“Not All Dreams Fit You”: Why Career Fit Matters More Than Prestige

Picture this: You’re brilliant at chemistry, acing every test and impressing your teachers. Your parents beam with pride, already envisioning you in a white coat as a successful doctor. But here’s the thing – you actually hate spending hours in the lab, and the thought of dealing with patients makes you anxious. Sound familiar?

This scenario plays out in countless households across Vietnam every year. Students choose their majors based on prestige, parental expectations, or simply because their grades “fit” the entrance requirements. But what happens when the dream doesn’t actually fit the dreamer?

The harsh reality is that many students end up feeling trapped in careers that look impressive on paper but leave them unfulfilled, stressed, and questioning their life choices. It’s time to shift the conversation from “What career sounds good?” to “What career actually fits who I am?”

The Hidden Cost of Chasing Prestige

We’ve all heard the success stories: the doctor who saves lives, the lawyer who fights for justice, and the IT professional earning six figures. These careers sound impressive at dinner parties and make parents proud. But here’s what we don’t talk about enough—not every prestigious career is right for every person.

Research confirms this reality. Holland (1997) notes that “career satisfaction is more strongly linked to the alignment between an individual’s personality and their job environment than to the prestige of the occupation itself.” This means that a well-matched “ordinary” job will likely bring you more happiness than a prestigious career that clashes with who you are.

Being good at a subject in school doesn’t automatically mean you’ll thrive in the corresponding profession. You might excel in biology class but find medical school overwhelming. You could be a math whiz but hate the isolating nature of programming. The skills that make you shine in the classroom might not translate to satisfaction in your daily work life.

Super (1990) emphasizes that “people are more likely to thrive and remain committed in careers that match their personal interests and values rather than those chosen for external rewards or social status.” Yet too many students ignore this wisdom, chasing external validation instead of internal alignment.

The consequences are real and costly. Consider this: Vietnam’s job market shows that many graduates work in fields completely different from their university majors. Nguyen and Tran (2022) found that “many graduates end up working in jobs unrelated to their field of study, highlighting the importance of early career exploration and flexible skill application.”

This isn’t necessarily a failure—it’s often a natural correction when people finally discover what truly fits them. But imagine the wasted time, money, and emotional energy. What if you could make that discovery before spending four years studying the wrong subject?

Career Fit = Personality + Passion + Potential

So what does “career fit” actually mean? It’s not just about being smart enough for a particular field. True career fit sits at the intersection of three crucial elements:

Personality: Are you energized by working with people, or do you prefer solo deep work? Do you thrive on routine or need constant variety? Are you a natural leader, or do you prefer supporting others behind the scenes? Your personality type significantly impacts which work environments will make you happy and productive.

Passion: What genuinely interests you? What topics do you find yourself reading about in your free time? What problems do you naturally want to solve? Passion doesn’t mean you need to be obsessed from day one, but there should be genuine curiosity and engagement with the subject matter.

Potential: This goes beyond just academic grades. What are your natural strengths? Are you great at explaining complex ideas? Do you have an eye for design? Are you naturally organized? Can you stay calm under pressure? These innate abilities often predict long-term success better than test scores.

Lent, Brown, and Hackett (1994) discovered that “academic achievement does not necessarily predict professional success or job satisfaction; intrinsic motivation and personal fit play a more critical role.” This research challenges the common assumption that good grades automatically lead to career happiness.

Ask yourself these revealing questions: Do you prefer solving technical problems or helping people through emotional challenges? Are you more comfortable with concrete facts or abstract concepts? Do you work better independently or as part of a team? Would you rather create something new or improve existing systems? These questions matter more than you might think—they’re clues to your ideal work environment.

Real-Life Reframing: Your Skills, Multiple Paths

Let’s bust the myth that each skill set leads to only one career path. The reality is far more exciting and flexible:

Strong in Biology? You don’t have to become a doctor. You could excel as a biotechnology engineer developing life-saving treatments, an environmental scientist protecting our planet, a food safety specialist ensuring public health, a pharmaceutical researcher discovering new medicines, or even a science communicator making complex topics accessible to everyone. Each path uses your biological knowledge but in completely different ways.

Excellent Writer? Journalism isn’t your only option. Consider content strategy for tech companies, technical writing for engineering firms, legal writing for law offices, grant writing for nonprofits, copywriting for marketing agencies, or working as a communications specialist helping organizations tell their stories. Your writing skills are valuable across dozens of industries.

