Every year university graduates face the same problem: what kind of career should I choose? Even though they are capable of doing different jobs, the choice between job prospects and passion often puzzles them. While some think that job prospects are the main concern, others believe that passion is of utmost importance. Indeed, passion drives us to work hard and pursue our goals. Yet, it is not necessarily related to our occupation; it can be related to other areas like our hobbies. When considering our career, it is more crucial to keep an eye on the job prospects rather than passion.
Graduates have to be up against intense competitions in the job market. In order to earn a living, we must spare no effort to get a promising career. Since the cost of living in Hong Kong is very high, we may not have any room at all for considering passion when pursuing our job. Finding a stable job is already uneasy. How difficult will it be if we consider our interest as well? We know that many graduates are struggling for their lives. Some of them may even work as security guards or waiters. The major goal of them is to have a stable life only. They have to save money for family and buying a flat. Without money, we have no way to pursue our passion.
Money is the greatest concern for people who live in such a metropolis like Hong Kong. We cannot satisfy our passion and stomach at the same time in most cases. For instance, one’s passion may be writing novels. However, it is extremely difficult for a book of an inexperienced author to be published. It is not a simple task to promote a book either. Promotion is necessary for a writer to become popular, but a large amount of money is needed. If we do not have enough capital, it is unlikely we can succeed. We should therefore save enough money first in our twenties and thirties. That’s why job prospects are more important than passion when considering our careers.
Some people have a long-lasting passion for a particular subject, but some do not. Our passion may change over time. Passion is only a feeling, which is not completely reliable. Sometimes we do not know what we want. If we choose a job we are currently passionate about but the feeling vanishes some time later due to our perception and knowledge about the occupation, we may regret. On the other hand, passion can be developed over time. Even if we choose a career that we are not very passionate about, we may be able to love and develop a passion for it after learning more about the job nature. Few people regret choosing a career with good prospects. Therefore, it is safer to choose a job with high job prospects rather than a job we have passion for.
When they were small, many girls have a passion about being Miss Hong Kong. However, they change their mind after they have grown up because their attitudes and values have changed. Yet, jobs with good prospects such as doctors and lawyers are always enviable because these are professional jobs and their values seldom change. They are always needed in society. These stable jobs can give us stable lives, so that we can have extra resources to think about our passion. Living in a highly competitive society like Hong Kong, it is indeed wiser to consider job prospects than passion when pursuing our jobs.