Stupid Headline of the Day (well of Monday--I'm behind)

Lure of Great Wealth Affects Career Choices" or so says the New York Times. The article is about people who make real money, not that piddling little $160,000 or so a year you make as a family practice physician.

While the article itself was interesting enough, the headline was poorly chosen. Of course your career choices are influenced by how much money you can make. I'd love to be a professor at a school that emphasizes teaching over research. But, let me tell you that the starting salary for professors in political science (what my degrees are in) is less than my admin makes.

Lack of money doesn't stop everybody from entering a career field. But the more money a job pays, the more selective you can be. The article attempts to convince the reader that anyone who wants to can jump to Wall Street's millions. However, keep in mind that the doctor they highlight obtained both his undergraduate and his medical degree from Harvard. I believe you may have heard of that school before.

While some people who make large piles of money are just downright lucky, jobs like the ones described in the article are given to the highly educated, highly intelligent types. Not all of us would be hired. And, importantly, not all of us would want to be. I, for one, don't want that kind of pressure. I have enough pressure as Evil HR Lady. (Mustn't disappoint the readers!)