One Career Over the Other “Don’t pick a job with great vacation time. Pick one that doesn’t need escaping from” (Popik). Choosing a career that makes me happy is a very important decision in my life. With only about three years left of high school, I’ve been trying to ascertain the occupation that would benefit me in the future and give me the life I aspire to have. I have decided to explore the careers of a physical therapist and an actuary based off of my love of math and working with people. These two occupations are very different in what they do, their work environments, and job outlooks.
The task of physical therapist are unlike the duties of an actuary. Physical therapists “work with patients who have had injuries, illnesses, or surgeries, or who have other disabling conditions” (Lusted 7). A physical therapist examines a patient’s records and then from that they develop plans based off of observations made by watching them walk or stand and listening to their concerns to be able to prevent mobility loss (Kassnoff 15). I like how I would be able to work with people. I would be able to work with patients of all ages, young and old, experiencing different iewpoints with each client.
A physical therapist will exercise and give the patient exercises to do on their own to prevent further injury (Kassnoff 16). “Another important part of a physical therapist’s job is to evaluate the patient’s progress, modifying plans of care and trying new treatments as needed” (Kassnoff 16). It would be extraordinary to work with someone, see their progress, and know they accomplished what they did because I helped them. Physical therapists also consult with physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to et forth to better mobility (Kassnoff 16). Physical therapists don’t work alone.
This would benefit me because not all of the pressure would be on me because I would be consulting with other experts. Different from a physical therapist, “Actuaries analyze the financial costs of risk and uncertainty” (“Occupational Actuary”). “They help businesses and clients develop policies that minimize the cost of that risk” (“Actuaries”). Actuaries work with people to figure out how much it would cost if, for example, they were to invest in a company or a death in the family would occur. Actuaries also produce charts and tables that are then proposed to clients (“Actuaries”).
Even though I like communicating with people, making charts and graphs is not appealing to me. Also, “Most actuary work is done with computers” (“Actuaries”). Because of this I would have to learn more about computers. Actuaries use higher level technology that I don’t know how to use at this point in my life (“Actuaries”). Because being a physical therapist would allow me to help people achieve their dreams hands on, this career would best suit me. While the task of a career is mportant in choosing the one I want to pursue, the work environment is equally important.
Physical therapists are perhaps the most mobile health care workers” (Kassnoff 24). Physical therapists “can find themselves working in several different locations over the work week” (Kassnoff 24). When choosing a career, I want to be able to move around throughout the day and not have to sit in a desk. Physical therapists can work at places such as hospitals, schools, homes, rehab facilities, etc. (Kassnoff 24). This means that I would be able to work in a variety of settings, not forced into a confined space for he whole day.
Unlike physical therapists, “Actuaries typically work in an office setting” (“Actuaries”). This is something I don’t like. I believe that if I were to work in an officeI would dread my job becoming antsy. Working in an office also requires me to be sitting most of the day. I want to pursue a career that allows me to be on my feet constantly moving. Since physical therapists are on their feet and move around throughout the day, finding a job in this area would help me pursue the career I’ve always wanted. Another category I must consider when choosing the ight career is job outlooks.
The U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says by 2022, another 73,500 people will be employed as physical therapists (Kassnoff 14). This means that this job is still extremely needed and will continuously grow. This growth is due to the increase of diabetes and obesity and the effects they have on the body that physical therapists are needed to treat (“Physical Therapist”). There will be an increase in patients that will need to be treated because they are suffering from mobility loss from things such as heart attacks and strokes. Sports can also account for some mobility losses.
Years and years of wear and tear on that same muscle group can result in a surgery such as a knee replacement. Rehab is essential after the surgery to get back to walking, running, etc. As of December 17th, 2015, Pennsylvania has 10,760 working physical therapists (“Occupational Physical Therapist”). This means I would have a great chance of acquiring a physical therapy job. On the other hand, actuary positions are harder to get because it is a very small occupation. There will only be 4,400 new jobs over a 10- ear period (“Actuaries”).
Different from physical therapy, becoming an actuary has a very small number of jobs to offer. It is predicted to grow but still results in a very small amount of job openings (“Actuaries”). Because there are less actuary positions available, I will have to work so much harder. This may result in higher levels of schooling that I would rather not take. In Pennsylvania, there are currently 1,630 jobs as an actuary as of December 2015 (“Occupational Actuary”). Compared to physical therapist professions, there are 9,130 less actuary jobs.
It will enefit me most to become a physical therapist based off how many job opportunities that are available. In the end, I have decided to pursue a career as a physical therapist. I came to this conclusion after examining the tasks, work environments, and job outlooks of a physical therapist and an actuary. Physical therapy would suit me more because I would love to pursue a career that allows me to work with people, not be isolated to an office, and will be needed greatly in the future. By becoming a physical therapist, I can live out my life and work at a position that will not need escaping from.
