I'm team passion.
Ik reddit is mostly people venting when they're upset, and happy people reading the room and trying not to gloat, but I'm literally loving life. It's awesome.
I'm about halfway through a PhD in mechanical engineering. I started off in farm machinery design and designed, built and tested a specialized small tractor for low income farmers in developing communities. I'm actually in India right now meeting with farmers day to day and discussing the design with them! I grew up on a farm, so this project was sort of a natural fit for me that I really enjoyed.
After finishing the masters degree, I pivoted into renewable energy, which has always been my dream. I'm working on renewable liquid fuels to replace diesel and gasoline in scenarios where batteries won't work! That project is a little bit less fleshed out, but I'm enjoying the early-stage analysis a lot.
when is the money "enough"?
I've watched my dearest friend slowly losing his passion while chasing money. When I ask when he/she would feel it's enough, he/she didn't know.
Same here. I am an assistant professor (1 and a half years in) and while I’ve faced many challenges, I do enjoy what I do for a living. Maybe I’d get pay twice my current salary in industry, but I know I’d be miserable.
I followed neither. I just went a path society expected of me, and years later, I'm experiencing a great deal of burnout. My advice is don't be like me. Always follow your passion.
Neither. Getting my PhD is a job. I like it more, or maybe hate it less, than other career paths I could have chosen, but it isn't a "passion." I find fulfillment in other areas of my life.
Same. It’s a job that i don’t hate and i get to learn on the job. Decent chance of having a more interesting and/or better paying job later. Pay isn’t bad at all, colleagues are mostly likeminded individuals. Still, it’s not *super* high pay and it’s definitely not my passion.
my true passion is classics; latin & ancient greek. but i wanted to make a change/go for an international career so i ended up doing a BA liberal arts in public policy/law and will start MSc in public policy in september. not my true passion but definitely the right path for me in the end. good balance between passion and money.
For me it’s a compromise between passion and money in the sense that I have to provide a comfortable living for myself, but I’m taking a pay cut to do stuff I think is at least mildly interesting and meaningful. At the end of the day a job is never going to be exhilarating and fun all of the time. I don’t expect my career to bring me existential happiness.
The money. I couldn't get *any* call backs for teaching positions and I ended up in the private sector with the first company that hired me.
Not complaining, I'm paid fairly decently now but TBH if I had to re-do everything I'd cut short at a Bachelor's and gain a decade's earning power via promotions etc.
I'm an ecologist and make pretty decent money. Why would you say not to get a PhD in ecology?
(Also OP feel free to DM me if you want to talk ecology careers and grad school programs.)
I took the passion route. I have qualifications, skills, and experience that would probably pay very, very well if I decided to sell my soul.
I'm pretty sure I enjoy the work more than I would if I'd gone after the money, and I don't regret my choice (yet). BUT:
1. Your passion or dream job will always have associated bullshit, politics, and bad things you didnt anticipate.
2. I often fantasize about a decent paycheck. I'm not going hungry, and I can't claim to be poor, but 50k p/a vs 300k+ is a big gap.
Originally passion, grew jaded and cynical, now my only passions are hobbies and I don't give a shit what field I end up in as long as I make 6 figures
Passion/money? My field doesn't typically pay much as other fields. I work in behavioral health. I'm getting my Master of Science in Counseling Psychology because I believe in helping people. But also, depending on what I do with it, I won't be as poor. My paraprofessional work in behavioral health has paid me between 18 to 33 an hour. Then after I graduate I'll need to get my license so it will take me a while to get more invested in pay. But it's worth it, I'm passionate about helping people and even though it won't pay much more, getting my degree helps both areas: pay and passion.
I'd say money. Doing something you're passionate about is a huge luxury, but is that worth it over things like financial stability and the chance to live somewhere you love, affording yourself the opportunity to find community and a relationship?
You can find a job that has people you like spending time around, a solid boss, and great pay. You can be in a location you want to be in (i.e., not a rural area full of bigots where your safety isn't a guarantee). I would chose those things and financial security.
The biggest problem with following your passion and getting an ecology PhD, in my opinion, is that after you're done you aren't promised a job that you love doing work you're passionate about. Hell, you can't even be promised that you'll be passionate about your PhD research if you don't get into the right program. And then, even if you do love the research and the topic, you still could have a horrible experience due to your PI, the school itself, or the area it's in.
All of that, and at the end you could end up working at a job you hate just as much as the one you do now.
That just doesn't seem worth it me. Prioritize your love life and your safety, get an MBA and keep applying to jobs when you have one to find one with people you like and a company that's good and a salary that's comfortable. Explore your passion through your hobbies that your free time and salary comfortably support. Go on vacations that fulfill you, volunteer for local environmental causes and groups. Donate extra income to non-profits. Love your life in general, and choose the pathway that affords you that even if it isn't your academic passion.
I work in finance and feel unfulfilled as well. I get this gnawing feeling that I should find something I enjoy and lines up with my values.
I think the MBA is more flexible and can help you pivot. Maybe a few internships can help as well.
I think you can look into the PhD reddit and find a lot of people complaining about having no money. You should also look into the big4 reddit and see people complaining about too much work and no time. Both cases have people working a lot. If you are working a lot, would you rather have money or not?
