Do I Follow My Passion or Follow the Money? Balancing Dream Jobs With Financial Realities

Editor’s note: Hailey Fuller graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point on May 17.

I was raised with the mentality that I should work for what I want in life. As early as elementary school, I sold Girl Scout cookies to win the prize of a red panda stuffed animal. I did not like Girl Scout cookies, let alone selling them, but I had to sell enough boxes to earn the prize.

Now that I’m older, I find myself in a similar situation. Only this time, my concerns don’t involve a stuffed animal, but my career passions. What happens when you’re working for what you need in life, not for what you want?

As I’m learning, passions and reality tend to clash. You might be passionate about owning your own business, when in reality you’re not financially privileged enough to do so. Or you might be passionate about being an actor, but moving to Los Angeles to pursue that dream is unrealistic. Financial burdens weigh heavily on our dreams.

Follow my passion? 

My dream job is to work in corporate marketing for a major beauty company in a large city. Based on the beauty companies I follow, I would have to move to New York, Chicago or Los Angeles. I currently live in a small town in Wisconsin, where I have been all my life.

While I have lived a privileged life, I might lack the financial means to work solely in an entry-level job in an expensive city. To cover my expenses, I might have to take on multiple part-time positions, leaving me little time to maintain my living space or to have a social life. Moving to a large city would also restrict my ability to see my family.

Or follow the money?

Reality might keep me in Wisconsin for my career. Since there are no major beauty companies in this area, I would look for work in event coordination instead. Following the money, I would likely work in Milwaukee. By staying in Wisconsin, I could save money and make payments on my student loans.

In Milwaukee’s mildly new setting, I could focus solely on my entry-level job and my social life. I could also visit my family, less than three hours away.

But the reality is that I would be limiting myself. I would always wonder about the possibilities that lie beyond the state where I was raised. The money might fulfill my expenses, but not my potential.

These competing scenarios capture the reality that many graduating seniors face. Many entry-level positions don’t pay enough for young people to survive in a bigger city. According to Glassdoor, the estimated total pay for an entry-level job is $56,366 per year, with an average annual salary of $42,001. Entry-level PR jobs in large cities might pay more. According to ZipRecruiter.com, as of April 30, 2025, the average annual pay for an entry-level PR specialist in New York City is $70,414 a year. In Chicago, it’s $64,318. Despite the slight increase in salary, the living expenses in larger cities far exceed the amount of income entry-level positions provide.

We put an immense amount of pressure on our careers, and whether they are fulfilling both financially and mentally. If you live a life that is only focused on “selling Girl Scout cookies” (money), then you may miss the bigger picture. And though “the red panda stuffed animal” (your passion) may bring you joy, you may wonder if the trouble to win it was worth it.

However, at the end of the day, your career makes up a very small percentage of who you are. I’m sure other communications professionals have also wrestled with these feelings in their careers, and I’m looking forward to meeting mentors who can help guide my way.

Hailey Fuller is a recent arts management graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. She served as president of the Arts Management Association and the Public Relations Student Society of America simultaneously. Beyond these invigorating roles, Hailey fills her life with creativity, family, reading, baking and traveling. She enjoys any time she can spend around animals, specifically her 10-year-old cat named Mittens.

Illustration credit: batojag

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