Journalism is an unbelievably rewarding profession. It allows us
to interact with the world, find out what’s going on behind
the surface, and effect social change. But, it might not be right
for you.
Some people ask me why an electrical engineering student on the
fast path to a very comfortable lifestyle would ever give up the
security of a well-paying 9-to-5 career for one that pays about as
much as a teacher and is getting more unstable by the day. Why
would you want to go from an industry where companies will fight
each other to give you a job when you graduate to an industry that
is so competitive you can expect to be turned down for employment
at least twice as much as you are accepted? It doesn’t make
sense that somebody would go to school for six years and amass over
$20,000 in student loans just to get a degree that he will never
use.
Every time people ask me these questions, I tell them them the
same thing. I tell them that it’s sad to think that while we
go to this university to learn, essentially, the skills we need to
make money, we give very little thought to the value of our
happiness. I can’t understand why people are more concerned
about what car they drive than the job that they can’t stand.
When people ask me why I chose photojournalism, I tell them I chose
it because it’s not a job to me. I can spend the rest of my
life getting paid to do something that I’d do anyway: taking
pictures. I can spend every day of my life on vacation. But
I’m not trying to change the world.
If you define your success by the size of your bank account, I
would recommend a career in engineering, law, business, or
accounting. Basically, anything but journalism.
As for me, I’d rather be happy. I’d rather wake up
in the morning and look forward to going to work. I’d rather
not waste away the days watching the clock and counting the hours
until quitting time. I’d rather not wade through rush hour
traffic to and from work. I’d rather meet new people and make
new friends every day. I’d rather feel like the work I do
makes a direct difference on the lives of hundreds of thousands of
people. And when I drive by your office on the way to cover the
Lakers game, I’ll make sure to wave.
So while it is hard for some people to understand why I would
want to give up on upper middle-class living for a modest
lifestyle, it’s even harder for me to understand how people
can be satisfied with just a paycheck and nothing to show for it. I
will never wake up after a long career of working in a cubicle and
realize that I missed out.
The Daily Bruin has introduced me to a lot. It was that office
in Kerckhoff Hall that showed me the value of my own happiness. It
was in that office that I met my true love Kay. It was that office
that gave me the opportunity do things that very few students ever
get a chance to do.
People who don’t understand the value of these things
probably never will. But that’s not my problem. I do not
suffer fools. I’d rather be happy.