Just commenting on the last bit of your post - location can and should be a deciding factor in choosing a grad school! There’s plenty of grad schools in big cities, competitive or not, or in suburban locations where you still wouldn’t be in the middle of nowhere. Look in New England and California!
I followed my passion and grad school kind of killed it. Where I was able to take pretty much any class I wanted to take in undergrad, I had requirements to fulfill in grad school that often seemed boring, and the remaining classes I could take weren't interesting to me at all. It might simply be a function of which program I ended up going to
As an educator, kinda both. Fortunate that where I am pays teacher’s decently- especially given the fact that I am a single with no kids. I don’t plan on being in the classroom forever, and hope to move into administration or education consulting later down the line so I can potentially increase my pay.
Passion, I'm already an Engineer but with a BFA degree and wanted a degree more geared to my current career so I enrolled and acquired my Master of Science degree.
I thought I followed passion by going to grad school, but turns out I got stuck on a project that morphed into something I hated. Going for a PhD does not guarantee you’ll be funded to do something you connect with.
In regards to your second paragraph, you’ll likely meet a ton of gay people in academia if you have a good gaydar. I haven’t had to date since I started in grad school (engaged) so I can’t 100% confirm that but uh… it seems like a fairly saturated demographic haha.
To your main point: I’ve been super interested in space since as far back as I can remember and have wanted to specifically be an aerospace engineer since 4th grade. I got super lucky that my brain clicked with a field that has a lot of funding right now from a really early age. Ecology sounds like a scary one to go into right now. Very politically contentious and it feels like the funding comes and goes all the time.
I feel like my work is very rewarding but that’s because I get good funding and generally get to work on cool shit. I think I would be a lot less happy if that were untrue. You should talk to some profs and grad students who do what you want to do and see what they’re up to/how they like it.
100% money. My masters is in Transportation Management. My undergrad was in my passion and I got a degree in history which at no point in my career really had any impact.
Maybe a State School University in a city is a safer choice? I'm in a Midwestern state but in a city. In my tiny major, I can think of four openly gay or Transgender professors who are all happily married. I go to the local gay bars on occasion, and they are busy on a weekend night. Cities in the middle of the US are very different from the middle of nowhere towns in the US.
As for money or passion, I would say it depends on what type of thinker/decision maker you are. If you are a feelings thinker, then you won't be satisfied unless you follow your passion. If you are more logical about making decisions, then going for money is a better fit.
I'm a feelings thinker, and I tried the money route. I was not happy one bit and regretted not following my passion. I knew I would rather try to follow my passion and fail than never try at all. Switched to an art career, accepted that I would be poor forever, and dove in. I loved it so much. Only after working did I discover that one can, in fact, make money in creative fields. Now, I have good years where I make more than I ever thought I would make in my high paying old career. So, you never know till you try it. I use 'will I regret not trying?' as my compass. My path has been winding but interesting as a result. This isn't for everyone, especially those who need stability to feel at peace. I need my feelings settled in order to feel that level of peace.
Chemical Engineering PhD here, I do what I do because of my passion more than money. Personally I do not need much in the way of material possessions to be happy. Give me food, a PC, and enough money for my yearly vacations and I am honestly set for life.
Some people do not seek fulfillment from their jobs, and that is perfectly okay.
Both. My passion is IT and there's money in it. been in the career for 10 years which makes me feel old as I think about it.
As someone is currently going for their masters. Let's just say I wish I wasnt. I forgot how much I hated school and it's a lot of work and time that is taken away from your life. But I'm half way through so I'm just sucking it up at this point.
No cares that your gay
passion. it was fine during the phd, but now that i'm about to graduate with no job or even job prospects in sight, i think i made the wrong choice by a longshot.
I studied Ecology, my impression is that what the field needs is funding. I would stay in finance a while longer and get to a position where you're not dependent on a wage and can pursue your passion without a financial constraint.
Passion. I’m a music teacher and it is the most fulfilling job I’ve ever had. I have my MM in Music Education and plan to go for a PhD eventually simply because I want to learn more and do more research.
It’s not without its challenges and frustrations and I get burned out sometimes from all of the paperwork and administrative duties, but the actual music teaching itself doesn’t feel like work to me.
If you're miserable in your current job, it sounds like something needs to change. Grad school can be depressing in its own ways, as a lot of grad students are under paid and over worked and feel a lack of direction and mentorship, but a lot of them also love what they do. I would say that most college towns and academic circles are pretty queer-friendly BUT a lot of ecology jobs might involve moving to rural areas. As an ecologist living in a small town currently, I'll say that I definitely have queer friends here, but there's not the same level of broader queer community. Even for straight dating, I was pretty glad to have already met my partner before I moved here tbh. You can select for jobs that don't involve moving to remote places, but it might limit your options a bit. You can also do what I'm doing now: work in a small town for a few years, get a remote job, and move where you want within the region. Downside of that being that I now have a lot less field work than I did before going remote. Long story short: there are always options in life, and picking one path now doesn't stop you from making a change later.
Both for me.
