Maylis said:
Going into the working world has been a reality check. I found out very quickly that being smart is not a strong function of how rich you are. I wish I could have a job using business euphemisms in meetings like "we're facing headwinds" and talk about profitability charts.
Well, why not enroll in an MBA?
One of the realities that you're likely to learn though is that even though on the surface it may seem like the management types are making more money, their positions are often less secure. People that aren't contributing anything of real value to a company are often the first ones on the chopping block when it's time to tighten the company belt. Then imagine searching for a job with lines on your CV like "assessed company headwinds" and "printed profitability charts."
Then I see people making millions selling make-up or some other terrible product. I shouldn't hate the player, just hate the game instead. Or better, figure out how to be better at the game.
Again - remember that we tend to notice people on the tail end of the distribution. Most entrepreneurial ventures fail.
And the world doesn't need any more crap. You can make money, lot's of money, doing good things and doing them ethically. There's no reason to game the system.
When I see senior engineers doing the same work I'm doing, I am totally afraid that my life will fly past me doing the exact same thing for 30 years, and at the end hope that I don't get cancer and a third of my 401k savings don't get gobbled up in 6 months of medical bills.
That's totally understandable. No one wants to just turn the crank for 30 years and feel as if their career is not making any difference.
But you don't have to tie your happiness to your job (in fact it's best not to). Many people do what they do to put food on the table and pay the bills. Their fulfillment comes from other dimensions in their lives: family, sports, volunteering, teaching, community service, etc.
Something else that can help is developing a career plan. Where would you like to be in 5 years? 10 years? In developing a plan you figure out where you want to be and what you need to do to get there. Break it down into smaller steps and then climb those. If you just sit and do your job day in and day out, after 30 years, it's quite likely that you could be in the same spot. But if you want to progress into a management position in the next 10 years, start by figuring out what's required to do that. Advanced education, corporate education, experience, project leadership?