Any advice for a career-clueless teen?

I'm in high school, and up until now I'd decided on becoming a psychiatrist. But now I'm having second thoughts. I've realized that maths and sciences, while I do well in both, aren't what I want my future to be. I like humanities, in particular psychology and literature. The thing is, I don't know what is ultimately better for me. I know I'm supposed to do what I love, but I'm concerned of my future, finance-wise. If I go into what I love, I'm not guaranteed a high income whatsoever, whereas if I do what I push myself to do (maths/sciences) I'd earn almost double, and I'd feel more accomplished. I'm just really confused. If only there was a career in psychology that you could really earn a large salary from...I'm not money-hungry, just looking to the future. Any advice? I know I have time till I have to decide, but I'd just like to have an idea of where I'm headed. Thank you.Any advice for a career-clueless teen?
A long time ago when I was in high school, my Vice Principal gave me some of the best advice I ever received: ';Sometimes the right choice for later is a very difficult choice to make now.'; She explained that I might someday be in a job where I was making a lot of money, but that I would have to decide to leave that job to push my career to the next level, and that I would probably lose money in the short-term, but that it would open doors for me and be the right choice in the long run. She couldn't have been more accurate.





From my personal experience and from Ms. Sisko's advice so long ago, I developed my own little saying that has guided me through many difficult career decisions: ';Allow the life-plan to change often.';





Right now your goal should be to get into a college and pursue a major that you find interesting and that will lead you to a specific field of work. I chose hospitality management because I liked working with people, enjoyed travel, and because I knew quite a few specific careers could come from a degree in hospitality. I landed on hospitality after reading a career-planning book. It evaluated your skills, your likes and dislikes, your work style, your performance in school, and your ultimate long-term goals and then gave you some ideas about careers that were related to all of this information. Nowadays, you can probably find similar surveys on the web. Start with the big sites like Monster.com or CareerBuilder.com and see what they can tell you.





It's possible to make a lot of money and be unhappy or to make very little money and be the happiest person alive. DO NOT let money guide your career choices. Consider your happiness, fulfillment, personal values, and the long-term opportunities that each job offers. Where did you get your information that resulted in your statement about maths/sciences earning you double? That's a dangerous generalization that may or may not hold true in the long-run. Yes, there are high-paying jobs in math and science. No, they are not easy to get and there aren't nearly as many of them as there are middle and low-paying jobs in maths and sciences.





As for psychiatry, here's a few thoughts. I bet your school has a psychiatrist or psychologist. Go and talk to that person. Find out why they love what they do, what advice they have for someone in the field, and how they got there. I'm sure you'll be surprised to find out what they make each year. If I had to guess, I'd say that every school in America probably has someone working there with a degree in one of those areas. Find out who they are. Then go to the public records in your town and find out what they make. You'll be pleasantly surprised.





There are a lot of jobs in the humanities that don't pay a lot, but that come with a lot of rewards. Suppose I told you now that you would go to college for 4 years, spend quite a bit of money doing so, and immediately after college end up with your dream job. You'd be fulfilled every day that you came home, you'd give back to society, you'd improve the lives of others, you'd make a real difference in your community, you'd meet the love of your life while working there, your work would take you on travels across the country, and you'd die a happy person.





Now suppose that all of the above things happened when after college you ended up working at a homeless shelter providing counseling to bums, winos, and paupers. Suppose I told you that you'd have to rent a one bedroom apartment for the rest of your life, and that you'd work in a run-down building with only 2 other people, that you'd have to take public transportation to a conference across the country because that's all your organization could afford, and that you would never be rich doing it. ...wouldn't you still want all of the things I mentioned in the first paragraph? Would you give up all of those wonderful benefits because you knew in advance that you wouldn't be rich? Were you any better-off in a one-bedroom apartment with the love of your life than you would have been in a mansion, living alone in solitude? I think so.





Allow the life-plan to change often and go with your heart, but with a realistic career in mind. Talk to your guidance counselors, your community leaders, the local Rotary Club, your spiritual leaders, your parents, your friend's parents, and see what you can learn now. You'll be fine in the long-run since you're already planning ahead.Any advice for a career-clueless teen?
dermatologist is a good one


im gonna be a doctor:)
Here's a cliche line, ';Money can't buy you happiness.';





I've done jobs that are more artistic and make me happy, but are not stable and do not pay out big. I've done jobs that are boring, mindless, soul numbing, but high pay and stable.





I was very good at both types and I worked very hard in both. But at the end of the day, the job that made me happy left me feeling good whereas the other job just made me dread getting up the next day and doing it all over again. I started to hate life in general, which tends to make for a very unhappy, cranky, pessimistic person. It makes you loose part of the joy of being alive and the joy of being alive can get your through hard times.





I can tell you from experience that it is not worth the money to do a job you hate. Yes, money can make you feel safer. However, you need to balance that sense of security with being happy with yourself.





I can't tell you which career path to take, but I can recommend summer internships. They can let you sample both paths and maybe help you make your decision. Also, keep in mind that no matter how old you are, nothing is set in stone. You can always reinvent yourself if you are on the wrong path. Sure it gets harder the older you get, but as long as you are still alive you can always change your life. Don't fear making the wrong decision about your future so much that you fail to enjoy your present.