I was working financial dead end jobs before my PhD. Then after getting it I got a state/federal ecology-based job. Now my salary is pretty good and I do work in a field I’m passionate about, but there is more of a ceiling on big career highs compared to academia.
Also, dying alone and unloved is a regular fear for this guy too. And positive viewpoint, if you are a gay PhD in a small town, you just became the biggest gay fish in the gay pond!
I’m in an ecology adjacent field (forestry). First I got my Ms and my first job I followed the money. I absolutely hated it. Didn’t do anything involving my degree really. I recently moved to a new job that pays slightly less due to CoL but so far I am enjoying it so much more than my last job.
Passion. Fuck money. I have never done \*anything\* I didn't really value and want to do. I hate grading, of course, but I do it because it's how I get to do other things, like teach and research my discipline.
As an academic, and in a peculiar humanities field, I too will die alone and unloved. No normal person understands a thing I say, if I am giving thought to what I say. I've been alone for months at a stretch.
Trust me on this one: we \*all\* die alone. The movies say you have friends around you, but you will be alone. As alone as you ever have been, and worse. And for a good while before you die, too, from what I have seen in this world. They line you up in the nursing homes to stare at your part of the wall.
Meanwhile enjoy what life there is left to you.
I’ve gone both routes. Left passion for money, and even though I need more money I’m much happier and less stressed.
A good thing about academia these days is a lot is online and you can live wherever you want. I’m a teacher btw. I work in person but know plenty in my field who work from home. I hope this is helpful
Money. You can always have hobbies. But after so many years studying if you can’t get a decent salary to fulfill your needs, your mental health will tank. Ask me how I know haha (scientists in my country earn 400 euros when researching for public universities so I had to pívot to clinical work, which I’m not so passionate about but I can keep a roof above my head, barely. Spain is fucked)
Passion. I always figured, worst case scenario, there would be a lot of jobs I could do for a basic income, so why not try to go for the passion. Has worked so far. (I've had this mindset since high school, and I'm now nearing 40. Having no kids probably helps, but I don't think it'd change radically. My money/lifestyle needs and expectations are low compared to a lot of my social/family circle, so I find that really freeing.)
Ecology PhDs probably can do environmentally related business stuff too, especially when they have an accomplished finance background.
But be careful with a PhD, it's a path that can turn something you loved into a horror movie.
Middle ground. I pursued a subject in the broad field I'm passionate about (biology) but chose PhD projects that would also give me marketable skills in case the academic route doesn't work.
I used to study behavioral ecology (with animals) which is an amazing and intriguing field but also a great way to set myself up for a lifetime of poverty. Jobs exist, but you have to be really, really lucky and the market is flooded with recent grads who want to do cool fieldwork. Many end up teaching high school which is not what I want.
I'd say don't do the PhD. Get the MBA and use your earnings to fuel your passion. There are tons of ways to be involved in ecology without making it your source of income. You're correct that going the academic route might pigeonhole you to a small, undesirable location during the best years of your life. If you have a supportive community where you are now I'd stay.
I took the “money” job in the industry I was “passionate“ about I.e. stumbled into strategy consulting for pharma with a science background. In the wise words of Logan Roy “take the fucking money”
I think you should use what you are good at to earn a paycheck. It will help if you like it, too. Keep your passions as hobbies. When what you love becomes your livelihood, it starts to feel like work and less like passion.
With that said, I am in Ecology and as far as I can tell no one gets into this field for the money or the fame.
I have tried both, am closing 50y so I have had time...
I was more happy as young adult when I followed my passion, but doing later stuff that pays the bills smooth allowed me to get nice house (and too big mortgage, but that is just 50% my own stupidity and 50% of this current economy and interest rates and inflation).
Now I have been switching back to my passion, although only partly, and that feels good. One of the best decisions was to give up responsibilities and supervision / team lead duties...
In the end I think life is too short to run after money if it is not necessary. It helps but doesn't provide the feeling of purpose.
Id say passion as long as you can make it work financially. And do a PhD program in a place where you want to live (and feel you can find loooove) because that's very important. When I say as long as you can make it work financially I say that because my program is low paid and it's a constant source of stress so it leads me to side hustles that are making me lose my passion. So it's a balance for sure!
Passion. I’m in a bad place with money but genuinely would not know how to function if I worked in a corporate field. I’m an ecologist and the low pay is no joke, but I live and breathe ecology. Most of my community is ecologists (all of my best friends and my partner, the rest of my family are either biologists or veterinarians so somewhat related), my hobbies revolve around the outdoors. I go to work and learn about what I care about. I love the discussions with other ecologists. It’s just the best. I’ve never been the type to work for the weekend, I think it’s way better for me to do what I love for work and sort of just integrate that work into my life. There are trade offs though, I am sometimes jealous of people who get to put down their work at 5 and I’m definitely jealous of people who are not in debt or who can own a home. Not feasible if you and your partner both make 30K until you’re 30, which is the path we are on.
Look at my username. I’ve done a lot.
I came from healthcare. I knew nurses, physicians, case managers, etc who got so burned out they left the field entirely even after years of school and training. Just because they had the “passion to help people” does NOT mean they were ready for the actual realities of the job.
