Every student who isn’t a doctor or doesn’t know what profession they want to pursue, which is the vast majority, hits a point in their college career when they actually have to start looking toward their future. They have a major, but they don’t know what they want to do with it. They haven’t had much experience in their field, but they have an idea of what they think they want to do. A student realizes that if they want a smooth transition from college to the work world, they'll have to start doing something about it. Simply put, this all means that there’s no more freshman year vacation aura, and there’s no more sophomore year slump. There’s no more time to waste. 
Recently, this “no more time to waste, work is coming” phenomena happened to yours truly -- yes, I, the random writer that has an article you’re reading for some ridiculous reason that even I, the writer, can’t begin to fathom, has begun to think about what type of internships or jobs to apply for and pursue. All of which, is basically meant to send me on my little career boat out into a daunting, tsunami-filled, corporate, work force ocean.
Everyone’s saying, “Make a resume, make a cover letter, email this, interview that, blah, blah, blah…” But in the midst of all this headache-forming advice, all I envision is the “ideal” career that it seems everyone strives for. This perfect career is not some imaginary thing, my friends. It is a very real path that, whether you know it or not, you’re very aware of. It’s safe, it’s stable, and it looks like this:Boom. You’re out of college. What's your next move? Simple, you go right into the field you wish to work in. Your job is one that you’ve researched, worked hard for, and what all those internships and odd jobs were for. It’s a rewarding profession and soon leads you to another, better job. Years go by and you’re satisfied with your daily routine and your steadily increasing paycheck. You’ve got a dog and maybe even a girlfriend or boyfriend. Then, a couple years later you get married, settle down in Suburbia, and have a couple kids. But before you know it, twenty years go by and the kids are grown up and gone, and eventually, you will have finally accumulated the amount of money you set out to achieve. At around the age of sixty-five you decide to retire, and that’s that. Job well done. #congratsyoudidit #severancecheck4dayz 
Now, of course, there are many different ways that this “ideal” career scenario can play out, but you get the picture. You get a high paying job, you get married, you have kids, and then you retire. But what makes this so interesting to U.S. culture? Seriously, think about it. There isn’t a soul around that isn’t aware that this career path is what, as a whole, American citizens strive for. It’s an essential part of the white-picket fence American Dream. It’s everything that the modern American family is based off of.
So, why is this? Why do people get out of college and immediately think, “Get a job, make money, get married, have kids, and then retire?” These are very intriguing questions when you really think about it, and one could spend a lifetime, or perhaps, an entire career, trying to answer this question. But to keep it simple, let's just say the reason U.S. citizens think this way is because of American culture and its view on money.
Most people get out of college either broke or in debt, so they go for the highest paying job. They do it because that’s what they think is the right thing to do and because they have to have an income. Truthfully, there’s nothing wrong with this situation. Under the right circumstances, especially if money is truthfully solely what is desired, this situation is gravy.
However, this quick fix becomes an issue later, as many find themselves unsatisfied down the road because they don’t like their job anymore. They realize that it isn’t something they care for and they’ve spent too many hours doing it. Their work is not worthwhile to them anymore -- not worth the time or the money.
That being said, one must approach their career in the right mindset. This “ideal, American career scenario” is a notion that, if not seen through the right lenses, can lead to misconceptions, unwanted mistakes, and wasted time. That is why it’s imperative for any individual early in their career to see their occupation in the right light.
A standard definition for the word job is, “a paid position of regular employment.” At least that’s the boring way to define job. I mean, are you really going to want to look back on your life thinking, “I got this paid position of regular employment, and then I switched to that paid position of regular employment because it paid more.” No! What you should be saying when you look back on your life is, “I’m proud of my life’s work. I’m happy I spent my days doing what I did, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
Look, of course, you must have a proportionate source of income. I’m just saying that if you plan early to make your career your own and see it as your “life's work,” you can do something that you believe is worthwhile and enjoyable. If you see it like this, you will become an expert and will likely get paid more as time goes by. In the end, you might even have the money you thought you wanted in the first place.
Now to speak truthfully, this road that I speak of is not easy. However, few undertakings in life that are truly worthwhile are easily achieved. Making your own way is not an easy one, which is why so many people believe the “ideal, American career scenario,” is the way to go.
But I encourage you to think otherwise, not to follow the crowd, and to think for yourself. Too many people are afraid of what lies beyond, just taking jobs to pay for that nice car or big house because that is what they believe achievement looks like. But that’s a mirage. Money is only the byproduct of a successful individual, not the product of true success.
Someone who gets up every day and is contributing to the world in a good way is a success. It is very possible to achieve greatness and still have the “ideal, American career,” but you have to know what you stand for in order to do so. You can’t follow the crowd if it doesn’t feel right. And if you start planning now, you won’t have to follow the crowd. You can look back on your life’s work and be proud.