Game guide:Deciding the best career

This tutorial is to help players determine which career will be best to suit the Sims in The Sims 3. Essentially, what job suits with a Sim depends on their traits, which simply determine their lifetime wish, and their current wish.

Profit

If profit and earnings is what the players are really looking for, the simple answer is the Medical career. The top of Medical career (World Renowned Surgeon) has the highest earnings per week, while Military (Astronaut) has the lowest earnings per week, as Sims only work once per week.

Lifetime Wish

Almost all careers in all branches as well as professions have Lifetime Wishes, with the exception of Education, Daycare, Band, Art Appraiser, Video Game Developer, and Sports Agent. If the players are willing to fulfill Sims' lifetime wish, following it will be the best option for them.

Some other Lifetime Wishes can also determine the job for Sims as self-employed:

• Alchemist: Alchemy Artisan
• Angler: Presenting the Perfect Private Aquarium
• Band: Golden Tongue / Golden Fingers, Master of the Arts, One Sim Band
• Bot Builder: More than a Machine
• Gardener: The Perfect Garden, Greener Gardens
• Horseman: Jockey
• Inventor: Descendant of da Vinci, Monster Maker
• Nectar Maker: Bottomless Nectar Cellar
• Painter: Illustrious Author, Master of the Arts, Visionary, Descendant of da Vinci
• Photographer: World-Class Gallery, Visionary
• Scuba Diver: Deep Sea Diver
• Sculptor: Descendant of da Vinci
• Writer: Illustrious Author, Professional Author

Thus, when a Sim doesn't have a lifetime wish for a particular career or even skill career, consider employing them in the preceding careers. Of course, players are free to do one's will.

Traits

Other than Lifetime Wish, traits will also help determine the suitable jobs. Here are the traits that will be helpful for certain careers:

Careers

• Astronomer: Genius (Astrophysicist branch), Athletic (Space Explorer branch)
• Bot Arena: Bot Fan
• Business: Schmoozer, Supernatural Skeptic
• Criminal: Athletic, Evil, Genius (Evil branch), Kleptomaniac, Rebellious
• Culinary: Natural Cook, Schmoozer
• Journalism: Bookworm, Charismatic, Supernatural Skeptic
• Law Enforcement: Artistic (Forensic Analyst branch), Athletic (Special Agent branch), Brave, Genius, Supernatural Skeptic
• Medical: Genius
• Military: Brave, Handy, Athletic
• Music: Artistic, Genius (Symphonic branch), Virtuoso, Rebellious
• Political: Charismatic, Supernatural Skeptic
• Professional Sports: Athletic
• Science: Green Thumb, Angler, Handy
• Education: Charismatic, Genius
• Film: Charismatic, Star Quality, Rebellious
• Fortune Teller: Charismatic, Genius (Scam Artist branch), Supernatural Fan (Mystic branch)
• Art Appraiser: Artistic, Avant Garde
• Sports Agent: Charismatic
• Video Game Developer: Artistic (Game Artist branch), Computer Whiz, Genius (Game Engineer branch)

Professions

• Architectural Designer: Artistic, Perceptive
• Firefighter: Brave, Daredevil, Handy , Athletic
• Ghost Hunter: Genius
• Investigator: Perceptive, Genius
• Stylist: Artistic, Charismatic
• Daycare: Family-Oriented, Nurturing
• Acrobat: Athletic, Natural Born Performer, Daredevil
• Magician: Natural Born Performer, Social Butterfly
• Singer: Diva, Natural Born Performer, Virtuoso
• Lifeguard: Athletic, Charismatic, Loves the Outdoors, Loves To Swim

Self-employment careers

• Alchemist: Supernatural Fan, Gatherer
• Angler: Angler
• Band: Virtuoso
• Bot Builder: Bot Fan
• Gardener: Green Thumb, Gatherer, Eco-Friendly, Loves the Outdoors
• Horseman: Equestrian
• Inventor: Eccentric
• Nectar Maker: (None)
• Painter: Artistic, Perfectionist
• Photographer: Photographer's Eye
• Scuba Diver: Loves To Swim
• Sculptor: Savvy Sculptor
• Writer: Bookworm, Artistic, Loner, Hates the Outdoors, Couch Potato, Perfectionist

Lifetime Rewards

Some lifetime rewards are very helpful with Sims' jobs, depending on what they do for their living. Most of these rewards have impact to some careers, while no benefits in other careers.

Basic careers

All rabbit hole careers are quite simple and straightforward. Professional Slacker enables Sims to slack off without reducing their performance as well as the risk of being demoted. Office Hero makes Sims build their relationship with coworkers while at work twice as fast. Multi-Tasker will also be helpful, and Vacationer enables Sims to take any day-offs as they please.

Professions

All professions or active careers from Ambitions, Generations, as well as Showtime can earn bigger weekly stipends with Professional Simoleon Booster. Entrepreneurial Mindset enables Sims to earn performance / experience faster.

Self-Employment

Different Lifetime Rewards give different impacts and benefits for different self-employment careers, but some also have global benefits. Suave Seller is useful for Sims who work as Angler, Gardener, Inventor, Nectar Maker, Painter, Photographer, and Sculptor, because this reward has direct impact from crafted objects sold in consignment store.

Meanwhile, these rewards are only useful for the following careers.

• Super Green Thumb: Gardener
• Acclaimed Author: Writer
• Extra Creative: Painter
• Efficient Inventor: Inventor
• Artisan Crafter: Sculptor
• The Next Big Thing: Band
• Super Nanny: Daycare
• Engaging, That Was Deliberate: Singer, Acrobat, and Magician
• Better Mixologist: Mixologist (While this is technically not a self-employment career, this reward is useful for Sims who mix drinks for living)
• Lungs of Steel: Scuba Diver