Why do so many students want to pursue soulless corporate jobs?

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The amount of people at my uni who just want to go into corporate law, investment banking, accounting, actuarial at big corporations is incredible. I just don't see the appeal of working somewhere so... bland. I guess I was a bit into that a year ago since I didn't know quite how awful the environment was, but now that I do know I just don't see why anyone would want to do these jobs apart from the salary. I'm not having a go, I have a lot of respect for those who do these jobs, but I don't understand the motivations of people who go for them?

Imo working 50+ hours a week sitting on a computer looking at boring business stuff on excel and earning £100000 a year just to give £35000 of that away in taxes and then living in a suburban three bedroom house in London and commuting everyday just seems like such a waste of a life. Why not do something that can help others, like research/academia/teaching/medicine/defence law/civil service?

'Soulless' - that's a really good way of putting it. I absolutely agree with you. After I graduate with a Management degree, I would much rather work in Human Resources than Accounting & Finance even it doesn't pay as well. For people who pursue those soulless jobs, I guess the lucrative salary compensates the lack stimulation of their jobs.

We work ninety thousand hours in our brief lifetime. Life is too short for the wrong job :redface:

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 21

Student1191

Original post by CastCuraga

To be honest I'm not an expert, I avoid chemistry as much as I can :tongue:

Of the sciences I think Physics pays more, Chemistry is still very in demand for industrial things - Chemical Engineering I've heard pays quite a lot for that reason.

Your standard Chemistry degree -> PhD probably isn't too bad either, but like all PhDs it's likely limited.

I was considering chem eng but because of electric cars and renewable energy it’s going to become pointless. I like chemistry but I don’t know what I could do if I did a chem degree.

Reply 22

Fonzworth

Original post by Reece.W.J

Can you get good pay jobs with chemistry?

Don’t quote me on this but I’m pretty sure standalone sciences aren’t that great. Chemical engineering is a very good degree but chemistry on its own may not be as useful. People who do a Physics degree usually go into banking etc. apparently

Reply 23

Student1191

Original post by Fonzworth

Good job I kept my options open I’m also only in year 12 so have a bit of time to decide. It’s about getting a balance of something you enjoy and good pay.

Reply 24

jarjarbinkss

[QUOTE="Trapz99;74116678"]

Original post by Pigster

Teaching is a 70-hour a week job? Pretty sure none of my teachers ever worked more than 50

my mums a teacher and she gets home from work at 7pm, sits down and plans/marks work for atleast 3/4 hours after. Onto of this she has to feed us, help around the course etc. Her work doesn't stop at the weekend either, currently she is down stairs marking students books etc.

Reply 25

Chicken.M.

People like different things lol.

Reply 26

Nirvana1989-1994

Dollar, dollar bill ya'll!

Reply 27

DarthRoar

My dude, pretty much all jobs above the 20k line are like this. Those in corporate jobs just get paid well, whilst those who aren't don't.

Reply 28

Ganjaweed Rebel

Original post by DarthRoar

My dude, pretty much all jobs above the 20k line are like this. Those in corporate jobs just get paid well, whilst those who aren't don't.

Oil rig workers can take in six figures. It's blue collar as hell but some men genuinely enjoy it more than being in an office.

Reply 29

squirrology

Original post by Fonzworth

Have you considered Geology? That’ll definitely get you outdoors :tongue:

I was looking into that but I'm unsure as to what the job prospects would be.

Reply 30

DarthRoar

Original post by Ganjaweed Rebel

Oil rig workers can take in six figures. It's blue collar as hell but some men genuinely enjoy it more than being in an office.

Yeah but you're stuck in the sea away from civilization for weeks at a time. It's just a different kinda work-hell.

Reply 31

IamJacksContempt

That's why I enjoy working in the public sector right now. May not pay as much as comparative private sector jobs but the flexibility and worklife balance can't be matched. Not to mention it's fairly easy to rise through the ranks in the Civil Service.

Reply 32

Fonzworth

Original post by squirrology

I was looking into that but I'm unsure as to what the job prospects would be.

- extractive industries e.g. mining and quarrying
- oil and gas exploration
- geophysics
- geological surveying
- hydrogeology
- engineering geology
- environmental geology
- geochemistry
- sedimentology
- palaeontology
- seismology
- volcanology

May have missed some out, most of these are accessible at postgraduate

Reply 33

Fonzworth

Original post by IamJacksContempt

Are you currently working within the civil service? May be a possible career path of mine

Reply 34

AuroraNyx

Original post by Reece.W.J

I was considering chem eng but because of electric cars and renewable energy it’s going to become pointless. I like chemistry but I don’t know what I could do if I did a chem degree.

I mean, PhD and postdoc is the most hands on use of chemistry I imagine. Pharmacy, medicine and others like that are always in need of chemists; Chem Eng isn't going to become immediately useless either, electric cars and the like will take some time to become the norm. And even if they do - you're still partly an engineer!

Original post by Fonzworth

By themselves, that is sorta true. A lot of people in pure degrees do end up taking on further study to specialise and become professionals though (i.e. Biology -> STP) - by itself though you have a point.

Reply 35

JDieMstr

I like working with numbers. Accounting is basically working with numbers. I don't like complex **** that would take me ages to master. Accounting is not that hard to master, just need logic and attention to detail. Therefore (idfk how but yeh), I like Accounting and will be pursuing a career in it after doing a degree in Accounting and Finance in Uni.

Reply 36

jakey_99

Original post by MartinF98

Because we live in a savage animal realm, where the only real goal of life, whether or not we admit to it, is to be happy. Ask yourself why you ever do anything, and if you are honest with yourself, you will see that anything you do is always to make yourself feel good, in some remote way at least.

For most people, there are two main sources of happiness (in terms of jobs and careers). One is generating a lot of money - the other, is doing something that you genuinely enjoy doing. This is the very simple yet influential fact that determines the outcome of people's lives. The question is, what are you going to do to make yourself feel the most happy?

Bottom line is that money changes and forces people in different directions. People go where the money goes. This is no secret, but still, most people never admit that they are spending thousands on a degree that they think will generate them the most money.

Reply 37

username2763536

I don't get it either.This is the one shot at life you will get even if another 13 billion years pass.You only get these 30,000 odd days of life why waste it in some dead-end job working for some jerk of a boss? Time is the only thing that matters.And its the far more precious than money because you can never make more time.Once its gone. Thats it.Not so with money.