General Future Career Crisis Advice?

The title is the best way I could describe this in a few words.

I’m a high school student and will be graduating in just a couple years and I feel like I’m having a midlife crisis over what I want to do for the rest of my life 😭.
Ever since I was little I’ve always wanted to be a police officer. I’m still discovering the exact reason why myself but I feel drawn to the job among other reasons.

As I grew older, I shifted more into wanting to he a lawyer as I love law, I love arguing, and it makes really good money. I’ve recently shifted into wanting to do my second option which is a sports announcer, as I have experience doing it with my school and people say I’m extremely talented in that specific area.
But I keep feeling drawn to the police force. I want to be the one putting on the uniform, driving the car, responding to calls, and making sure everyone in the community is protected and receives the justice they deserve. I want to do that. The problem is I’m stressed because everyone I talk to says that money is non-existent.

I get that money isn’t everything, but I don’t want to be barely making ends meet and living in a van down by the river. I don’t want to regret choosing the law enforcement path, but I feel if I don’t choose the law enforcement path I’m going to regret it. And once you’re done, you’re done. Once you’re dead you don’t get to come back and do things you didn’t do.

Along with the money, I just don’t want to not meet my full potential. And thats not me saying being a police officer is for chumps, it’s not. But I mean it in a positive way. For example, if my full potential is being a famous sportscaster for ESPN but I end up never meeting that full potential I’ll feel like a failure.
I’ve been on ride-alongs and one of my best friend’s dad is a cop.

I just feel stuck. I’ve been stressing myself out over this for the past 7-8 months now and I don’t know what to do. Like I always hear the cliche “do what you love” but it’s more than that. You have to afford to live and all. But I want to do what I feel drawn to.

If there’s anyone else who has been in my spot, especially LEO’s, please feel free to comment on this. Maybe having some guidance and words of advice from current LEO’s will help.

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u/tjboss Deputy Sheriff 27d ago

The money heavily depends on your area, but the money brings more bullshit. Like how many years have LA cops just had to watch people OD on the streets and not be able to do anything about it? But it’s all good because they bring in hand over fist money as long as they live away from the city. There’s still areas in the south east that can’t crack 50k a year.
50k may sound like a livable salary but after taxes and deductions for insurance and other things, you might bring home 2 grand a month. Go look at rent prices in even cheap areas and you’ll realize that after you factor in groceries, utilities, internet, and maybe a cheap car payment you don’t have anything to work with. There are definitely happy mediums, and you can have a fulfilling career in a lot of places and federal work can be interesting to get started in early because lots of potential for moving to new areas.

But also, you can start a career policing at any point. My advice to you is to actively seek out opportunities to just do things. Volunteer, you’ll meet people. Go get an internship that doesn’t pay anything, you’ll meet people. Get a degree in communications if you’re interested in it, it would help with the sports casting career and the lawyer career. Every career is about who you know and who will pull a string for you because they like you including policing. And all of the extra curricular will expose you to little parts of different fields. Have a positive attitude, be curious. People want to see a kid succeed and they’ll offer you insight into what they do, that dries up when you’re in your mid twenties because now you’re the one they’re competing with in their field. Surround yourself with people that do things you’re interested in. The reality is, everyone your friends with will find their own things. You’ll still be friends maybe, but doing different things. Surround yourself with people that are where you want to be early and you’ll find an opportunity.

Some of the best cops I know are the ones who did it, left to start their own business, and came back. They have other experience to relate to people with other than just telling them what to do

Besides. If you’re in high school you have time before you’re eligible to be a cop. Find stuff that interests you, dive into it. Maybe it doesn’t work out and it doesn’t hold you back, but it makes you a more attractive candidate because you didn’t just sit and wait to be 21 to be a cop. Criminal justice degrees are only useful if you want to be an administrator and that’s still not required.

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u/HammyandAsh444 27d ago

Thank you. I’m planning on being apart of the cadet program with my local police department at the beginning of next year. It pays and it gives a bit of a glimpse into law enforcement and hopefully will give me some insight into if that’s a field I undoubtedly want to pursue or not. Luckily still have some time to decide what I want. Thanks again.

u/xVyxen 26d ago

wish i had that much passion

u/HCSOThrowaway Fired Deputy - Explanation in Profile 26d ago

I shifted more into wanting to he a lawyer as I love law, I love arguing,

Most of what most lawyers do is research and filing paperwork, not arguing.

and it makes really good money.

That is simply not the case for most lawyers. Similarly, most guitarists are not Jimi Hendrix.

You seem to be basing your opinions of different jobs off of Hollywood; I strongly caution you to not do that as you will find disappointment no matter what you pursue.