Parents offer career advice for field they've never worked in
VICTORIA, BC—Saying that "he should really try to get in touch with those National Geographic people," and that "they do some good work over there," local parents David and Maria Sanchez offered career advice last night to their son Carlos, a professional photographer, despite never having worked in his field.
"Your mother and I were very concerned when you took this gamble with your life," Mr. Sanchez continued. "I mean, how do you support yourself? How do you get paid? You just have to wait for someone to call you up and ask to take a picture of them? Why don't you try emailing some of your little pictures to the magazine's head office and ask about an internship?"
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Carlos, 27, has been a photographer for the past four years and specializes in headshots, weddings, and other events. His Instagram account has well over 5000 followers and he regularly charges between $300-$600 per session, with a waitlist of about 6-8 weeks.
"What about your retirement?" continued Mr. Sanchez. "Do you have anyone matching your pension contributions? All we want is what's best for you."
Mrs. Sanchez added: "Sometimes life isn't about following your passion or chasing your dream. It's about settling down and finding a job that pays the bills so you can start collecting a crippling amount of personal debt."
She then went on to ask who would pay for the ambulance ride if [he] fell and broke [his] ankle without the medical benefits of a regular 9-5 job.
"We have been on this planet a lot longer than you and we know a thing or two about a thing or two," said Mr. Sanchez, a journeyman pipefitter who was recently laid off for the third time in eight years. "This road you're on isn't going to work out and we feel it's time you start thinking about a backup plan for when it all comes crashing down."
Mrs. Sanchez agreed, explaining: "It's better to sacrifice your personal happiness now, when you're young, so that you don't have to worry about paying bills like mortgages or rent when you're older and have less physical mobility."
Before Carlos left his parents' modest three-bedroom house, Mr. and Mrs. Sanchez suggested several other career paths for him including insurance salesman, bank clerk, and going back to school to become a nurse.
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