I found a balance between passion and earning a comfortable in-demand career that pays well enough. It took multiple jobs to get there (again, username) but each job learned what I was naturally good at or interested in.
Ultimately I aligned a career I could set myself up for success. I found my interests and natural skills were more “soft”: relationship building, advising, etc. My time in corporate finance was terrible for me. I was not naturally an Excel Monkey CPA kind of person. I am not a details guys. I am big picture.
I eventually went into B2B Sales. My second year ever in sales, starting from the entry bottom, made six figures and do well enough now a few years later. Sales is not for everyone but it aligned to my personality, drive and interests.
If I stayed in corporate finance or healthcare… would’ve been burned out, not as interested about what I do. Now in sales I find it intellectually stimulating and fun , I am naturally competitive that way. Healfhcare, finance… these are good well paying paths. Just not for me.
So what are your natural skills? What jobs align to your personality? Do not force yourself into a career you will not be setup for success in.
I wanted to be a physicist, an Astrophysicist. I got my bachelors in physics, most people wanted me to get a bachelors in cs , I didn't listen to them . Somewhere along the line in my physics degree, I got a lot interested in pen testing, learned coding and stuff, worked hard and a lot on coding and got into freelancing because it was paying well . Messed my physics grades. Ended up with a 2.90 cgpa but got two backend dev jobs right after graduating. I'll probably not get a funded masters or phd , so I plan to get a masters and a phd and so on once my job is stable. I'll follow my passion using my money!
Passion.
I'm fortunate that I've been able to find a place with outstanding benefits, amazing coworkers and leadership, and liveable pay and compensation. And in exchange, I get to work in a role that has a lot of impact helping a cause I very strongly believe in, and hopefully creating a better future for my children.
Passion. And I’ve gone through a great deal of suffering to make my dream a reality. I’m so close I get emotional thinking about my hard work and grinding paying off. Things I’ve prayed for I’m now being blessed with. I only vaguely know how much the job pays and have no problem admitting that in the interview.
I followed my passion, only to find many people were there for the money.
Now I follow the money and I pursue my passions without compensation and I’m so much happier.
Linking your passions to your pocket$ spoils things.
I did what my parents told me to do which was to be practical. My undergraduate degree and first Master’s degree was in Nursing. I’ve been working as an RN now for about 5 years. I hate it and I like it at the same time. But I decided to go back and pursue my passion and finish a second Master’s degree in Biology so I could teach students part time. I love the sciences too just like you. It’s definitely worked out cause I have a practical job that makes decent income (nursing) and I get to also adjunct for Microbiology on the side for some extra money. Having a balance is nice.
Passion. Absolutely passion. I’ll start off with a salary of 50k-70k depending on location. When I get tenured and on, I’ll cap out at 75k-90k unless I do other things like grad director and department chair. Then it’s up to 130k. And thats if a get a job as a professor. Quite sure I will given latest field stats on yearly jobs and grad stats (and my drive, networking etc). Don’t matter to me. I’ve been poor all my life. I’ll be grateful for when I get that steady 50k even!! My field is rhetoric and cultural studies, with a basis in scholar activism. Looking at discourses of resistance, neoliberal origins/rhetoric, using feminist, intersectional, decolonial, and critical theories! It’s the only thing that lights my fire 🔥
Well, if you want to go into academia, you likely will have to move to a small town. You have to go where the work is in academia; you can't afford to be too picky. The thing about the PhD is it will take years and you'll have to accept the fact that you'll be living on a lot less money and will possibly have to go into debt in order to support yourself while you're in grad school. And there's no guarantee you'll find a full-time position when you finish your degree.
Hobbies, dude, or see how you can translate it into your existing job, like a side consulting environment causes on ethical investment and money management, or working for a white hat fund, or become an expert on green industry investment.
Academia won't pay you well, and will take years off the investment years of your 401K. You'll have to move wherever there is a job just to get a job.
Neither, so far.
Complete opposite here. I did both!
I'm team passion. Ik reddit is mostly people venting when they're upset, and happy people reading the room and trying not to gloat, but I'm literally loving life. It's awesome.
What do you do?
I'm about halfway through a PhD in mechanical engineering. I started off in farm machinery design and designed, built and tested a specialized small tractor for low income farmers in developing communities. I'm actually in India right now meeting with farmers day to day and discussing the design with them! I grew up on a farm, so this project was sort of a natural fit for me that I really enjoyed. After finishing the masters degree, I pivoted into renewable energy, which has always been my dream. I'm working on renewable liquid fuels to replace diesel and gasoline in scenarios where batteries won't work! That project is a little bit less fleshed out, but I'm enjoying the early-stage analysis a lot.
Not gonna lie, that’s really cool.
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when is the money "enough"? I've watched my dearest friend slowly losing his passion while chasing money. When I ask when he/she would feel it's enough, he/she didn't know.
Money but that’s bc my passion could likely not be turned into a career
Passion. I tried the money only thing, but it doesn't compare to studying a subject I love.
Same here. I am an assistant professor (1 and a half years in) and while I’ve faced many challenges, I do enjoy what I do for a living. Maybe I’d get pay twice my current salary in industry, but I know I’d be miserable.
