Why does everything always boil down to money? I can't stand the fact that so much of our lives have to revolve around this ridiculous concept. The old cliche says that money can't buy you happiness. But, you know what, it sure goes a long way towards it. I think not worrying about being able to pay your bills every month is pretty damned good. I think having a nice home and the ability to explore the world (both at home and far away) is pretty damned good. You can't do any of that in this world without cash.
My point? I'm glad you asked. I have been struggling about career choices, wavering between what I really want to do and what would probably be right to do. I think, more than anything, I want to be a chef. But, there is no freaking money in it, at all. I saw ads for cooks at very nice restaurants offering $10-$14 per hour.....that's nothing. I'm 34 years old, I don't have time to build myself back up to what I have been most recently making. It just kills me that there is no freaking money in this field, and that money has to be such a critical factor. If I could just jump right into my own business, then I probably wouldn't care. But, I don't have the start-up capital for that, and I probably never will making less than $50,000 a year as a chef. And, frankly, I want to have a life. I don't want to kill myself every night just to get by.
The only thing I think I can really settle on then, is being a medical technologist. At least they start out at around $55,000-$60,000 annually. It kills me, because I want to go to culinary school so bad, I just don't want to work as a chef.
That's awesome that you decided on a path, though! And keep in mind, a lot of times you can go through a program in school, and if you're not attending for the credits, just the knowledge and classtime, a lot of schools let you sit in for a MUCH lower cost... But I'm so excited for you, and I wish you the best of luck!
ReplyDeleteI don't know that I've really decided....I's still really torn. I was just freaking out about low paying cook jobs. I actually have an email in to a friend who is a chef trying to find out the reality of what salaries can be when you get to the sous or executive chef level.
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