Want a six-figure salary with excellent job prospects? Switch your major to computer science.

[PharmtoCS]

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1) As a computer science graduate, you can easily earn $100k/year at age 22-25 without having to take out $200k+ loans and spend 4 years of your life in pharmacy school. You don't even need a formal degree to be a software engineer, which means you can enter the field with little or no debt. Contrast that to the top pharmacy jobs that require 2 years of residency/fellowship in addition to 4 years of additional schooling. With a few years of experience as a software engineer, you can increase your salary to $130-150k, and with benefits and stock options, the total compensation may be up to $200k/year. Meanwhile, the $200k loans you will incur from pharmacy school will reduce your take home pay by as much as $40k/year. After taxes and student loans loans, you may be left with as little as $45k.

2) There is a major shortage of software engineers right now. Many current computer science students are getting 5 or more job offers before graduation, whereas once you graduate from pharmacy school, you may be lucky to get even 1 after you have become licensed for months. Software engineers are able to walk out of their current jobs and find a new one within two weeks as they are in very high demand, whereas many retail pharmacists hate their jobs but are stuck due to lack of job openings and student loans.

3) You are actually treated like a professional as a software engineer. Software companies are doing everything to retain employees not only through increased salaries but also excellent and unique perks such as 3 gourmet meals a day, daycare centers, shuttle buses that take you to and from work, gyms, etc. that make the workplace more tolerable and keep employees more productive. Chain retail pharmacies could care less about making sure pharmacists get enough tech help, let alone bathroom breaks while pharmacists are expected to tolerate the workplace.

4) Software engineering, unlike pharmacy, is based more on what you know rather than who you know and therefore more meritocratic and less cronyistic/nepotistic. You can at least make a portfolio to show your previous works. At interviews, you are asked to actually solve problems to see if you are a good fit for the position, meaning that you cannot just BS your way through.

 

[darknightzzz]

1) As a computer science graduate, you can easily earn $100k/year at age 22-25 without having to take out $200k+ loans and spend 4 years of your life in pharmacy school. You don't even need a formal degree to be a software engineer, which means you can enter the field with little or no debt. Contrast that to the top pharmacy jobs that require 2 years of residency/fellowship in addition to 4 years of additional schooling. With a few years of experience as a software engineer, you can increase your salary to $130-150k, and with benefits and stock options, the total compensation may be up to $200k/year. Meanwhile, the $200k loans you will incur from pharmacy school will reduce your take home pay by as much as $40k/year. After taxes and student loans loans, you may be left with as little as $45k.

2) There is a major shortage of software engineers right now. Many current computer science students are getting 5 or more job offers before graduation, whereas once you graduate from pharmacy school, you may be lucky to get even 1 after you have become licensed for months. Software engineers are able to walk out of their current jobs and find a new one within two weeks as they are in very high demand, whereas many retail pharmacists hate their jobs but are stuck due to lack of job openings and student loans.

3) You are actually treated like a professional as a software engineer. Software companies are doing everything to retain employees not only through increased salaries but also excellent and unique perks such as 3 gourmet meals a day, daycare centers, shuttle buses that take you to and from work, gyms, etc. that make the workplace more tolerable and keep employees more productive. Chain retail pharmacies could care less about making sure pharmacists get enough tech help, let alone bathroom breaks while pharmacists are expected to tolerate the workplace.

4) Software engineering, unlike pharmacy, is based more on what you know rather than who you know and therefore more meritocratic and less cronyistic/nepotistic. You can at least make a portfolio to show your previous works. At interviews, you are asked to actually solve problems to see if you are a good fit for the position, meaning that you cannot just BS your way through.

Claim 1: this is reserved only for the top grad (few % of the population) I personally know 3 software engineer in socal area that make 42k/year now with BS degree, specifically in Orange county, CA.

Claim 2: yes true

Claim 3,4: only reserve for big firm for top grads again.

the grass is always greener on the other side brother

 

[BMBiology]

Lets be real here. How many people have the innate ability to become a top computer engineer?

All of this talk about software engineer. You are like a broken record. You keep on saying the same thing over and over. Why don't you do it first and come back and tell us about it?

 

[PharmtoCS]

Lets be real here. How many people have the innate ability to become a top computer engineer?

