Turning Interests into Jobs

Student Stories

You could spend hours or even years thinking about what you want to do—and discover that your career was right under your nose the whole time. Things you like doing right now may lead to the best jobs.

Nobody's going to have a situation or interests just like yours, but here are two stories that may help you think about your own.

1. Jack: The Artist

Jack is a chronic doodler. As a kid, he drew on the walls. This year's school play was a hit, due to an amazing set that Jack designed. His uncle warns him he'll end up as a starving artist.

If Jack studies art in college, though, starving won't be in the picture. Just look at the world around you. Cars, coffee pots, websites—they've all been designed by people with an eye for art, working in careers that pay well. Some possible roles:

Fine Artist: Fine artists make art to satisfy themselves. Their work may sell to museums or collectors—or may not. Most earn money in a parallel career, anything from museum work to waiting on tables.

Commercial Artist: Commercial artists make art to serve a client. They can earn a fine living, from around $25,000 per year for start-up jobs to more than $100,000 for top directors. They include, for example, illustrators and designers.

And More: Others who study art might become artists' agents, auctioneers, art therapists, and more.

2. Jill: The Engineer

Jill's a tinkerer. She's always building things, and taking things apart. Clocks, bikes, CD players—nothing is safe. Jill's dad says, "She's clever—give her a job, she'll figure a way to do it. But tearing clocks apart doesn't exactly pay."

Not to worry, Dad. Jill is a natural-born engineer, with terrific job prospects. Look around you. Most of our human-made world—everything from cities to silicon chips—is planned, built, and made to work by tinkerers like Jill. Some possible roles:

Electrical Engineer: Electrical engineers work with anything that uses electricity—power plants, radios, car computers. More engineers (some 700,000) work in this engineering field than in any other.

Materials Engineer: Materials engineers work with materials (e.g., metals, plastics, liquids, chemicals to make new materials). Most have a specialty (e.g., ceramic engineering).

Bioengineer: Bioengineers mix engineering with biology. For example, working with biologists and doctors, they may develop medical devices, like artificial hearts.

Environmental Engineer: Environmental engineers use chemical engineering to control pollution, or (working with agricultural engineers) to search for safer ways to use pesticides.

And More: Other engineers work in sales, as university teachers, and more.