Should choosing a career be determined by need or passion?

I left a question in my last post about choosing a career. Is choosing a career determined by need for survival or by passion? What was the determining factor when you chose your career? My own career was determined by need since I came from a poor family. However, I chose my career within the area I was good at. Since I was good at physical sciences, I decided to study engineering instead of  pure science. The reason is simple. On the average, engineers have better job opportunities than those who study pure science.

     I decided to write about this topic because many people are lost when it comes to choosing a career. The case is also complicated by some career advisors. Career advisors generally tell people to choose their majors in accordance with their passion or what they are good at. Although the advice may be partially true, there are some things missing in the equation. Firstly, career advisor should know the family background of the student and from that provide all the possibilities on the table. If the background is poor one, the need for survival should overide the other factors such as passion. In the case of need being the overriding factor, marketable skill becomes the choice. 

     Even someone from a rich family may decide for a well-paying job too. This also the reason why everything should be made know to the student. If the student makes decision after the right information, then, the problem is his or hers. It is bad to give a uniform career advice as if everybody came from the same background and therefore, has the same need. Think about this!