This Humanities Graduate Used to Suffer from Tech Envy. Not Anymore.
<p>I used to suffer from “tech envy.”</p>
<p>For the past couple of years, I kept hearing stories that went “My friend works in the Bay Area and makes $20,000 a month.”</p>
<p>Stories like that always made my heart die a little. <em>If only I had studied programming! </em>Instead, I had chosen to study a “useless” subject in university — sociology. As much as I enjoyed the field, I knew it wasn’t going to pay the bills.</p>
<p>So, I sold out. <a href="https://medium.com/@alvintwrites/i-was-a-social-science-grad-student-who-sold-my-soul-to-capitalism-905953366c61" rel="noopener">I sold my soul to capitalism</a>, and pursued a typical business career.</p>
<h1>The reality of a non-tech degree</h1>
<p>When I first started my career in achievement-hungry Singapore, I wasn’t on my way to making 20 grand a month. I wasn’t a techie. I was doing a “fluffy” job — marketing in the cosmetics industry. (Note: I’m still not earning anywhere close to that figure).</p>
<p>Yes, people will always want to buy lipstick and even men are getting into the beauty game — but the beauty industry is a mature one. And, not to mention, wages are not particularly high.</p>
<p>Worse still, <a href="https://medium.com/the-memoirist/what-happens-when-you-get-obsessed-with-mastering-japanese-9fbbfe33f17d" rel="noopener">I had decided to join a Japanese company in an effort to master the Japanese language</a>.</p>
<p>Japanese companies were not — and still are not — known for their generous salaries, or their career opportunities. In fact, Japanese companies teach you to work a lot for very little, and you’re even encouraged to <a href="https://medium.com/japonica-publication/the-dark-side-of-the-japanese-virtue-of-gaman-c9a0ac79d3b4" rel="noopener">endure long working hours.</a></p>
<p><a href="https://medium.com/illumination/i-used-to-suffer-from-tech-envy-but-not-anymore-8af3d6787e03"><strong>Read More</strong></a></p>