Buzz
The media constantly floods us with exaggerated tales of success, filling many with unrealistic aspirations. Merely having a stable job and meeting basic needs is no longer sufficient. Engaging in repetitive manual labor is often seen as embarrassing. Instead, people are encouraged to pursue the glamorized versions of the careers listed here. However, the reality is that most won’t achieve these jobs or even truly desire them.
10. Professional Football
It’s widely accepted that dreaming of a professional football career based on high school sports is highly unrealistic. In the U.S., the odds of transitioning from high school football to a professional career are roughly 0.08%. The true value of student sports lies in fostering teamwork, promoting fitness, building connections, and encouraging a sober lifestyle.
Despite all 50 states enacting safety legislation since 2009, football remains a physically hazardous endeavor. Between 2008 and 2009 alone, 120 students lost their lives due to heat stroke, injuries, and other football-related incidents. To contextualize this, 297 American students died in school shootings from 1980 to 2012. There is substantial evidence that football accelerates brain degeneration by decades, often going undetected for years. Some studies suggest that up to 20% of players suffer from brain damage caused by the sport.
9. Making An Independent Film
Stories of indie films like Clerks, The Blair Witch Project, El Mariachi, and Paranormal Activity achieving massive success on minimal budgets have inspired many to pursue filmmaking outside the major studio system. Annually, aspiring filmmakers in the U.S. spend around $3 billion on thousands of independent films, a figure comparable to the budgets of major studio productions.
This trend is disheartening for aspiring filmmakers, as opportunities for independent films are dwindling despite the growing number of indie productions. Audiences predominantly flock to theaters for blockbuster films, leaving little room for smaller projects. For instance, the Sundance Film Festival receives 4,000 submissions each year, with only a handful being screened—often their sole chance at distribution. The festival’s president estimates that between 10,000 and 15,000 films are produced annually without ever reaching audiences, resulting in billions of dollars wasted.
If you believe video on demand or DVDs can compensate for the lack of theatrical distribution, think again. Most indie films are fortunate to earn $25,000 through these channels. In essence: Avoid making an indie movie.
8. Starting A YouTube Channel
If independent filmmaking isn’t profitable, perhaps creating content with minimal expenses—like a webcam and screen-capturing software—seems more viable. Some, like Felix Kjellberg, reportedly earn up to $4 million annually.
However, this strategy is unlikely to succeed. The market is now so oversaturated that it could take years to generate any meaningful income, and even then, the returns are diminishing. Between 2012 and 2013, earnings from monetized views dropped from $9.35 to $6.33 per 1,000 views. Additionally, only about 20% of views are monetized, and YouTube takes half of the revenue.
Many popular channels have reported losing up to 50% of their ad revenue, even with massive followings like user boogie2588, who has two million subscribers. He openly admits he’s “certainly not rich now.” Realistically, most creators won’t come close to achieving such subscriber counts or views.
For those unwilling to take the low-effort route popularized by creators like PewDiePie or Fred, hiring a team becomes essential. Take Olga Kay, a juggler with over a million subscribers, who spent hundreds weekly on video editing. Despite earning around $100,000, she regrets the effort invested, stating she wouldn’t have pursued YouTube if she knew the challenges and rewards beforehand.
7. Music Career
In 2009, MySpace hosted five million bands, highlighting the sheer competition in the music industry. The phrase “don’t quit your day job” is often thrown around for a reason—many aspiring musicians face disappointment and frustration unless they achieve instant fame. Even those who “make it” often find the rewards aren’t as fulfilling as expected.
Even after signing with a major label, artists receive only a fraction of their album sales, as Techdirt highlights. Band members typically earn just 2.88% of net album sales, while solo artists might get 11.52%, which is still a modest share.
