Stop Chasing the Money-Chase the Joy: Career Tips for Young People

I have never been about chasing the money when looking for work. In 2026 however this is how many young people are looking for jobs for the future and many of those jobs may not be there in the future with artificial intelligence on the horizon. So should you chase money or love of work?

Recently I was having a conversation with a friend about careers and we noticed that many young people well into their late twenties and early thirties don’t even know what they want to do for a career. They haven’t found the main career they would like to follow and are looking for jobs that are paying the most money. While I understand that in today’s world having a decent paying job is very important, it can also cause you to work in a career that fails to inspire you and causes burnout or other problems.

Learning what you like to do and even if it doesn’t pay the most money getting very good at something I have found to be the secret to a solid career. When I got into the trucking industry back at the age of 17 I didn’t know what I was getting into. I began to enjoy it and started moving up the ladder very slowly. I enjoyed the travel, the change of scenery, and meeting new people. Your career will change time after time, possibly every five years. The secret is to find a career that has a central focus such as insurance or trucking but also has lots of options for career direction.

How do you find that start to your career path? You have three options for finding your career path. You can be guided into a career by someone you trust already doing that type of work. You can just get a job and accidentally find that you like that type of work and progress making it a career. Your third option is to make a list of what you like to do and what you’re good at and see if there is a match. This is the best option if you are targeting a certain type of career.

However you go about your future career, I can offer one piece of advice: money doesn’t make you happy. Having fulfilling work offers you a much better perspective on life. All the best.

About the Author

Bruce Outridge has been a media entrepreneur for over a decade helping creative entrepreneurs build successful businesses. He is a professional cartoonist, podcast producer, radio host, and produces two television shows for Your TV. He has been passionate about helping people have successful careers and you can learn more about Bruce and his work at www.bruceoutridge.com