Anonymous
Post 12/31/2025 00:04     Subject: Majors/careers for a kid who wants money and work/life balance
Anonymous wrote:Patent Attorneys work long hours, so probably not that.

To me, it sounds like he wants a government sector STEM job.


How do you get a government sector STEM job? Can you give an example?
Anonymous
Post 12/31/2025 00:01     Subject: Majors/careers for a kid who wants money and work/life balance
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So he basically wants money but doesn’t want to work hard? Isn’t that what you are really saying, OP?


That’s the dream! Don’t be jealous you didn’t think of this.

Dermatologist or orthodontist. Hard to get into but the careers aren’t as stressful as other kinds of medicine. But you make bank.


Both are somewhat taxing physically (compared to being in an office) and there is never a slow/phone it in type of day that everyone whose ever worked in business or law has experienced. Wouldn’t recommend for anyone not passionate for health career
Anonymous
Post 12/30/2025 22:01     Subject: Majors/careers for a kid who wants money and work/life balance
Don't be a lawyer.
Anonymous
Post 12/30/2025 21:58     Subject: Majors/careers for a kid who wants money and work/life balance
I know some actuaries who seem to do pretty well and don't work too hard. It doesn't seem very interesting but could be worse.
Anonymous
Post 12/30/2025 19:47     Subject: Majors/careers for a kid who wants money and work/life balance
Patent Attorneys work long hours, so probably not that.

To me, it sounds like he wants a government sector STEM job.
Anonymous
Post 12/30/2025 19:46     Subject: Majors/careers for a kid who wants money and work/life balance
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So he basically wants money but doesn’t want to work hard? Isn’t that what you are really saying, OP?


So, he’s smart?


Wanting something has nothing to do with how smart/dumb someone is.


Realizing at a young age that your career path affects your happiness, long-term health, ability to have a family, etc is pretty smart. He's way ahead of the kids who want to do 90 hours a week designing video games and the kids who want to bottle feed orphaned seals.
Anonymous
Post 12/30/2025 19:43     Subject: Majors/careers for a kid who wants money and work/life balance
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So he basically wants money but doesn’t want to work hard? Isn’t that what you are really saying, OP?


That’s the dream! Don’t be jealous you didn’t think of this.

Dermatologist or orthodontist. Hard to get into but the careers aren’t as stressful as other kinds of medicine. But you make bank.


I don't see him wanting to go through medical school or residency.


Do orthodontists do residency?
Anonymous
Post 12/30/2025 19:40     Subject: Majors/careers for a kid who wants money and work/life balance
Anonymous wrote:Poster with a poli sci undergrad and then a top MBA. I now work for a Fortune 500 known for good work life balance.

I make enough to be in the top 10% of the population in household income, but never really have much to do after work at this stage of my career, and have not for the past 10-15 years.

I have told my similarly math-oriented kid in college now to major in business with a finance or accounting focus, or data science/analytics. Contrary to some popular theories, AI is not taking these jobs and in fact it’s really going to be a tool that people in these jobs will use in the future.

I think it will be easy to be a Director/sr director/VP level in many companies, large and small, with this kind of background undergrad.


+1
Anonymous
Post 12/30/2025 19:39     Subject: Majors/careers for a kid who wants money and work/life balance
My spouse has this in biotech but put in a solid decade after undergrads to get the degrees/skills for it. Still, it’s worth it if you can hang for first that ten years.
Anonymous
Post 12/30/2025 19:36     Subject: Majors/careers for a kid who wants money and work/life balance
you get to pick one, either money or limited hours. or you can marry the money! good time for him to begin learning about the difficult choices one makes in adult life.
Anonymous
Post 12/30/2025 19:34     Subject: Majors/careers for a kid who wants money and work/life balance
Anonymous wrote:Poster with a poli sci undergrad and then a top MBA. I now work for a Fortune 500 known for good work life balance.

I make enough to be in the top 10% of the population in household income, but never really have much to do after work at this stage of my career, and have not for the past 10-15 years.

I have told my similarly math-oriented kid in college now to major in business with a finance or accounting focus, or data science/analytics. Contrary to some popular theories, AI is not taking these jobs and in fact it’s really going to be a tool that people in these jobs will use in the future.

I think it will be easy to be a Director/sr director/VP level in many companies, large and small, with this kind of background undergrad.

"this stage of your career" is key. I'm thinking OP's DC wants to have good work/life balance and get paid well before they 45.
Anonymous
Post 12/30/2025 19:24     Subject: Majors/careers for a kid who wants money and work/life balance
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So he basically wants money but doesn’t want to work hard? Isn’t that what you are really saying, OP?


That’s the dream! Don’t be jealous you didn’t think of this.

Dermatologist or orthodontist. Hard to get into but the careers aren’t as stressful as other kinds of medicine. But you make bank.


I don't see him wanting to go through medical school or residency.


He will NEVER make it thru. My kid who is a resident doctor put in 120 hours last 7 days. That's like 17 hours/day in avg. I don't see OP's kid willing to do that.


Physician here. This is not typical any longer. I did my residency at Stanford, and even back then it wasn't like this. Now, many residents are unionized, get Uber vouchers after call, 80-hr max, etc. Besides, residency isn't the issue. The burnout comes much later, mid career, and not at all related to long hours.

Regardless, I agree about avoiding medicine.
Anonymous
Post 12/30/2025 19:02     Subject: Majors/careers for a kid who wants money and work/life balance
Government worker.
Anonymous
Post 12/30/2025 19:01     Subject: Majors/careers for a kid who wants money and work/life balance
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Poster with a poli sci undergrad and then a top MBA. I now work for a Fortune 500 known for good work life balance.

I make enough to be in the top 10% of the population in household income, but never really have much to do after work at this stage of my career, and have not for the past 10-15 years.

I have told my similarly math-oriented kid in college now to major in business with a finance or accounting focus, or data science/analytics. Contrary to some popular theories, AI is not taking these jobs and in fact it’s really going to be a tool that people in these jobs will use in the future.

I think it will be easy to be a Director/sr director/VP level in many companies, large and small, with this kind of background undergrad.


What makes you say this? Everyone I know in these fields is convinced that AI is going to change everything .

NP but it’s honestly shocking how easily the public is convinced by tech bros with overvalued companies. AI is a readjustment, but the whole “taking all the jobs” bit is so some douchey 20 year old who just graduated Stanford can get investors to send him an obscene amount of money for a company that Open Ai and inevitably Google will buy. It’s jarring because in the tech space currently the discussion is Open Ai needing to eventually collapse, but somehow that isn’t reaching most employees yet.
Anonymous
Post 12/30/2025 18:50     Subject: Majors/careers for a kid who wants money and work/life balance
Anonymous wrote:Poster with a poli sci undergrad and then a top MBA. I now work for a Fortune 500 known for good work life balance.

I make enough to be in the top 10% of the population in household income, but never really have much to do after work at this stage of my career, and have not for the past 10-15 years.

I have told my similarly math-oriented kid in college now to major in business with a finance or accounting focus, or data science/analytics. Contrary to some popular theories, AI is not taking these jobs and in fact it’s really going to be a tool that people in these jobs will use in the future.

I think it will be easy to be a Director/sr director/VP level in many companies, large and small, with this kind of background undergrad.


What makes you say this? Everyone I know in these fields is convinced that AI is going to change everything .