The Lure of High Salary and what one needs to guard against

Most of the students graduating are still in their early twenties, and without the process of any formal career guidance in either school or college, most of them simply follow the herd i.e., what are my peers and friends doing or what my parents want me to do in life?

The initial salary levels of youngsters nowadays graduating from college even at the UG levels are making new records every year. This is a fantastic new development on the progress of the new generation of India, considering high salary level equals to success in one’s career. But many professionals, who are already a few years into their jobs, would agree that alone a high salary package does not really mean being successful in one’s life.

Peers, societal pressure have a strong influence in today’s career decision process, instead of a structured and scientific process of career guidance from as early as the 7^th or 8^th standard in one’s education level. Added to this understandably, parents have their set of expectations from their children. Any parent would love to see their children be successful in their jobs/occupations and the only measurable parameter is the level of salary one gets from the campus selection or otherwise. For the proud parents, the level of salary becomes the talking point in their social circle and gathering.

As a career mentor, I often get to listen from brilliant young mentees wanting to know if they can change to the next job in less than one year of getting into their first job. The reason is the new job offers a better package and all other associated benefits. Some of them even delay taking the next level of higher education, because the current job is well paid. High initial salaries could lead one to a career that may not be the direction one should take as per the core strength. 

One must remember that the span of a professional career is about 30 years to 40 years, or in other words about 50% of one’s life span. So, one should not get trapped in the lure of a high salary package alone. Because, depending on only one criterion of salary can eventually lead to dissatisfaction sooner than later as the motivation to do the day-to-day activities of the job dwindles if they are not aligned to one's core strengths, abilities, interests, and personality. 

This is not to discourage anyone to try - jobs, job switches, etc, but one should find the purpose of life sooner than later. This will help you to align your professional pathway and hence the suitable jobs, job switches, higher studies, upskilling, re-skilling, etc, and take you in the direction of your life's goal or purpose.