True, but that is probably why software engineers (and doctors, accountants, investment bankers, etc.) are difficult to find.

All of this talk about software engineer. You are like a broken record. You keep on saying the same thing over and over. Why don't you do it first and come back and tell us about it?

A lot of pre-pharmacy students don't read previous threads and ask the same questions over, or worse, they jump in without doing research. A thread that is one month old may very well not exist to many of the pre-pharm students. I am giving them something other than pharmacy to pursue their $100k salaries. By the way, aren't you the pot calling the kettle black? lol

 

[BMBiology]

^ yes! Lol but I have not been saying it as much anymore because I think everybody knows it by now. If someone still decides to go then that is up to him. It is his life and his decision. Some people need to learn from their own mistakes

 

[Corpseman]

I would hate life as a software engineer, no thanks. If that is the only other job you can come up with, I guess pharmacy isn't so bad.

 

[PharmtoCS]

I would hate life as a software engineer, no thanks. If that is the only other job you can come up with, I guess pharmacy isn't so bad.

Software engineering probably provides the best value, but there are also other engineering fields and finance, accounting, business, physician assistant, etc. that pay well, provide a similar or better work-life balance compared to pharmacy, have a job market that is comparable or better than pharmacy, and do not require the loans needed to go to pharmacy school. I also agree with you, not everyone has the patience or intelligence to become a software engineer, hence the shortage.

 

[Corpseman]

Software engineering probably provides the best value, but there are also other engineering fields and finance, accounting, business, physician assistant, etc. that pay well, provide a similar or better work-life balance compared to pharmacy, have a job market that is comparable or better than pharmacy, and do not require the loans needed to go to pharmacy school. I also agree with you, not everyone has the patience or intelligence to become a software engineer, hence the shortage.

Finance, accounting, and business? I hope you're not serious.

Physician assistant? Not guaranteed over 100k and it takes a completely different skill set than a pharmacist, so again not for everyone. For me that goes back to the whole provider status, I couldn't imagine some of my classmates as prescribers like PAs, they wouldn't last a month in PA school.

There are a lot of problems with the pharmacy profession and over saturation being the main, but the grass is certainly not greener on the other side for everyone.

 

[Jbrl]

Software engineering probably provides the best value, but there are also other engineering fields and finance, accounting, business, physician assistant, etc. that pay well, provide a similar or better work-life balance compared to pharmacy, have a job market that is comparable or better than pharmacy, and do not require the loans needed to go to pharmacy school. I also agree with you, not everyone has the patience or intelligence to become a software engineer, hence the shortage.

Claim 1: this is reserved only for the top grad (few % of the population) I personally know 3 software engineer in socal area that make 42k/year now with BS degree, specifically in Orange county, CA.

Claim 2: yes true

Claim 3,4: only reserve for big firm for top grads again.

the grass is always greener on the other side brother

I think this post pretty much says it all. There are four things you discussed: salary, job prospects, work-life balance, and loans.

Salary: Six-figure jobs straight out of college for all of these fields simply just don't happen except for the 1%-ers. If we were to compare fields under those considerations, we would have to look at the top 1% of pharmacy graduates as well. There is just no comparison when considering entry level salary. Median salary after 10 years is probably a closer comparison, though pharmacists would still tip the scales - for now.

Job prospects: The majors/professions you've listed definitely have better job prospects in terms of both upward mobility and projected level of unemployment. The average retail pharmacist is going to stay right he is once he is PIC, which can be demoralizing. The article that projected 20% unemployment for new grads in 2018 is something that should be considered.

Work-life balance: If you think the work-life balance in the other fields is better than pharmacy, you should look at some of the hours that accountants work during busy season. Well-paying finance jobs can go beyond the typical 40 hr week, especially the ones that have the most opportunity for growth. Software engineers can work 50hr weeks. I think of all the ones you've listed, PAs have the best average work hours - fairly consistent and around 40 hours. Contrast all these to pharmacist 40 hr weeks. Work conditions will depend on company, so can't say anything about that, but that's the case in any field.

Loans: Definitely not good for pharmacy. I think 130k average debt for a profession with questionable prospects is something that should be thought through very thoroughly.

