Exploring Careers

3 Why We Work Skills in This Chapter . . . Examining Lifestyle Goals and Factors Recognizing Needs vs. Wants Measuring the Value of Work Examining Career TrendsGETTING STARTEDPeople work to achieve the things they want and need Draw a picture of yourself twenty years in thein life, from shelter and clothing to respect and pride. future. What will you be doing? Where will you be?Do you daydream about things you want in life when Who will you be with? What can you do now to makeyou are an adult, such as the type of home you will live that vision of yourself come true?in, the car you will drive, or the number of children youwill have? If you start planning now, you can identify acareer path that will help make those daydreamsbecome reality. 37

38 Chapter 3 Why We Work Examining Lifestyle Goals and Factors Does a clinical laboratory technician earn enough money to afford a vacation home? How many hours a week does an agricultural inspector spend on the job? Is a hotel clerk expected to work nights and weekends? Does a sales representative travel a lot? The career you choose helps determine the lifestyle you will achieve, and your lifestyle might impact the career you choose. Recall that your lifestyle is the way you think and behave every day. Your lifestyle is the way you reflect personal values, standards, and attitudes in your life. If you value expensive items such as designer clothes, you might choose a career because it pays a high salary. If you value time with your family, you might choose a career with a flexible schedule, even if it pays less than other jobs. You can consider lifestyle factors such as location, salary, education, time, and environment when you choose a career. You can also set goals for the way you want to live your life and the things you want to have in life as part of your career plan. What Are Lifestyle Factors? The things about your job that affect the way you live your life are lifestyle factors. There are five basic lifestyle factors you might want to consider when you are making decisions about the career that will be right for you. 1. Location. Where do you want to live? Do you want to be near your family? Do you want to live in the mountains or near the ocean? Do you prefer a city, the country, or the suburbs? 2. Salary. How much money do you think you must earn to pay for your needs and wants? Are you willing to work for less money to achieve other goals, such as more free time or less work-related stress? 3. Education. How many years are you willing to spend in school? Would you be happy taking classes at night while you work during the day? Would you be willing to earn less money while you train on the job? 4. Time. How many hours a week do you want to spend at work? Would you work at night or on weekends? Would you mind being on-call, which means being available at any time to cope with emergencies? Do you want to work part-time, even if it means earning less money? 5. Environment. What type of space do you want to be in? Do you like sitting at a desk? Do you want to be outdoors? What type of people do you want to work with? Do you need windows in your office? Do you like to dress in a suit or do you prefer casual clothes?

Why We Work Chapter 3 39 Career Fact About 80% of the U.S. population lives in urban areas (cities) while about 20% lives in rural areas (the country- side).Setting Lifestyle GoalsLifestyle goals are the things you want in life such as a family, whereyou want to live, how much money you have, and how much freetime you have for friends, sports, and other activities that you enjoy. You might want to live in the mountains and spend as much time as possible out of doors. You might consider a career in recreation. You might want to have children and be available in the after- noons when they get home from school. You might consider a career in part-time sales. You might want to have enough money to travel, even if it means working many hours between trips. You might consider a career such as corporate lawyer or surgeon.Selecting a career path that gives you the opportunity to achieveyour lifestyle goals will make you a happier, more satisfied person.Making Trade-Offs Why do you think a career that matches your lifestyle goalsWhen you make decisions about your lifestyle and career plans, you will be more enjoyable andmay have to make trade-offs. A trade-off is a compromise, or giving satisfying?up one thing in order to get something else.You might want to be a social worker helping young adults in New York City. Youmight also want to live in a house with a backyard. Houses in New York City arevery expensive, and social workers typically do not earn very high salaries. Whattrade-off could you make? You could choose to rent an apartment in the city, and put off the goal of living in a house with a backyard. Or, you could choose to live in a less expensive community outside the city. You would have a long commute to work, but you would be able to afford a house with a backyard.Focusing on the things that are most important to you and setting priorities canhelp you make the best decisions. You can use the decision-making processdescribed in Chapter 6 to consider all possible options and the consequences ofeach option. Then, choose the option that helps you achieve your career goals andyour lifestyle goals.

40 Chapter 3 Why We WorkAre Your Lifestyle How Long Is YourGoals Realistic? Work Week?Like career-related goals, A work week is the number of hours you work per week. How do you thinklifestyle goals should be realis- the length of a work week affects your lifestyle? How might it affect thetic. While you might choose to employer’s business, as well as the economy?aim high, it is important thatyou believe your goals are In the United States, the number of hours an employee works is set by theattainable, which means that employer and agreed to by the employee. Typically, a full-time employee worksyou have the skills and 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, which equals a 40-hour work week.resources to achieve them. Arethe following goals realistic and In France, most employees work a 35-hour work week. In South Korea, theyattainable, or not? work 44 hours per week. Work 10 hours a week Make a chart comparing the typical work-week hours in three or four countries and earn a $1,000,000.00 around the world. Use the Internet or the library to find the information. annual salary Recognizing Needs vs. Wants Live in a mansion and be named the NBA’s most When you say that you absolutely, positively need a valuable player for three new video game, you’re wrong. You might want a years in a row new video game. But you don’t need it. Study hard to become a A need is a something you can’t live doctor and open your own without. medical practice A want is something you desire. Enlist in the United States Humans need certain basic items in order to Air Force, learn to fly jet survive. We want things to improve our planes, and then travel the quality of life, or to achieve a certain world as a commercial pilot lifestyle. Our wants and needs and how we Attend cosmetology school achieve them influence the career deci- and get a job as a stylist at sions that we make. a salon in a city Why Do Needs and Wants Matter?Knowing you can achieve yourlifestyle goals will help you Wanting or needing something can be a powerful motivator, which means it canwork hard and stay on track. encourage you to set goals and make decisions. Recall that a goal is a plan toWhat lifestyle goals do you have obtain something. Goals help you focus on what is really important to you andthat might influence your what you are willing to work for. When you know what you need and whatcareer plans? you want, you can use goals to get those things. (There’s more about goals in Chapter 6.) For example, wanting a red convertible can motivate you to set a goal. You study hard in school so you become qualified for a career. The career brings you personal satisfaction as well as a good salary. You earn enough to pay for your needs and save to buy the car you want.