Job, Career, Profession

I read an article today on jobs that require schooling that doesn't pay off. Dozens of these articles are written every week. And much like articles of that ilk, each "bad" job comes with a "better" counterpart. Which is kind of moronic, the job market shifts and changes over time, with some constants. People go away from a job and that job comes back because there is diminished interest. The article does this for several fields. So when they got to reporter being a job not worth the schooling, they recommended police officer as an alternative. This is really fucking stupid. 

First off, if you want to be a reporter, police officer isn't equivalent. They're not even the same field. It's ridiculous to think of them being in the same realm. Reporter- Bring people news. Police Officer- Stop crime and criminals. Now those are simplistic job parameters but not inaccurate in any way. 

Secondly, my biggest problem with this. Being a cop shouldn't be a career decision. It should be whether or not an individual is willing, able and capable of protecting and serving the citizens of their respective jurisdictions. People are becoming cops for the benefits and not for the desire to be a cop. This is horrible thinking. Would you want a guy who just wants to do his shift and go home? No. We want John McClane and Harry Callahan. We want Tango & Cash and Riggs & Murtaugh. I don't want the cops in my city, state or county having the same mentality as Fred Flintsone. Hear the whistle, slide down a brontosaurus tail and go home. That's dangerous. 

Would you want a doctor who got into his field solely for the money? Police officer is turning into the new lawyer. People want a good career, they flood the market, water it down and good candidates for the jobs get lost in the shuffle. 

Granted, this article was a silly time waster. But some people believe Matt Damon is gay because he was in the Liberace movie. So it wouldn't be a stretch to assume that some might take it to heart, become cops and when your house is being invaded they're on break reading an article about how reporters are in demand.