To be completely honest, if you're looking for a cushy job that "helps people", just be a high school teacher. Good work-life balance. Work 9 months out of the year, 8 am to 3-4 pm hours with lunch. Tenure after 5 years with guaranteed raises and pension. Is it the most fulfilling job? Depends if you feel like trying to beat sense into immature students who have yet to come into their own - some love it. That's really the message. People going into fields they know nothing about because those fields have better prospects are bound to hit an existential wall sooner or later. I think a more prudent approach would be to figure out one's personality, desires, and aptitude, and THEN start honing in on potential careers.

 

[yenle1304]

I have a friend who is an software engineer in Iowa thats making $~30/hr

 

[Jibby321]

Software engineering probably provides the best value, but there are also other engineering fields and finance, accounting, business, physician assistant, etc. that pay well, provide a similar or better work-life balance compared to pharmacy, have a job market that is comparable or better than pharmacy, and do not require the loans needed to go to pharmacy school. I also agree with you, not everyone has the patience or intelligence to become a software engineer, hence the shortage.

My best friend is a structural engineer with a BS in mechanical engineering. He has been working with a decent sized firm for the past year and makes 36,000 a year. After he completes his professional engineering licensing exam (which he has to have 4 years as a junior engineer or 2 years as a Jr plus a masters) he can make an upwards of about 60-70k.

 

[MybuttsHadouken]

Screw all the statistics about job prospects/layoffs. I'm moving to the beach and working as a bartender/concession stands!

 

[LunarEclaire]

This is exactly my deliemma. I am debating if I should change my major from chemistry to comp science. I will be a freshman this fall in college and right now, my major is chemistry. I have registered for my courses and everything, but people keep warning me that pharmacy is tight and comp sci is a great field. The thing is, I have no interest in computers, but I want to have a stable and great salary. I don't want debt and 4 years of schooling sounds much better than 8 years of school with a low chance of getting a job. Can anyone help me or give me some pointers on what I should do? I've always thought that pharmacy was for me, but I am scared at the thought of being unemployed and in debt after 8 years.

 

[SClENCE]

A lot of pharmacy students never step foot in a retail pharmacy until their 2nd/3rd year. I'm still trying to figure out if I should be laughing at them or feeling sorry for them... but there's a reason why a majority of students want to work in a hospital despite 70% of the jobs being in retail.

 

[PharmtoCS]

This is exactly my deliemma. I am debating if I should change my major from chemistry to comp science. I will be a freshman this fall in college and right now, my major is chemistry. I have registered for my courses and everything, but people keep warning me that pharmacy is tight and comp sci is a great field. The thing is, I have no interest in computers, but I want to have a stable and great salary. I don't want debt and 4 years of schooling sounds much better than 8 years of school with a low chance of getting a job. Can anyone help me or give me some pointers on what I should do? I've always thought that pharmacy was for me, but I am scared at the thought of being unemployed and in debt after 8 years.

You wouldn't know what you are really interested in until you expose yourself to the field. Go to codeacademy.com and learn computer programming, take some lower division computer science classes, and/or work in a pharmacy. As @SClENCE says, a lot of students don't even step foot in a pharmacy until their rotations. Pharmacy schools make the profession look glamorous until you reach your P3/P4 year or even after you graduate; your real job description is usually far different (and worse) than what pharmacy schools portray.

The job market favors computer science majors strongly. If you go that route, you may dislike/hate your job but will still have a job and be well paid, and will be able to switch out more easily. If you go the pharmacy route, you will spend an additional 4 years in school, be heavily in debt, and maybe hate your job anyway or even worse, be unemployed.

 

[BMBiology]

You wouldn't know what you are really interested in until you expose yourself to the field. Go to codeacademy.com and learn computer programming, take some lower division computer science classes, and/or work in a pharmacy. As @SClENCE says, a lot of students don't even step foot in a pharmacy until their rotations. Pharmacy schools make the profession look glamorous until you reach your P3/P4 year or even after you graduate; your real job description is usually far different (and worse) than what pharmacy schools portray.

The job market favors computer science majors strongly. If you go that route, you may dislike/hate your job but will still have a job and be well paid, and will be able to switch out more easily. If you go the pharmacy route, you will spend an additional 4 years in school, be heavily in debt, and maybe hate your job anyway or even worse, be unemployed.

Tell that to the programers who graduated in early 2000. Nothing is guaranteed.