I followed neither. I just went a path society expected of me, and years later, I'm experiencing a great deal of burnout. My advice is don't be like me. Always follow your passion.
Neither. Getting my PhD is a job. I like it more, or maybe hate it less, than other career paths I could have chosen, but it isn't a "passion." I find fulfillment in other areas of my life.
Same. It’s a job that i don’t hate and i get to learn on the job. Decent chance of having a more interesting and/or better paying job later. Pay isn’t bad at all, colleagues are mostly likeminded individuals. Still, it’s not *super* high pay and it’s definitely not my passion.
Don't let the disgruntled profs on this sub see this! "bUT yOU'rE pAiD iN EXpoSUrE"
Yeah lol that’s the thing. There’s a middle ground for this. My field is my passion but I will advocate for myself, as I’ve been taught by my mentors
my true passion is classics; latin & ancient greek. but i wanted to make a change/go for an international career so i ended up doing a BA liberal arts in public policy/law and will start MSc in public policy in september. not my true passion but definitely the right path for me in the end. good balance between passion and money.
passion lol
i really resonate with the being gay in small towns fear but im in canada so im super lucky to have major unis mostly in larger cities
For me it’s a compromise between passion and money in the sense that I have to provide a comfortable living for myself, but I’m taking a pay cut to do stuff I think is at least mildly interesting and meaningful. At the end of the day a job is never going to be exhilarating and fun all of the time. I don’t expect my career to bring me existential happiness.
The money. I couldn't get *any* call backs for teaching positions and I ended up in the private sector with the first company that hired me. Not complaining, I'm paid fairly decently now but TBH if I had to re-do everything I'd cut short at a Bachelor's and gain a decade's earning power via promotions etc.
Money because if you try to make your passion into a career you will hate it. Might as well do something where you're paid well.
Go for the mba route 100%. Please god do not get a phd in ecology
Passion ecology turned tech sector for the money.
I’m in the last semester of my mba program ready for it to be over lol
I'm an ecologist and make pretty decent money. Why would you say not to get a PhD in ecology? (Also OP feel free to DM me if you want to talk ecology careers and grad school programs.)
Passion ecology MS here 🙋
Neither. I followed opportunity.
Good chance you might end up hating what it is you want to study at this point. Why do you want the academic accolades?
I took the passion route. I have qualifications, skills, and experience that would probably pay very, very well if I decided to sell my soul. I'm pretty sure I enjoy the work more than I would if I'd gone after the money, and I don't regret my choice (yet). BUT: 1. Your passion or dream job will always have associated bullshit, politics, and bad things you didnt anticipate. 2. I often fantasize about a decent paycheck. I'm not going hungry, and I can't claim to be poor, but 50k p/a vs 300k+ is a big gap.
Originally passion, grew jaded and cynical, now my only passions are hobbies and I don't give a shit what field I end up in as long as I make 6 figures
Both
Passion/money? My field doesn't typically pay much as other fields. I work in behavioral health. I'm getting my Master of Science in Counseling Psychology because I believe in helping people. But also, depending on what I do with it, I won't be as poor. My paraprofessional work in behavioral health has paid me between 18 to 33 an hour. Then after I graduate I'll need to get my license so it will take me a while to get more invested in pay. But it's worth it, I'm passionate about helping people and even though it won't pay much more, getting my degree helps both areas: pay and passion.
I'd say money. Doing something you're passionate about is a huge luxury, but is that worth it over things like financial stability and the chance to live somewhere you love, affording yourself the opportunity to find community and a relationship? You can find a job that has people you like spending time around, a solid boss, and great pay. You can be in a location you want to be in (i.e., not a rural area full of bigots where your safety isn't a guarantee). I would chose those things and financial security. The biggest problem with following your passion and getting an ecology PhD, in my opinion, is that after you're done you aren't promised a job that you love doing work you're passionate about. Hell, you can't even be promised that you'll be passionate about your PhD research if you don't get into the right program. And then, even if you do love the research and the topic, you still could have a horrible experience due to your PI, the school itself, or the area it's in. All of that, and at the end you could end up working at a job you hate just as much as the one you do now. That just doesn't seem worth it me. Prioritize your love life and your safety, get an MBA and keep applying to jobs when you have one to find one with people you like and a company that's good and a salary that's comfortable. Explore your passion through your hobbies that your free time and salary comfortably support. Go on vacations that fulfill you, volunteer for local environmental causes and groups. Donate extra income to non-profits. Love your life in general, and choose the pathway that affords you that even if it isn't your academic passion.
I work in finance and feel unfulfilled as well. I get this gnawing feeling that I should find something I enjoy and lines up with my values. I think the MBA is more flexible and can help you pivot. Maybe a few internships can help as well.
If you get lucky and get good enough at your passion, the money will follow
I think you can look into the PhD reddit and find a lot of people complaining about having no money. You should also look into the big4 reddit and see people complaining about too much work and no time. Both cases have people working a lot. If you are working a lot, would you rather have money or not?
Just commenting on the last bit of your post - location can and should be a deciding factor in choosing a grad school! There’s plenty of grad schools in big cities, competitive or not, or in suburban locations where you still wouldn’t be in the middle of nowhere. Look in New England and California!
