they hate. There are just as many people who go to work everyday to a low-paying job that they love. They love it because the job provides so much more than dollars. Teachers, nurses, law enforcement and emergency rescue personnel don't make the kind of money a CEO makes, but most of them wouldn't change careers for a bigger salary. To these people, it's more important to receive the emotional rewards a career provides.

We define each other by the work we do...

High on the list are college professors (must be very smart), doctors (modern day wizards), religious leaders (good hearts) and school teachers (large buckets of patience).Low on the status list are politicians (all crooks), used car salespeople (all crooks), stock brokers (sales hype), telemarketers (annoying) and the folks who scrape up road kill (Yuck!).

But notice that status isn't related to earning power. Most religious leaders don't make huge salaries, but still hold high-status positions in our society. Conversely, successful stock brokers usually clear six figures annually, but most of their clients would consider brokers a necessary evil. Status isn't related to salary. But it is related to your self-esteem.

If you have high self-esteem, you think you're doing okay in the world. If you have low self-esteem, you can't figure out why your career lacks traction. You aren't getting anywhere, you don't like your job, you don't like your life and you don't like yourself or your pet or your apartment.

The fact is, that not only do we define others by how they earn a living, we also define ourselves by the work we do. Our professions and careers become woven into the fabric of our self-image--the way we see ourselves and believe that others see us, as well. And Over the years, our society has attempted to increase the self-esteem factor by changing job titles and Descriptions.

Who doesn't care for Flex-time, an in-house day care, summers off, a great health plan, company car - there's more to most jobs than the bottom line, especially in this hectic work-a-day world in which time has more value than cold, hard cash. Most parents will swap flex time and telecommuting for a bigger paycheck because those benefits also improve quality of life. More senior employees will seek out good health plans. New hires seek opportunities to advance. There are as many reasons for taking a job as there are people who take them.

It doesn't matter if you're just starting out in a career or thinking about a mid-life career change. If you focus solely on the salary, you're limiting your options and your chances to really improve the overall quality of life.

Weigh the other factors - benefits, job status, self-esteem and the emotional and psychological benefits - that a job offers. You'll expand your career horizons and you'll more likely find true happiness on the job.

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And that's the most important consideration of all.

Source: http://www.timesjobs.com/candidate/careerresources/htmls/salaryarticle.jsp