The Game Has Changed

[phantom power]

I don't know what the economy and college education system are going to be like in 10 years, but if they're anything like now, I'm really not sure what advice I'm going to give to my daughter. If she was a HS senior today, I'm not sure I could tell her getting a good degree from a good college is "the right thing" with a straight face. It clearly isn't the same risk/reward tradeoff matrix I grew up with.

I don't think successful members of the slightly older generation have a good sense of just how much the game has changed for young people, even the young people who supposedly did the right thing. They did the thing they were told: did well in school, went to a good university, went to law or graduate school, and then... Started real life with the equivalent of a mortgage but no house to go with it.

It's all exacerbated by the great recession, and if economic recovery ever really gets going it will improve somewhat, but the price of entry into successful professional life is a hell of a lot higher than it used to be, and the payoff is frequently lower.

http://www.eschatonblog.com/2013/01/the-game-has-changed.html

[sadbear]

1. I'm thinking about telling my 12-year old to put off college until her mid-20's.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

2. The Trades is where I pushed my boys

My eldest went the school route anyway, with the GI bill. Now he's trying to get into the Air Force partially for the 100% tuition benefits. He wants to be a Dentist bad enough to go for it.
The two youngest have gone to trades though, one's an apprentice welder and the youngest is Paint/Construction.

[tabbycat31]

3. my grandmother assumes a college degree automatically means a good job

And is always asking me why I do not make six figures. I told her that when she and my parents graduated it had a lot more meaning than today.

She asked me this when I was out to lunch with her, and then I asked the waitress if she had a college degree, and she did. That shocked my grandmother.

[Nictuku]

4. My advice for career path: 3-D Printing

If I had a child in high school, my advice to them for a good career path would be to learn everything you can about 3-D printing, there will be great need for 3-D printing designers.

[Lesmoderesstupides]

5. Kids today need to be looking at a career path that will get them out of this country

Having a career that limits one to one country is nuts and will lead to nothing but serfdom.

[plethoro]

6. Well said. However, I think your header could have stood alone. I

want my daughter to get out of the country now. This is no longer living here.

[SheilaT]

7. I must point out that for at least twenty years now

"experts" have been saying that people will have two or three or more careers -- not just jobs, careers -- during their working lifetime And that the change of careers will pretty much require additional training or schooling. It's long been out there that people need to be flexible and ready to change or move. Not fun, but there it is.

So I'd tell a young person to take one of the preference and skills inventories that are out there and go from there. The junior colleges are probably the best place to go for most people. I know that there are various places on the internet to get information about potential job growth in various areas.

Right now, a lot of jobs in the health care field are wide open. If I were even ten years younger I'd be getting training/education in one of those areas.