Are there more important professions?

“I wonder why lawyers think they are so special…Law is just common sense and English”.

Those were the words of political analyst - Herman Manyora to Law Society of Kenya’s president - Nelson Havi during a recent opine as posted by Standard online news on June 12^th 2020. My reactions to the article were; laugh – stare surprisedly – murk in discernment, respectively. I laughed because the title was hilarious at face value; like who says that about a profession that is highly coveted globally? Kids grow up wishing or being inspired to be lawyers in future.  Upon reading of the article, I was surprised to realize the circumstances under which such ‘hilarious words’ were uttered. Then the discernment occurred when I processed why/how such feelings and utterances mushroom – in the subconscious or conscious mind.  

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This got me thinking whether there exist careers or professions that are more important than others. In such difficult times, we have come to appreciate how/why certain professions are essential hence the terms essential and non-essential services. These include but are not limited to health workers, food value chain workers/cargo deliveries, banking/cash transfer services and communication that are considered essential. For some of us, we have now endured at least 3 months of no house management support usually rendered by day-scholar or live-in nannies whose services we often take for granted. Yet these are the people to whom we entrust our children as caregivers when we are away toiling for a living.

In my interactions to understand what other people view as most important careers, I was humbled by the response of one of my networks who said that the “the most important/unique profession is that of a mother to a child.” I want to believe that in other words, this also means a career’s worth is as good as the person to whom the question is posed and the environment. For example, to a doctor or medical professional, his/her career is most important because humanity cannot survive without medical care – the patient will overwhelmingly share in this support. To a farmer/agriculturalist, his/her career is most important because we simply cannot go without food  - this is where the common lingual ‘you eat to live’ comes in and any hungry person/drought victim will overwhelmingly support the value of the farmer in our lives. To a water expert, his/her career is more important because water is life. And the list goes on and on.

Truth is one cannot argue and win a debate around the importance of a career especially if you take the debate to the horses’ mouth, because most of us try to find value and pride in what directly benefit from. The fact that certain jobs are considered essential should not be misinterpreted to mean they are the most important. It simply means that at the time in question, and going by the circumstances at hand, these would be the basic services required to keep us alive as we seek permanent solutions to our problems.

Career preferences and our ability to excel in them is largely influenced by both inherent and external factors. For example, it is often considered that STEM disciplines generally constitute the toughest careers and therefore more respect should be granted to those who excel in them. I have however come to learn that there is no such thing as an easy or difficult career/subject – it depends on who is pursuing it; whether they have acquired/were born with the unique strengths and abilities required to excel in the said field. Moreover, the environment in which we are brought up influences our fruition. For example, if born with a relatively ‘higher intelligence quotient’ towards scientific, mathematical or technology arena, and availed with a conducive environment to nurture that innate strength, a child will likely choose to pursue disciplines such as engineering, mathematics, actuarial science, physics, medicine, computer science, economics and so on. On the other hand, a child born with or exposed to talent in creative arts will likely excel as an artist – they could turn out to be the famous celebrities (singers, actors, designers etc) who most of us follow on social media and would gladly pay an arm and a leg to see/meet/work with.  The fact that you are good at sciences or mathematics does not mean you are the most brilliant person and will automatically excel at anything you try your hands on. Famous scientists/inventors/artists such as; Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, Steve Jobs, Ludwig van Beethoven and Leonardo Da Vinci, in whose legacies innovations continue to be born were not necessarily the smartest people in everything they ever did.

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Overcoming career inferiority or superiority complex. When one party belittles his/her own profession or highly regards it to the extent of stumping their feet on other professionals perceived to be of lower or ‘useless’ cadre, this could be a case of inferiority or superiority complex -  both of which are highly caused and driven by the societal believes and definition of careers. Traditionally, children are taught to believe that the best and therefore most coveted careers are those of; engineers, doctors, pilots, lawyers and architects. Times have however changed and so have careers. It is no longer the traditionally prestigious fields that automatically offer the best paying/rewarding jobs. You must wisely choose what to pursue based on global trends and developments. Some careers, of course, do pay better and higher than others. But that depends on who/where you are.

Each profession is important by its own merit. But some are considered as more essential than others depending on societal constructs and timing.  It is pointless to initiate a debate whose sole purpose is to make oneself feel as the most important professional in a room. Because we are all different and unique for a reason and, one way or another, complement each other’s efforts to make the world a better place to live in.  Focus on what individually drives you professionally. Is it passion? Is it the money? Is it the title/prestige?  Is it circumstances?  What is it?