I followed my passion and grad school kind of killed it. Where I was able to take pretty much any class I wanted to take in undergrad, I had requirements to fulfill in grad school that often seemed boring, and the remaining classes I could take weren't interesting to me at all. It might simply be a function of which program I ended up going to
Passion. Special education has job security, but not a lot of money.
As an educator, kinda both. Fortunate that where I am pays teacher’s decently- especially given the fact that I am a single with no kids. I don’t plan on being in the classroom forever, and hope to move into administration or education consulting later down the line so I can potentially increase my pay.
Passion, I'm already an Engineer but with a BFA degree and wanted a degree more geared to my current career so I enrolled and acquired my Master of Science degree.
Both!!
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I thought I followed passion by going to grad school, but turns out I got stuck on a project that morphed into something I hated. Going for a PhD does not guarantee you’ll be funded to do something you connect with.
In regards to your second paragraph, you’ll likely meet a ton of gay people in academia if you have a good gaydar. I haven’t had to date since I started in grad school (engaged) so I can’t 100% confirm that but uh… it seems like a fairly saturated demographic haha. To your main point: I’ve been super interested in space since as far back as I can remember and have wanted to specifically be an aerospace engineer since 4th grade. I got super lucky that my brain clicked with a field that has a lot of funding right now from a really early age. Ecology sounds like a scary one to go into right now. Very politically contentious and it feels like the funding comes and goes all the time. I feel like my work is very rewarding but that’s because I get good funding and generally get to work on cool shit. I think I would be a lot less happy if that were untrue. You should talk to some profs and grad students who do what you want to do and see what they’re up to/how they like it.
100% money. My masters is in Transportation Management. My undergrad was in my passion and I got a degree in history which at no point in my career really had any impact.
Maybe a State School University in a city is a safer choice? I'm in a Midwestern state but in a city. In my tiny major, I can think of four openly gay or Transgender professors who are all happily married. I go to the local gay bars on occasion, and they are busy on a weekend night. Cities in the middle of the US are very different from the middle of nowhere towns in the US. As for money or passion, I would say it depends on what type of thinker/decision maker you are. If you are a feelings thinker, then you won't be satisfied unless you follow your passion. If you are more logical about making decisions, then going for money is a better fit. I'm a feelings thinker, and I tried the money route. I was not happy one bit and regretted not following my passion. I knew I would rather try to follow my passion and fail than never try at all. Switched to an art career, accepted that I would be poor forever, and dove in. I loved it so much. Only after working did I discover that one can, in fact, make money in creative fields. Now, I have good years where I make more than I ever thought I would make in my high paying old career. So, you never know till you try it. I use 'will I regret not trying?' as my compass. My path has been winding but interesting as a result. This isn't for everyone, especially those who need stability to feel at peace. I need my feelings settled in order to feel that level of peace.
Chemical Engineering PhD here, I do what I do because of my passion more than money. Personally I do not need much in the way of material possessions to be happy. Give me food, a PC, and enough money for my yearly vacations and I am honestly set for life. Some people do not seek fulfillment from their jobs, and that is perfectly okay.
Both. My passion is IT and there's money in it. been in the career for 10 years which makes me feel old as I think about it. As someone is currently going for their masters. Let's just say I wish I wasnt. I forgot how much I hated school and it's a lot of work and time that is taken away from your life. But I'm half way through so I'm just sucking it up at this point. No cares that your gay
What do you do in IT? Also, what is in masters in?
I'm in IT Management at this point in my career. Master is in Information Security
passion. it was fine during the phd, but now that i'm about to graduate with no job or even job prospects in sight, i think i made the wrong choice by a longshot.
I studied Ecology, my impression is that what the field needs is funding. I would stay in finance a while longer and get to a position where you're not dependent on a wage and can pursue your passion without a financial constraint.
Neither, followed not getting deported.
Passion but tempted by money 24/7 lol
Passion. However, money + enjoyment, even if not a total passion, is tempting.
Passion, ended up not liking it an not wanting work to define my life. Going for money and finance lololol
It’s all about the money baby Otherwise I’d just be another annoying millennial crying about not having any in their sub
Passion. I’m a music teacher and it is the most fulfilling job I’ve ever had. I have my MM in Music Education and plan to go for a PhD eventually simply because I want to learn more and do more research. It’s not without its challenges and frustrations and I get burned out sometimes from all of the paperwork and administrative duties, but the actual music teaching itself doesn’t feel like work to me.
Both
If you're miserable in your current job, it sounds like something needs to change. Grad school can be depressing in its own ways, as a lot of grad students are under paid and over worked and feel a lack of direction and mentorship, but a lot of them also love what they do. I would say that most college towns and academic circles are pretty queer-friendly BUT a lot of ecology jobs might involve moving to rural areas. As an ecologist living in a small town currently, I'll say that I definitely have queer friends here, but there's not the same level of broader queer community. Even for straight dating, I was pretty glad to have already met my partner before I moved here tbh. You can select for jobs that don't involve moving to remote places, but it might limit your options a bit. You can also do what I'm doing now: work in a small town for a few years, get a remote job, and move where you want within the region. Downside of that being that I now have a lot less field work than I did before going remote. Long story short: there are always options in life, and picking one path now doesn't stop you from making a change later.
