Q: I just graduated high school and Im about to enter college, but the situation here is that I failed the college that my parents wanted me to go to. The school that my parents wanted is a school that is the BEST in Business, Marketing, etc. etc which I didn’t qualify for, BUT, I passed its sister school who’s BEST are in MultiMedia Arts and other forms of Arts like it, Culinary, Tourism, Architecture, etc. They both DIFFER and both have their strengths, my parents want me to be in the business sector.
But deep down, I really wanted to draw, be a concept artist, or something similar, but I had to think about my parents, my future so I had to pick difficult courses that can hopefully try to “impress” my parents, so I tried out for Architecture (But Im not really good at math), I wanted business so I can continue my fathers business but I fear that I might fail him like I did many times in high school because of math and I was gonna apply to a course which requires lots of math. To add another up, my father is a Boss of his own company, we all have that feeling that “WE NEED TO IMPRESS THEM” sort of feeling so I’m being pressured, I’m not like him in terms of sophisticated stuff, Im more on the artistic side.
Architecture??? Culinary?? Finish a random course than transfer to that business school???
-Nicolo
A: Congratulations on your recent high school graduation and on your decision to continue your education! It is great that you have already identified your true interest – drawing – many people do not do that until much later in life. Unfortunately, it looks like you are in danger of forfeiting your passion in favor of impressing your parents.
Pressure from parents can be very stressful on a young adult, especially when embarking on a decision that will change the trajectory of your entire life. Because of the impact this decision will have on your future, I admonish you to consider it a bit more carefully.
Based upon what you have said, your choice boils down to choosing to major in something in the “business sector” or following your dreams, which center more on art. When I saw this, I immediately thought of John Holland’s theory of career choice (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holland_Codes). Holland basically suggests that people who choose to work in environments that suit their personality are likely to be both successful and satisfied. Without a formal assessment, I would assume that you are an Artistic personality while your father is probably an Enterprising personality.
People who are Artistic are considered Creators. “They are intuitive, sensitive, articulate, and expressive. They rely on feelings, imagination, and inspiration. They like to work with ideas, abstractions, and concepts. They are spontaneous and open minded.” They value originality and independence, and generally adept in the arts.
People who are Enterprising are considered Persuaders. “They are dominant, persuasive, and motivational. They like influencing others, being in charge, taking risks, debating, and competing.” They are assertive, extroverted, and confident. They value success money, power, and status.
As you can see, these are very different, but they can overlap (http://www.onetonline.org/explore/interests/).
Artistic Jobs (that involve drawing) include:
- Fashion Designers
- Illustrators
- Architectural Drafters
- Graphic Designers
- Interior Designers
- Landscape Artists
- Set Designers
- Sketch Artists
- Comic Book Artists
- Architects
- Animators
Enterprising Jobs include:
- Sales Managers
- Real Estate Agents
- Sales Representatives
- Lawyers
- Politicians
- CEOs
- Construction Managers
Jobs that suit a combination of these two include:
- Fashion Designers
- Art Directors
- Commercial and Industrial Designers
- Graphic Designers
- Interior Designers
- Video Game Designers
Why not enroll in the sister school and major in Multimedia Arts? Find internships that help you explore your talent and build new skills. Then you can find a position that makes you happy and your parents will be happy about that and proud of the success you will achieve because you love what you do.
Coincidentally, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook (http://www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/multimedia-artists-and-animators.htm), Multimedia Artists and Animators earned about $61,370 per year in 2012. That’s $29.50 per hour. That’s no small potatoes, if you ask me. And the field is expected to achieve incremental growth through 2022 due to the demand for animation and visual effects in video games, movies, and television.
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