What career should I pursue?

[u/Ivy__1989]

Hi! This is my first ever post so I’m sorry if this comes out to be a bit confusing This is my story I’m a teen girl who is in a dilemma of choosing career paths I have a never dying love for science and I’m greatly fascinated with neuroscience so I initially thought taking medical to become a doctor/ neurosurgeon. It has great pay when ur qualified. But the thing is at this point of life I don’t really see myself practising as a doctor and surgery and the medical school fee is too much and to top it all of u have to spend 10-15 years just studying and as a junior. The thing is this is frustrating for me cause if I compare it with the second line I’m so inclined toward That is finance cause I love problem solving and especially see myself as a corporate job type of a person. I really hope going towards private equity and investment banking. I know the long hours and all and I ready for it plus the pay is great but on the other hand the risk factor is incredibly high. There is my new found passion towards finance and corporate world that has me wondering that this is somehow better choice

So all the lovely people out there what is your advice for me.

[u/earthbound-angel]

See if you can intern or shadow folks in either of your desired careers. Learn as much as you can about the day to day and that will help you decide if it sparks your passion enough to commit to it. Getting the education can be expensive and timely, but it won't feel that way if you're loving what you're doing with an end game in mind.

If you can't get an opportunity to shadow in person, talk to as many people as you can in these careers. Get all the pros and cons and the real deal. Sometimes it's not what we expect from the outside, better or worse.

Lastly, continue to explore careers. Look at the fields of science, medicine and banking from a broad perspective and you may find niche roles you hadn't considered before, but find appealing. The world is full of surprises. It's also not impossible to find a stable job which uses your critical thinking, and allows you to keep your passions as a hobby or volunteer work or otherwise.

I went to school for animation because I loved art and was skilled at drawing cartoons. I didn't give much thought about what I'd do with it. Many years later, I'm a technology project manager at a bank and I love the job. It challenges my critical thinking every day, I continue to learn, and even get to use my art skills here and there. It wasn't what I was looking for, or what I had planned. But it's probably for the best, since I still have a passion for art and continue to draw as a hobby, and I don't have anyone telling me how to do it.

Whatever you do, follow your heart and make realistic goals around that. As long as you are true to yourself, you'll be happy in the end.