I still don't know why you keep on telling people computer science is hot right now. Who doesn't know that?

Most people don't have the skills to be a good programmer and to make the kind of money you have been throwing around on this forum. If they did, they don't need you to tell them so.

 

[LunarEclaire]

What do you guys think about the pharmacy market? Do you think it's worth it? I am still debating and I have signed up for codecademy to try programming but I still don't know yet. I've also been looking into the business field hoping that I can find a job that I might like, but I heard the business field is competitive as well. Please give some more pointers to this college freshman!!! Thanks. I know that I'm very indecisive, and I appreciate all advice given.

 

[Frychicken]

I think this thread offers solid advice.

One of the things I can't wrap my mind around is why and how so many people still flock towards pharmacy school. Back when I was in undergrad, the pre-pharm club was always one of the biggest on campus and still is. Why is this? Speaking in economic terms, you would think that the excess number of PharmD graduates and schools recently opened would provide an indication that the market is quite saturated. Most reasonably young and educated college students should be able to recognize this and choose a different career which is what I think pharmacy as a whole desperately needs: less pharmacy students. And yet, this isn't the case and more and more new schools are taking advantage of it.

Is it arrogance on the part of these pre-pharm students? Perhaps they were just pushed into it by their parents, which was the case with one of my good buddies? Should universities and/or pre-pharm clubs start to actively persuade students not to pursue pharmacy school?

 

[LunarEclaire]

You wouldn't know what you are really interested in until you expose yourself to the field. Go to codeacademy.com and learn computer programming, take some lower division computer science classes, and/or work in a pharmacy. As @SClENCE says, a lot of students don't even step foot in a pharmacy until their rotations. Pharmacy schools make the profession look glamorous until you reach your P3/P4 year or even after you graduate; your real job description is usually far different (and worse) than what pharmacy schools portray.

The job market favors computer science majors strongly. If you go that route, you may dislike/hate your job but will still have a job and be well paid, and will be able to switch out more easily. If you go the pharmacy route, you will spend an additional 4 years in school, be heavily in debt, and maybe hate your job anyway or even worse, be unemployed.

That's what I started doing. Currently trying out python on codecademy. My question right now would be if I would have a hard time finding a job on the east coast. I don't want to relocate to the west or the middle west or the south. I am worried about not being able to find a job. That is my main concern.

I am also concerned about what I can do with a bachelors in science because I do not want to go to med school or anything of that sort. I like healthcare and people but I do not wish to inject anything into anyone or dissect cadavers. I like to do behind the scenes work like making the medicine or experiemntation. I like science a lot, but I am also interested in business.

I am unsure of what my future will look like right now be ause pharmacy was all i thought about up to this point. I was so sure that pharmacy was going to be a great field to go into, but after hearing about all these people with no jobs and awful work conditions, I don't think it's going to work out for me. If I continue down this chemistry path, what other career would I be able to go into with only a bachelors? What about the fields in business? Thank you guys for all,your reply.

 

[PharmtoCS]

That's what I started doing. Currently trying out python on codecademy. My question right now would be if I would have a hard time finding a job on the east coast. I don't want to relocate to the west or the middle west or the south. I am worried about not being able to find a job. That is my main concern.

You will most likely be able to find a job as long as you're decent at coding right now, but there are no guarantees. The best job markets are on the West Coast (San Francisco/Silicon Valley and Seattle) but there should be plenty of jobs in the East Coast and Midwest. Ironically, if you pursue pharmacy, you will most likely have to move to the Midwest or South since the East Coast is extremely saturated. Business, finance, and accounting are also great fields to go into right now, particularly on the East Coast.

 

[MybuttsHadouken]

I decided to quit pharmacy school to pursue as a full time youtuber. Thank you everyone for your words of wisdom. See you on the other side!

 

[SClENCE]

The problem with pharmacy is most of the time you feel more like a secretary than anything. You know that ProAir will be fine for the patient but since the doctor wrote Ventolin and the insurance company won't cover it you call the doctor and have it changed as opposed to just changing it yourself. The funny thing is that it's a nurse with less education that is actually approving the change. Makes you wonder why you even went to pharmacy school.