Math Genius? Beyond the obvious paths of engineering and finance, you could thrive in data analytics (helping companies make better decisions), actuarial science (assessing risks for insurance companies), market research (understanding consumer behavior), operations research (optimizing business processes), or even as a math teacher who inspires the next generation of problem-solvers.

The key insight is understanding that your academic strengths are tools—but you get to choose how to use them based on what kind of work environment and daily tasks actually energize you rather than drain you.

The Power of Early Exploration: Career Simulation

Here’s where most career guidance falls tragically short: it tells you about careers, but it doesn’t let you experience them. Reading about being a marketing manager is completely different from actually developing a campaign strategy, analyzing consumer data, and presenting to stakeholders under pressure.

Early career exploration through hands-on experience offers game-changing benefits:

• Reality Check: You discover what the job actually involves day-to-day, not just the glamorous highlights shown in movies
• Elimination Process: You might realize certain aspects of a career are absolute deal-breakers for you
• Motivation Boost: When you find something that clicks, you’ll study with more purpose and passion
• Confidence Building: You’ll make more informed decisions about your future, reducing anxiety about “choosing wrong”

Research strongly supports this approach. Gottfredson (2002) found that “hands-on career exploration activities, such as job simulations and internships, significantly improve students’ understanding of career demands and increase their confidence in career decision-making.” This evidence shows that experiential learning isn’t just helpful – it’s essential for making informed career choices.

Traditional career talks and glossy pamphlets can’t replicate the profound insight you gain from actually doing the work, even in a simulated environment. You need to feel the pressure, experience the satisfaction, and understand the daily rhythm of different professions.

That’s exactly what the Job Simulation Project (JSP) by Juvenis Maxime is designed for.

JSP allows high school students to “try out” real careers in professional simulation environments. You’ll work with industry mentors, handle actual workplace scenarios, and experience what it’s like to be a professional in fields like marketing, psychology, IT, finance, law, and science.

Instead of just reading about these careers, you’ll create marketing campaigns, conduct psychological assessments, develop software solutions, analyze financial data, research legal cases, and conduct scientific experiments. You’ll build a professional portfolio that demonstrates your capabilities—not just your test scores.

Ready to discover what truly fits you—not what just looks good on paper?

Your Future Starts with Honest Self-Discovery

The most successful people aren’t necessarily those who chose the most prestigious careers—they’re the ones who found the sweet spot where their personality, passion, and potential intersect. They’re working in roles that energize rather than drain them, solving problems they actually care about, in environments where they can thrive and grow.

Your future career should fit you like a well-tailored suit – comfortable, flattering, and allowing you to move freely toward your goals. Don’t squeeze yourself into someone else’s dream or chase prestige that comes at the cost of your happiness and fulfillment.

The good news? You don’t have to figure this out alone or through expensive trial-and-error. By exploring careers early and authentically, you can make informed decisions that set you up for both success and satisfaction.

Think of career exploration as an investment in your future happiness. The time you spend now understanding yourself and testing different paths will pay dividends for decades to come. Every successful professional will tell you the same thing: the earlier you start exploring, the better positioned you’ll be to make choices that truly serve your life goals.

Ready to discover what truly fits you—not what just looks good on paper?

Explore JSP by Juvenis Maxime now and start your journey toward a career that’s genuinely yours.

Remember: The best career isn’t the one that impresses others—it’s the one that allows you to contribute your unique talents to the world while building a life you love living. Your future self will thank you for taking the time to choose wisely.

References

Gottfredson, G. D. (2002). Gottfredson’s theory of circumscription, compromise, and self-creation. Trong D. Brown (Ed.), Career choice and development (4th ed., tr. 85–148). Jossey-Bass. https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Career+Choice+and+Development%2C+4th+Edition-p-9780787959364

Holland, J. L. (1997). Making vocational choices: A theory of vocational personalities and work environments (3rd ed.). Psychological Assessment Resources.

https://www.parinc.com/Products/Pkey/237

Lent, R. W., Brown, S. D., & Hackett, G. (1994). Toward a unifying social cognitive theory of career and academic interest, choice, and performance. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 45(1), 79–122. https://doi.org/10.1006/jvbe.1994.1027

Tran, L. T., Ngo, N. T. H., Nguyen, H. T. M., Le, T. T., & Ho, T. T. H. (2022). “Employability in context”: Graduate employability attributes expected by employers in regional Vietnam and implications for career guidance. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10775-022-09560-0

Super, D. E. (1990). A life-span, life-space approach to career development. Trong D. Brown & L. Brooks (Eds.), Career choice and development (2nd ed., tr. 197–261). Jossey-Bass. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0001879180900561