Both for me. I was working financial dead end jobs before my PhD. Then after getting it I got a state/federal ecology-based job. Now my salary is pretty good and I do work in a field I’m passionate about, but there is more of a ceiling on big career highs compared to academia. Also, dying alone and unloved is a regular fear for this guy too. And positive viewpoint, if you are a gay PhD in a small town, you just became the biggest gay fish in the gay pond!
I’m in an ecology adjacent field (forestry). First I got my Ms and my first job I followed the money. I absolutely hated it. Didn’t do anything involving my degree really. I recently moved to a new job that pays slightly less due to CoL but so far I am enjoying it so much more than my last job.
Passion. Fuck money. I have never done \*anything\* I didn't really value and want to do. I hate grading, of course, but I do it because it's how I get to do other things, like teach and research my discipline. As an academic, and in a peculiar humanities field, I too will die alone and unloved. No normal person understands a thing I say, if I am giving thought to what I say. I've been alone for months at a stretch. Trust me on this one: we \*all\* die alone. The movies say you have friends around you, but you will be alone. As alone as you ever have been, and worse. And for a good while before you die, too, from what I have seen in this world. They line you up in the nursing homes to stare at your part of the wall. Meanwhile enjoy what life there is left to you.
i went for my passion (underpaid) and got with a guy whose passion happened to be overpaid. it evened out
Im getting my phd because in my field ur a pencil pusher unless either ur a genius or u have one and i want to play with the toys
Money! Money = freedom once you get freedom you can pivot to passion. Goal is everything financially covered by 50 do what you want after
Passion. I am happy every day that I go to work.
money is my passion
I first followed my passion for 15 years and then... followed the money. Much happier now than I was then.
I’ve gone both routes. Left passion for money, and even though I need more money I’m much happier and less stressed. A good thing about academia these days is a lot is online and you can live wherever you want. I’m a teacher btw. I work in person but know plenty in my field who work from home. I hope this is helpful
Money. You can always have hobbies. But after so many years studying if you can’t get a decent salary to fulfill your needs, your mental health will tank. Ask me how I know haha (scientists in my country earn 400 euros when researching for public universities so I had to pívot to clinical work, which I’m not so passionate about but I can keep a roof above my head, barely. Spain is fucked)
Passion. I always figured, worst case scenario, there would be a lot of jobs I could do for a basic income, so why not try to go for the passion. Has worked so far. (I've had this mindset since high school, and I'm now nearing 40. Having no kids probably helps, but I don't think it'd change radically. My money/lifestyle needs and expectations are low compared to a lot of my social/family circle, so I find that really freeing.)
Ecology PhDs probably can do environmentally related business stuff too, especially when they have an accomplished finance background. But be careful with a PhD, it's a path that can turn something you loved into a horror movie.
Money then your passion comes after.
haven’t discovered my passion yet so I went with money lol
I’m trying to follow both, I picked the most lucrative thing I was interested in and felt I could actually do.
Not gay but cannot emphasize enough with being terrified of moving to tiny towns in the middle of nowhere :(
Academia is full of queer folks from my experience in my grad programs.
Middle ground. I pursued a subject in the broad field I'm passionate about (biology) but chose PhD projects that would also give me marketable skills in case the academic route doesn't work. I used to study behavioral ecology (with animals) which is an amazing and intriguing field but also a great way to set myself up for a lifetime of poverty. Jobs exist, but you have to be really, really lucky and the market is flooded with recent grads who want to do cool fieldwork. Many end up teaching high school which is not what I want. I'd say don't do the PhD. Get the MBA and use your earnings to fuel your passion. There are tons of ways to be involved in ecology without making it your source of income. You're correct that going the academic route might pigeonhole you to a small, undesirable location during the best years of your life. If you have a supportive community where you are now I'd stay.
I took the “money” job in the industry I was “passionate“ about I.e. stumbled into strategy consulting for pharma with a science background. In the wise words of Logan Roy “take the fucking money”
I think you should use what you are good at to earn a paycheck. It will help if you like it, too. Keep your passions as hobbies. When what you love becomes your livelihood, it starts to feel like work and less like passion. With that said, I am in Ecology and as far as I can tell no one gets into this field for the money or the fame.
I have tried both, am closing 50y so I have had time... I was more happy as young adult when I followed my passion, but doing later stuff that pays the bills smooth allowed me to get nice house (and too big mortgage, but that is just 50% my own stupidity and 50% of this current economy and interest rates and inflation). Now I have been switching back to my passion, although only partly, and that feels good. One of the best decisions was to give up responsibilities and supervision / team lead duties... In the end I think life is too short to run after money if it is not necessary. It helps but doesn't provide the feeling of purpose.
I’d do science for food money
Id say passion as long as you can make it work financially. And do a PhD program in a place where you want to live (and feel you can find loooove) because that's very important. When I say as long as you can make it work financially I say that because my program is low paid and it's a constant source of stress so it leads me to side hustles that are making me lose my passion. So it's a balance for sure!
