Dream Jobs: What They Pay and How to Get Them

Since age 6, I’ve changed my dream job many times. First, I wanted to be a singer. Then, I wanted to be a doctor. I also like the idea of being able to fix someone by stitching up a wound. But as I grew older, I learned doctors had to attend years and years of school. That’s when I decided to be a dancer. That lasted for like a week though, because all the dancers I saw were too skinny. Then, I wanted to be a writer, but I hated when my teachers edited my work. I’ve also wanted to be a hairdresser, a mad scientist, an event planner and a professional skateboarder. Those all had problems: I can’t do hair, I’m not crazy enough, I’m disorganized and I won’t make money skateboarding.

Well, all occupations have positives and negatives. Some pay little but don’t require degrees; others pay a lot but are really stressful. In the end, it’s all about what you’re passionate about. Something you will never stop wanting to do, but is also beneficial to you. I love writing—it’s my calling—but for me, it is just a hobby, like cooking or skateboarding.

While it didn’t make the top 100 on the U.S. News list, I’ve decided on my new dream job—acting. I know it will be hard to get roles, there will be many lines to remember, and I may need to do something else to pay my rent at first. But I get to be someone else as I’m tired of being who everyone knows me to be.

The reason I keep changing dream jobs is the same reason I want to be an actor—I want to do everything and I change my mind a lot. One day I want to be a psychologist and the next day I’m set on becoming a teacher. Wanting to be an actor may be the career goal of an indecisive teen, but that’s what I am right now.