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I think lots of kids are presently trying to figure out what the next big money job is....If anyone can figure this out, you need to connect with kids at HYPS and all the other colleges ASAP!
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<p>Probably true! But there is one benefit to lots of very smart young people not knowing where the Big Money is anymore: Maybe they'll start to focus on what they really love to do, and we could sure use them in lots of important professions besides IB.</p>
<p>Top professional athlete. </p>
<p>Don't pick your major based on the money. Pick something you like to spend your time on as every person being paid a large salary will be spending a lot more than a mere 40 hours a week at it- if in keeping up to date in the field or at the workplace. Job satisfaction trumps dollars. The rules of supply and demand hold true- the most money is made by the least number as the value changes relative to how easy it is to get someone to do a job at a level desired. I'll leave further/better explanations to the economics and business majors.</p>
<p>PS- an anesthesiologist (ie MD) gets more money for the hours spent than a nurse anesthetist, and does more...</p>
<p>All kidding aside Starbright, that's exactly right. Talking to DD tonight I told her that the thing she has going for her is she has long been seeking a very different career than most of her peers.</p>
<p>Addenda- my definition of high paying once was paying more in taxes per year than my father earned per year. Everything is relative.</p>
<p>I believe that if you are going after some carrer only because it pays good, it is very likely not going to work out. Imagine, spending years studying what you hate and working 8+ hours/day doing what you do not like or absolutely not cut to do? It sounds like torture to me and I have been there in my life. We have only one life to live, it is important to enjoy it every day.</p>
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"Alternative/renewable energy."</p>
<p>False, most go bust very quickly
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<p>My H has worked in alternative energy since 1982, and he's done quite well. There are ups and downs like any industry--right now the future looks bright. After Enron, the industry was down. Having said that, I don't think there's any magic "bullet" when it comes to making money in a particular field. IMO those who end up making money in one field probably would have made money in any field. Some people are more entrepreneurial than others and not adverse to taking risks. Also, there's an element of luck too--being in the right place at the right time.</p>
<p>What about trades where a person with an entrepreneurial spirit can eventually start their own business? Electrician, plumber, landscaper, interior designer, accountant, etc. Those jobs may not pay enormous wages to begin with, but if you have the drive & smarts to succeed they can be quite lucrative if you're the business owner instead of working for somebody else forever. And with the possible exception of the accountant, they can't really be outsourced overseas.</p>
<p>My uncle started out as an apprentice electrician and retired a multimillionaire.</p>