Lots of career advice begins with adages like, “If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” And it’s great to pursue your passions or chase your dreams or whatever. But what if you have, like, NO IDEA?

Start by detaching from the idea that everyone has to love their job.. Sometimes, a job’s a job. And lots of people find fulfillment in doing work that they don’t love. After all, most of us work because we need money.

Normalize choosing a career based on practical factors, like growth industries, debt to income ratio, and work/life balance!

So if you’re not sure what you want to be when you grow up, take a look at MyFloridaFuture.org, an interactive website that helps you compare majors, average student loan debt, projected salaries, and degree requirements. You can then compare data across schools and programs within the State University System. (It’s also useful if you already know what you want to do but haven’t picked a college.)

In 2022, by the way, the highest-paying and fastest-growing industries are engineering, biological science, and business.

ENGINEERING

The University of Florida’s Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering has 15 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in engineering. HWCE is deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and was recently named No. 1 in the nation for Black female faculty in engineering.

What can you do with a degree in engineering?

2-year degree

• technical writer (avg. $57K)
• industrial engineering tech (avg. $59K)
• machinist (avg. $61K)

4-year degree

• IT consultant (avg. $78K)
• civil engineer (avg. $88K)
• electrical engineer (avg. $95K)

Graduate degree

• research engineer (avg. $95K)
• engineering manager (avg. $128K)

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE

At the University of Miami, biological and biomedical sciences rank in the top 5 majors and emphasize cross-disciplinary research. UM has six core facilities for biological science majors. And, at the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, students can gain real-world experience with oceanography, meteorology, and the effects of climate change on marine ecosystems.

What can you do with a degree in biological science?

4-year degree

• biochemist (avg. $51K)
• health educator (avg. $56K)
• radiology technician (avg. $71K)
• physical therapy assistant (avg. $73K)

Graduate degree

• forensic biologist (avg. $79K)
• genetic counselor (avg. $82K)
• physician’s assistant (avg. $105K)

BUSINESS

It’s hard to find better international business programs than those at Florida International University. The BA program is consistently ranked No. 2 in the nation; their MBA is No. 3; and the online MBA program is No. 10. The FIU School of Business hosts an annual women’s leadership summit and is the only program in the country with a required Service Learning component to encourage civic engagement. More than 20% of FIU Business alumns have launched their own businesses!

What can you do with a business degree?

4-year degree

• HR specialist (avg. $53K)
• financial advisor (avg. $78K)
• facilities manager (avg. $99K)
• public relations manager (avg. $120K)

Graduate degree

• controller (avg. $102K)
• training and development manager (avg. $120K)