Some might argue, “But they receive a large advance.” However, even with a $1 million advance, a band’s share dwindles to around $45,000, and they only start earning royalties after repaying the label. For instance, 30 Seconds to Mars went platinum but saw little profit beyond their initial payment. Similarly, Violent Soho, despite charting in the U.S. and selling out shows in Australia, had a member working at McDonald’s to make ends meet.
6. Acting
It’s no secret that many actors take up serving jobs due to the scarcity of acting opportunities. While stories like Brad Pitt and Jon Hamm’s rise from obscurity inspire, they remain exceptions rather than the norm in the acting world.
The fame of certain actors overshadows the harsh reality faced by many in the industry. In 2012, the Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that 28.5% of actors were unemployed. Even those who find work often earn less than $1,000 annually, as reported by the Screen Actors Guild.
5. Film Crew
While some assume aspiring actors are merely seeking attention, you’ve chosen a more practical path by honing filmmaking skills. Whether in camera work, sound, costuming, or other behind-the-scenes roles, your expertise makes you less replaceable than actors, especially given the lower competition in these technical fields.
However, the film crew industry faces staggering unemployment rates. In 2012, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a 4 percent unemployment rate for film crews, worse than even musicians. A key factor is the high cost of union membership, which limits job opportunities. Realistically, pursuing a career in film or television may not be worth the struggle.
4. Art
What if you could create your own work without the financial risks associated with independent films? By teaching yourself to draw, you gain full control over your creations, producing content at your own pace without relying on others.
However, the art industry is notoriously tough. CBS ranks it as the 10th worst major for college graduates. Additionally, it’s psychologically taxing—Health.com notes that at least 9% of artists experience a major depressive period annually, often due to long hours, unstable income, and the isolating nature of the work.
Even taking a conventional path doesn’t guarantee financial stability. Except for a lucky few, earnings are often minimal. Jim Zub, a successful comic artist behind hits like Skullkickers, revealed that comic artists can’t realistically expect to earn more than $37.50 per page at standard market rates, highlighting the modest rewards of midlevel success in independent illustration.
3. Starting Your Own Business
While artistic pursuits offer abstract value, launching a business provides tangible societal benefits, even if the product or service seems unconventional. However, starting a business is an enormous risk.
You’ve likely heard that 90% of businesses fail. Some older studies attempt to debunk this statistic, but the reality is even more grim than the original claim suggests.
Recent research shows that if failure is defined by unmet goals, such as revenue targets, a staggering 95% of startups fail. Even worse, 30–40% of these businesses lose all invested capital. While some argue that failures are valuable learning experiences and that serial entrepreneurs have higher success rates, the odds remain daunting.
Even the most hopeful estimates suggest that serial entrepreneurs have only a 30% success rate. Despite multiple attempts—and the financial losses that come with each startup—the likelihood of success remains slightly lower than the chance of losing every dollar invested.
2. Writing A Novel
Writing a book often consumes significant time and resources. Even if you complete your manuscript, the odds of securing a publishing deal are less than 1 in 50. If published, there’s only a 50% chance your book will turn a profit. With a mere 1% chance of market success, is it worth the effort? This doesn’t even account for expenses like professional editing or other costs to make your manuscript appealing to agents or publishers.
Alternatively, self-publishing, a path chosen by established authors like David Mamet, offers a 50% chance of earning $500 annually, compared to a 10% chance of making over $7,500 through traditional publishing.
1. Architecture
Architects, as depicted in works like The Fountainhead, often hold a near-mythical status. They possess the ability to reshape landscapes through vision and skill, translating ideas onto paper and convincing the right people to bring them to life. Figures like Frank Lloyd Wright, Rem Koolhaas, Richard Meier, and Frank Gehry have earned the title of “starchitects.”
CBS ranks architecture as the 6th worst career field in America for employment. A Georgetown University study, cited by the Washington Post, reveals an even grimmer picture, with unemployment rates soaring to 13.9%. Despite economic recovery efforts, the field continues to struggle, with a significant drop in home construction persisting as of 2014.
