Some people believe that college students should consider only their own talents and interests when choosing a field of study Others believe that college students should base their choice of a field of study on the availability of jobs in that field Write

it isn’t uncommon for college students to experience the juxtaposition of wanting to pursue their field of interest and having reservations on finding a job in that field. The prompt claims that college students should not belabour this point too long and simply choose the field of study that has significant rates of employment. In my opinion, I strongly disagree with the claim and believe that college students should look inward rather than outward while choosing their field of study for 2 reasons.

In today’s progressive world the job market is ever shifting, and one decade’s ‘hot’ job is another decade’s ‘dying’ one. thus, to choose one’s field of study in college solely based on the employment opportunities is to take a short term perspective, one that will likely backfire. For instance, the industrial revolution provided an impetus to mechanical engineering which opened up incredible possibilities to increase the work output. Furthermore, the monumental inventions of the steam engine and the automobile, and the advent of world war I and ii fueled the growing demands of mechanical engineers as a result of which mechanical engineer graduates were able to find high-paying jobs immediately after graduation. However, with the end of world war ii, the 3rd industrial revolution began to appear on the horizon in the 1970s which was centred around information and technology, and the students who chose mechanical engineering post-world war two because of the ‘abundant’ job prospects were certainly facing a different job market. The 1970s saw a shift in development towards software and electronics which consequently affected the employment opportunities for mechanical engineers – and the availability of opportunities has only worsened through the 21st century. The above example illustrates that the job market is contingent upon unpredictable factors and that, if one assumes it is static, he or she is likely to get burned at some point in the future. it is preposterous to think that in the current technological boom, but will the software engineering industry still possess dizzying job prospects in the future? History tells us that it will not.

Further, even if we assume that the job market is not dynamic, that it is as unchanging as gravity, one should still pursue his or her field of interest as one’s job satisfaction and mental wellness is very crucial to their work productivity. For example, multiple studies have established the correlation between employee’s job satisfaction and productivity. A study published by Harvard Business Review showed an average of 31% more productivity when the employees were happy or satisfied. An employee whose job and interests misalign is likely to have a lesser degree of job satisfaction in comparison to the one working in the field of his or her interest – and such an employee might complete his or her tasks haphazardly and submit subpar work. it can be inferred that employees whose job aligns with his or her interests can not only work efficiently, but also produce high quality services and products. thus, pursuing a field that one isn’t interested in shall result in repercussions affecting his or her morale in the long run despite its lucrative job and perhaps even monetary prospects.

Of course, in this contemporary world where the competition for jobs has skyrocketed, it is imperative that we pursue practical paths. but, the results of a Harris Interactive survey on American job satisfaction showed that only 45% of workers were satisfied with their jobs and merely 20% were passionate about it. this emphasises that pursuing one’s interest is paramount. By doing so, we’re likely to do the best job possible and compete at the highest level. this shall also equip us with the confidence and ability to face challenges and handle unexpected crises. People who ignore their inner voice do so at their own peril.