Personal Narrative: A Career As A Physical Therapist Or An Actuary

One Career Over the Other “Don’t pick a job with great vacation time. Pick one that doesn’t need escaping from” (Popik). Choosing a career that makes me happy is a very important decision in my life. With only about three years left of high school, I’ve been trying to ascertain the occupation that would benefit me in the future and give me the life I aspire to have. I have decided to explore the careers of a physical therapist and an actuary based off of my love of math and working with people. These two occupations are very different in what they do, their work environments, and job outlooks. The task of physical therapist are unlike the duties of an actuary. Physical therapists “work with patients who have had injuries, illnesses, or surgeries, or who have other disabling conditions” (Lusted 7). A physical therapist examines a patient's records and then from that they develop plans based off of observations made by watching them walk or stand and listening to their concerns to be able to prevent mobility loss (Kassnoff 15). I like how I would be able to work with people. I would be able to work with patients of all ages, young and old, experiencing different viewpoints with each client. A physical therapist will exercise and give the patient exercises to do on their own to prevent further injury (Kassnoff 16). “Another important part of a physical therapist’s job is to evaluate the patient’s progress, modifying plans of care and trying new treatments as needed”
I came to this conclusion after examining the tasks, work environments, and job outlooks of a physical therapist and an actuary. Physical therapy would suit me more because I would love to pursue a career that allows me to work with people, not be isolated to an office, and will be needed greatly in the future. By becoming a physical therapist, I can live out my life and work at a position that will not need escaping