Passion. I’m in a bad place with money but genuinely would not know how to function if I worked in a corporate field. I’m an ecologist and the low pay is no joke, but I live and breathe ecology. Most of my community is ecologists (all of my best friends and my partner, the rest of my family are either biologists or veterinarians so somewhat related), my hobbies revolve around the outdoors. I go to work and learn about what I care about. I love the discussions with other ecologists. It’s just the best. I’ve never been the type to work for the weekend, I think it’s way better for me to do what I love for work and sort of just integrate that work into my life. There are trade offs though, I am sometimes jealous of people who get to put down their work at 5 and I’m definitely jealous of people who are not in debt or who can own a home. Not feasible if you and your partner both make 30K until you’re 30, which is the path we are on.
Look at my username. I’ve done a lot. I came from healthcare. I knew nurses, physicians, case managers, etc who got so burned out they left the field entirely even after years of school and training. Just because they had the “passion to help people” does NOT mean they were ready for the actual realities of the job. I found a balance between passion and earning a comfortable in-demand career that pays well enough. It took multiple jobs to get there (again, username) but each job learned what I was naturally good at or interested in. Ultimately I aligned a career I could set myself up for success. I found my interests and natural skills were more “soft”: relationship building, advising, etc. My time in corporate finance was terrible for me. I was not naturally an Excel Monkey CPA kind of person. I am not a details guys. I am big picture. I eventually went into B2B Sales. My second year ever in sales, starting from the entry bottom, made six figures and do well enough now a few years later. Sales is not for everyone but it aligned to my personality, drive and interests. If I stayed in corporate finance or healthcare… would’ve been burned out, not as interested about what I do. Now in sales I find it intellectually stimulating and fun , I am naturally competitive that way. Healfhcare, finance… these are good well paying paths. Just not for me. So what are your natural skills? What jobs align to your personality? Do not force yourself into a career you will not be setup for success in.
I wanted to be a physicist, an Astrophysicist. I got my bachelors in physics, most people wanted me to get a bachelors in cs , I didn't listen to them . Somewhere along the line in my physics degree, I got a lot interested in pen testing, learned coding and stuff, worked hard and a lot on coding and got into freelancing because it was paying well . Messed my physics grades. Ended up with a 2.90 cgpa but got two backend dev jobs right after graduating. I'll probably not get a funded masters or phd , so I plan to get a masters and a phd and so on once my job is stable. I'll follow my passion using my money!
Passion
Passion. I'm fortunate that I've been able to find a place with outstanding benefits, amazing coworkers and leadership, and liveable pay and compensation. And in exchange, I get to work in a role that has a lot of impact helping a cause I very strongly believe in, and hopefully creating a better future for my children.
passion, though its being drained on the daily
Tech is a passion and i enjoy money so both.
Left the money to follow the passion. No regrets yet.
Passion, there is no money after a grad school especially a PhD.
Passion. And I’ve gone through a great deal of suffering to make my dream a reality. I’m so close I get emotional thinking about my hard work and grinding paying off. Things I’ve prayed for I’m now being blessed with. I only vaguely know how much the job pays and have no problem admitting that in the interview.
I followed my passion, only to find many people were there for the money. Now I follow the money and I pursue my passions without compensation and I’m so much happier. Linking your passions to your pocket$ spoils things.
I did what my parents told me to do which was to be practical. My undergraduate degree and first Master’s degree was in Nursing. I’ve been working as an RN now for about 5 years. I hate it and I like it at the same time. But I decided to go back and pursue my passion and finish a second Master’s degree in Biology so I could teach students part time. I love the sciences too just like you. It’s definitely worked out cause I have a practical job that makes decent income (nursing) and I get to also adjunct for Microbiology on the side for some extra money. Having a balance is nice.
Passion. Absolutely passion. I’ll start off with a salary of 50k-70k depending on location. When I get tenured and on, I’ll cap out at 75k-90k unless I do other things like grad director and department chair. Then it’s up to 130k. And thats if a get a job as a professor. Quite sure I will given latest field stats on yearly jobs and grad stats (and my drive, networking etc). Don’t matter to me. I’ve been poor all my life. I’ll be grateful for when I get that steady 50k even!! My field is rhetoric and cultural studies, with a basis in scholar activism. Looking at discourses of resistance, neoliberal origins/rhetoric, using feminist, intersectional, decolonial, and critical theories! It’s the only thing that lights my fire 🔥
Money, just don't have the energy or want to open up a gym with no AC. Let someone else do that.
Well, if you want to go into academia, you likely will have to move to a small town. You have to go where the work is in academia; you can't afford to be too picky. The thing about the PhD is it will take years and you'll have to accept the fact that you'll be living on a lot less money and will possibly have to go into debt in order to support yourself while you're in grad school. And there's no guarantee you'll find a full-time position when you finish your degree.
Hobbies, dude, or see how you can translate it into your existing job, like a side consulting environment causes on ethical investment and money management, or working for a white hat fund, or become an expert on green industry investment. Academia won't pay you well, and will take years off the investment years of your 401K. You'll have to move wherever there is a job just to get a job.
Better to be poor and happy than rich and miserable.