Just one of many factors contributing to the hell that is retail. The demanding and ignorant customers... your employer who wants you to meet 30 different metrics with no help... spending 20 minutes switching an order to the insurance companies preferred product just to make 30 cents when you fill it all while the customer complains about you the whole time even though it's THEIR insurance company... the list is truly endless.

 

[PharmtoCS]

5) I might also add that computer programming is probably ideal for those who don't want to deal with the public a la retail pharmacy where 65-70% of the jobs are. It is more similar to hospital pharmacy except with more meritocracy and less of the politics and backstabbing.

 

[Kag01]

Computer science and the engineering fields are flooded by people who are on something known as the H1B visa.
I graduated with a degree in EE and found out that many companies would rather hire a foreigner and pay them about half of what they would pay me.

If you are an American , good luck competing with people who would happily take 40K after earning a graduate degree in engineering or computer science.

BTW , I did spend sometime in a top 50 school and I found out even some of the engineering/computer science students there had a hard time getting a job yet alone one that pays six figures.

 

[PharmtoCS]

Computer science and the engineering fields are flooded by people who are on something known as the H1B visa.
I graduated with a degree in EE and found out that many companies would rather hire a foreigner and pay them about half of what they would pay me.

If you are an American , good luck competing with people who would happily take 40K after earning a graduate degree in engineering or computer science.

BTW , I did spend sometime in a top 50 school and I found out even some of the engineering/computer science students there had a hard time getting a job yet alone one that pays six figures.

H1B visas are capped at 65,000 per year. As of now, that isn't enough to fill the available positions demanded in the technology industry which has been growing rapidly in the last few years. Also, companies are have been bringing jobs back onshore due to cultural barriers and quality control issues. Just curious, when did you graduate?

 

[StudyLater]

To be completely honest, if you're looking for a cushy job that "helps people", just be a high school teacher. Good work-life balance. Work 9 months out of the year, 8 am to 3-4 pm hours with lunch. Tenure after 5 years with guaranteed raises and pension. Is it the most fulfilling job? Depends if you feel like trying to beat sense into immature students who have yet to come into their own - some love it.

Nearly any job can be as demoralizing, if not more, than working retail. That especially applies to being a high school teacher, particularly at an average 2k+ student public school. I don't even think I have to mention all the **** you have to put up with - you and I already know, because we probably made our teachers put up with it or witnessed our classmates doing so on a daily basis. You're completely aware of the grass is greener fallacy and then you use it immediately following your analysis of the fallacy. I get where you're coming from. I just wanted to point out that it was kind of a funny juxtaposition.

What do you guys think about the pharmacy market? Do you think it's worth it? I am still debating and I have signed up for codecademy to try programming but I still don't know yet. I've also been looking into the business field hoping that I can find a job that I might like, but I heard the business field is competitive as well. Please give some more pointers to this college freshman!!! Thanks. I know that I'm very indecisive, and I appreciate all advice given.

Do what you want, man. Depends on the job. Programmers can have cush jobs but also hellish jobs with incessant deadlines. Your 9-5 can easily become 70+hrs a week with no corresponding increase in pay.

Use codecademy for basic syntax. But the vast majority of your learning will come through experimentation and the experience gained working with the various popular APIs/libraries. If you actually want to be a programmer, that is. Either way, if you've got the time, go for it anyway. Programming can be really useful all around. Everyone should learn to code at least on a basic level to come up with solutions to the constant abstract problems they face in academics/the workplace. Someone with a solid working knowledge can whip something up in 30min to save themselves hundreds of hours of time over the long run.

 

[Jbrl]

Nearly any job can be as demoralizing, if not more, than working retail. That especially applies to being a high school teacher, particularly at an average 2k+ student public school. I don't even think I have to mention all the **** you have to put up with - you and I already know, because we probably made our teachers put up with it or witnessed our classmates doing so on a daily basis. You're completely aware of the grass is greener fallacy and then you use it immediately following your analysis of the fallacy. I get where you're coming from. I just wanted to point out that it was kind of a funny juxtaposition.

I feel you've dissected the statement without taking into account the context in which it was stated, so I don't think you get where I'm coming from.

