What do you want to be when you grow up?
It's the most important question we face in our lives and yet few of us know the answer. Sure, there are some people who know from the age of four that they want to marine biologists and then go on to discover a new species hidden in the depths of the Mariana Trench, but most of us battle with the question our entire lives and often reach retirement age without ever feeling totally satisfied with our career path.
When you're a child, and the question is first put to you, any job seems glamourous. Children proudly declare that they want to be butchers or hairdressers and then a few months later change their minds to doctors and astronauts and then move onto golf caddies. Nothing is impossible for children, which is a charming trait that somehow we lose as we get older.
Priorities change with age and instead of the excitement of carrying someone else's golf clubs we decide we want more job stability and more money. Let's face it, unless you're caddying for the pros, it's not exactly a lucrative career. We also discover new talents. Few children want to be an actuary when they grow up, but according to CareerCast, a career portal for North America, an actuary is the third best job to have. Actuaries have very little stress, there are no physical demands, there are loads of job opportunities and the salary is magic - over $87 000 per year.
Software engineers have the best job, apparently, because even though the salary is a smidge lower than that of an actuary, they are more in demand and as we're becoming increasingly reliant on computers one would imagine that they'll stay top of the pile for years to come. Mathematicians have the second best job, but at more than $94 000 per year they are the highest earners; which kind of makes you wish you'd paid more attention at school, doesn't it?
The South African perspective
Things are a little different in South Africa. Actuaries certainly earn a great deal of money and software engineers are in great demand, but most school leavers want to work for the government, specifically the Department of Health and Education. If we're cynical we could say that the primary reason for this is the opportunity to earn a ludicrous salary and claim ridiculous perks while doing as little as possible. But the director-general of the Health Department, Gadizwe Nkomo, says that it has to do with the major drive to reach school children and inform them of the wealth of opportunities available.
According to Peter Johansson, MD of Magnet Communications, an employer branding specialist, young people are tempering their job expectations (and their priorities) to suit the prevailing economic climate. In other words, instead of looking to start at the top of a company and out-earn people who have years more experience, students are looking for companies that offer job stability, reasonable salaries and reasonable prospects.
If money is still your primary motivation, however, you should consider these top South African earners:
• Petroleum Engineers: earn nearly $82,000 per year.
• Air Traffic Controllers: earn over $83,000 per year.
• Computer and information systems mangers: four years' experience will get you nearly $84,000, and that escalates with each additional year.
• Lawyers: an unambitious lawyer at a respectable firm can earn between $91,000 and $95,000 per year.
• Airline pilots, co-pilots and flight engineers: earn in the region of $99,000 per year.
Some people strike it lucky and, with a modicum of talent that allows them to kick a football at a goal, can earn more money in one week than most of us will see in our entire lifetime. The rest of us have to earn our living but if we can just hold onto the belief we had as children, the world will remain our oyster.
When you're a child, and the question is first put to you, any job seems glamourous. Children proudly declare that they want to be butchers or hairdressers and then a few months later change their minds to doctors and astronauts and then move onto golf caddies. Nothing is impossible for children, which is a charming trait that somehow we lose as we get older.
Priorities change with age and instead of the excitement of carrying someone else's golf clubs we decide we want more job stability and more money. Let's face it, unless you're caddying for the pros, it's not exactly a lucrative career. We also discover new talents. Few children want to be an actuary when they grow up, but according to CareerCast, a career portal for North America, an actuary is the third best job to have. Actuaries have very little stress, there are no physical demands, there are loads of job opportunities and the salary is magic - over $87 000 per year.
Software engineers have the best job, apparently, because even though the salary is a smidge lower than that of an actuary, they are more in demand and as we're becoming increasingly reliant on computers one would imagine that they'll stay top of the pile for years to come. Mathematicians have the second best job, but at more than $94 000 per year they are the highest earners; which kind of makes you wish you'd paid more attention at school, doesn't it?
The South African perspective
Things are a little different in South Africa. Actuaries certainly earn a great deal of money and software engineers are in great demand, but most school leavers want to work for the government, specifically the Department of Health and Education. If we're cynical we could say that the primary reason for this is the opportunity to earn a ludicrous salary and claim ridiculous perks while doing as little as possible. But the director-general of the Health Department, Gadizwe Nkomo, says that it has to do with the major drive to reach school children and inform them of the wealth of opportunities available.
According to Peter Johansson, MD of Magnet Communications, an employer branding specialist, young people are tempering their job expectations (and their priorities) to suit the prevailing economic climate. In other words, instead of looking to start at the top of a company and out-earn people who have years more experience, students are looking for companies that offer job stability, reasonable salaries and reasonable prospects.
If money is still your primary motivation, however, you should consider these top South African earners:
• Petroleum Engineers: earn nearly $82,000 per year.
• Air Traffic Controllers: earn over $83,000 per year.
• Computer and information systems mangers: four years' experience will get you nearly $84,000, and that escalates with each additional year.
• Lawyers: an unambitious lawyer at a respectable firm can earn between $91,000 and $95,000 per year.
• Airline pilots, co-pilots and flight engineers: earn in the region of $99,000 per year.
Some people strike it lucky and, with a modicum of talent that allows them to kick a football at a goal, can earn more money in one week than most of us will see in our entire lifetime. The rest of us have to earn our living but if we can just hold onto the belief we had as children, the world will remain our oyster.
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