Are other jobs demoralizing for other reasons? Sure. The frustration of feeling like you'll be in the same position for the rest of your life is also not exclusive to pharmacy. Should people take on the prospect of high unemployment rate and high debt:income ratio for these jobs? That's the point of contention. If people's reasons are generic ones that reveal lack of research or genuine interest, then they don't need to be taking risks on pharmacy. "People going into fields they know nothing about because those fields have better prospects are bound to hit an existential wall sooner or later." This includes being a teacher. Is the work life-balance and job security (once tenured) good? You bet. Being a teacher for high school sucks, though, if someone doesn't want to deal with or try to inspire students who don't give a damn, which I stated and you elaborated on.

 

[fewaopi]

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/29/technology/code-academy-as-career-game-changer.html

If you're looking for a good job, low cost, well...another article to yet support coding/computer work.

Let me just say that I'm in a saturated area. Recently laid off but miraculously found another job before terminated. The reason I found another job? I'm only looking for per diem. No part-time or full-time openings 100 miles in my area and if I was, I'd have to move to the middle of nowhere. I don't mind since per diem was what I was looking for anyway but for others, oh man. But keep in mind the job situation for a lot of pharmacy grads. It's really bad out there in parts of the country. They also tend to be parts of the country where there's 4-5 pharmacy schools within 200 miles. I don't want to even imagine how hard it is going to be for them.

If I had known pharmacy was going to be like this, I would've switched. Or at the very least, I would've given coding/computers or another field a serious hard look and attempt to see if I liked it or could handle it. Maybe I wouldn't have followed through on it anyway but I would've given it thought and more of a chance. You learn more real, practical skills that can be helpful in many work settings. Also less likely to be automated, replaced by mail order. Your competition is still human beings, not self-aware computers programming themselves; least that I know of. So if you're doing pharmacy or thinking of doing, definitely look at other careers. You won't know if the grass is greener on the other side if you haven't even looked at the other side yet.

H1B visas are capped at 65,000 per year. As of now, that isn't enough to fill the available positions demanded in the technology industry which has been growing rapidly in the last few years. Also, companies are have been bringing jobs back onshore due to cultural barriers and quality control issues. Just curious, when did you graduate?

True, but I also heard they are trying to increase the length of stay an H1B can be in the country, effectively expanding the labor pool but limiting the amount/year. Will probably happen since that's where the country is headed folks.

 

[Jay_Ray823]

Im a veteran so I don't have any school loans to pay back. My heart goes out to those who have to pay back thousands of dollars from school debt.

 

[StudyLater]

I don't think you get where I'm coming from.

I do! It's a misunderstanding: I did note that statement about the existential wall. I don't disagree with anything you've said, really (I don't come from a position of authority on experiencing each and every career for 20+ years, obviously). I just thought the whole fallacy analysis juxtaposed with a fallacy was funny. Not satirical, like I was trying make a point by saying it was funny, as in, "That's so funny that it's ridiculous and therefore you're wrong." Just pure funny, as in I got enjoyment out of it and nothing more. It's also funny because we're all fallacious, so that probably happens nearly all the time. Therefore, I'm partially laughing at myself. I don't even like satire, really, as it usually involves taking statements out of context in order to make a snide assertion of superiority. That's not really my thing. No offense to anyone who likes satire. I can even get into satire regardless - I just don't believe in it, if that makes sense. Kind of like you can get into a novel, but you know it's made up. It's got it's own value, even if that's just providing you with some brief entertainment. That's something, I suppose.

Being a teacher for high school sucks, though, if someone doesn't want to deal with or try to inspire students who don't give a damn, which I stated and you elaborated on.

And of course, still, there's also the inverse fallacy - what would it be? The grass is browner? Something like that. Either way, it goes both ways, as you've noted. Maybe the answer is in between, maybe not. Of course, there's a ton of variables too other than just the type of job that can affect things - that is, differences between the institutional rules of the place in which you work, your coworkers, the people you deal with (customers for pharm, students for the teacher), hours, perks, etc. etc. Since I can't generalize that much, I'll just say I have no idea. Things can be so different within the same profession. There's a thousand different considerations other than "pharmacist vs. teacher." So, assuming the OP isn't that much more well-informed than I am (his info seems to be in line with those periodic news articles stating computer science is a huge growth industry with guaranteed 6 figures and blah blah give us clicks and consequently $$$), then he probably doesn't have the whole story. And since he's probably misinformed, he probably doesn't really have the capability to participate in a real discussion as an expert on the subject - just like me.

BLS might be a good place to start doing some real research, but even then. All these "other variables" I brought up....there's just no way to fix exactly what they will be when you eventually step into your career shoes. A few of them might end up being borderline unbearable. Hence the "don't complain and just do your job" attitude comes in handy for the average working class individual. Either that or there's always the option to switch jobs, assuming you're in a profession where you have that option. OP indicated a belief, as I recall, that pharm doesn't have this kind of flexibility, by the way. I think some would agree and some would disagree. It depends on how you define flexibility.

 

[Jbrl]

I do! It's a misunderstanding: I did note that statement about the existential wall. I don't disagree with anything you've said, really (I don't come from a position of authority on experiencing each and every career for 20+ years, obviously). I just thought the whole fallacy analysis juxtaposed with a fallacy was funny. Not satirical, like I was trying make a point by saying it was funny, as in, "That's so funny that it's ridiculous and therefore you're wrong." Just pure funny, as in I got enjoyment out of it and nothing more. It's also funny because we're all fallacious, so that probably happens nearly all the time. Therefore, I'm partially laughing at myself. I don't even like satire, really, as it usually involves taking statements out of context in order to make a snide assertion of superiority. That's not really my thing. No offense to anyone who likes satire. I can even get into satire regardless - I just don't believe in it, if that makes sense. Kind of like you can get into a novel, but you know it's made up. It's got it's own value, even if that's just providing you with some brief entertainment. That's something, I suppose.



And of course, still, there's also the inverse fallacy - what would it be? The grass is browner? Something like that. Either way, it goes both ways, as you've noted. Maybe the answer is in between, maybe not. Of course, there's a ton of variables too other than just the type of job that can affect things - that is, differences between the institutional rules of the place in which you work, your coworkers, the people you deal with (customers for pharm, students for the teacher), hours, perks, etc. etc. Since I can't generalize that much, I'll just say I have no idea. Things can be so different within the same profession. There's a thousand different considerations other than "pharmacist vs. teacher." So, assuming the OP isn't that much more well-informed than I am (his info seems to be in line with those periodic news articles stating computer science is a huge growth industry with guaranteed 6 figures and blah blah give us clicks and consequently $$$), then he probably doesn't have the whole story. And since he's probably misinformed, he probably doesn't really have the capability to participate in a real discussion as an expert on the subject - just like me.

BLS might be a good place to start doing some real research, but even then. All these "other variables" I brought up....there's just no way to fix exactly what they will be when you eventually step into your career shoes. A few of them might end up being borderline unbearable. Hence the "don't complain and just do your job" attitude comes in handy for the average working class individual. Either that or there's always the option to switch jobs, assuming you're in a profession where you have that option. OP indicated a belief, as I recall, that pharm doesn't have this kind of flexibility, by the way. I think some would agree and some would disagree. It depends on how you define flexibility.

Entertaining yourself at my expense 😡 Not a fan of Mark Twain?

Well, the primary goal is to analyze trends. An answer of "it depends" without naming the salient considerations isn't of much use, even if it is the truth.

 

[Kittiplum]

Someone said Pharmacy is saturated on the East Coast, but what about the South? I live in the South and there's only one pharmacy school in the state (it only accepts 115 students per year for their pharmacy program). At my current university, the two most popular majors are Education and Business. While only 5% of 2013 graduates were of biological and biomedical science majors (I'm majoring in Biochemistry). As far as student loans go, it will be expensive, but I live in the cheapest state in the country with some of the cheapest universities. I can take all my pre-pharmacy requisites for free, at least. You think I'd have a better chance at finding a job down here after pharmacy school? The state I live in is Mississippi, btw. I know people keep saying go into computer science or software engineering. But I hate coding and programing and have no interest in it. I'm not tech-savvy at all, to be honest. But I might look into PA.

 

[StudyLater]

Entertaining yourself at my expense 😡 Not a fan of Mark Twain?

Well, the primary goal is to analyze trends. An answer of "it depends" without naming the salient considerations isn't of much use, even if it is the truth.

Sucks not being of much use but as a pre-med I've made my peace with it. 😉

@Kittiplum If you really don't like coding, then **** coding as a career. I say this as a coder.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Closing as off topic and user has posted this elsewhere.