Given the ever increasing cost of college and the high unemployment (or underemployment) rate of new grads – not to mention the anti-Israel and anti-free speech activities occurring on college campuses – young people and their parents are beginning to ask, is college really necessary?
The days of a college degree as an automatic ticket to a good job are over. The job potential of the liberal arts – the soft majors like sociology, psychology, history, and philosophy – is mostly a thing of the past (at least for now). Rather, the 21st century economy is one where burgeoning industries like healthcare and energy are changing at a pace we haven’t yet absorbed, and fields such as engineering, business, and technology are the new ticket to vocational success.
The question young people should be asking themselves as they plan their careers is not whether to go to college but, rather, what does our economy look like, and how am I making myself marketable to enter it?
Here are seven tips for creating a career plan in the “new economy,” and figuring out when and how college classes and a degree may fit into it:
1) Research job trends and earning potential. A good place to start is CareerOneStopwww.careerinfonet.org, government website from the Department of Labor that lists all job titles, along with wages, educational requirements, and future trends. You can even watch videos of people working in various occupations. Click on “Occupation Information” and then “Fastest-Growing Occupations” to learn that medical sonography tops the list of occupations positioned for growth, requires only an AA degree, and can earn more than audiology, which requires a doctorate to practice. Physical therapy or occupational therapy assistants with an AA degree can earn double the salary of PT or OT aides with high school diplomas. (You decide what makes the most senseand centsfor you.)
2) Network. This is the human dimension of your research. Contact people in the jobs that sound interesting to you and ask them what they like and dislike about the job, what an average day is like, opportunities for advancement, and suggestions for someone just starting out. What type of training and experience would their boss (unless you are talking to the boss!) be looking for in a new hire? Shadowing for a day would be valuable and greatly appreciated.
3) Develop your technology skills. Computer proficiency is required just about everywhere. In many businesses it can be the entrée into the company, just as secretarial skills once got women through an otherwise closed door. Competence in Word is a given. Knowing Excel, Power Point, and social media marketing could get you the job. The OU (Orthodox Union) offers low-cost online classes in just about every aspect of computer education. Contact them at
4) Don’t overlook the trades. A recent Wall Street Journal op-ed piece (4/4/14) bemoaned the elimination of shop classes from high schools in the 1970s, a decision based on the erroneous belief that all new workers needed a college degree. The result, according to the 2011 Skills Gap Survey by the Manufacturing Institute, is that about 600,000 manufacturing jobs are unfilled nationally because employers can’t find qualified workers. Electricians, plumbers, and welders can all make a six-figure salary. Of the top 50 fastest-growing industries and occupations cited by CareerOneStop, 10 are in the trades or construction. Check local community colleges for information about one-year certificate programs, two-year associate degree programs, and apprenticeships.
To brush up on your math skills, Khan Academy (khanacademy.org) offers free short lessons on anything from third-grade arithmetic to algebra, calculus, and trigonometry. You can even learn computer programming, animation, or prepare for the SAT.
Look into MOOCs, mass open online courses. These are high-level online courses given by top institutions in the country, like Harvard, MIT, and Stanford, and available to people all over the world. They are a good way to acquire knowledge that could help you advance in your career. Although, at present, these courses don’t lead to a degree, this may change. Already, the University of Wisconsin is offering bachelor’s and master’s degrees based on MOOCs and other online courses.
Whatever educational degree you get now, be prepared to turn it into a BA, which experts still consider the basis for earning greater income over a lifetime. (You may even have an employer who subsidizes your education.)
7) Be flexible. Today’s hot careers may be tomorrow’s dinosaurs. Have a Plan Bas well as a strategy to grow in whatever avenue you choose; most people will have two, three, or more careers over a lifetime. And don’t forget the social skills. Enthusiasm, a positive work ethic, respect for others, and willingness to go above and beyond will serve you well.
If, as recent news stories indicate, four-year colleges and universities have lost sight of their original mandate and are becoming less relevant to job preparation than in the past, it is up to thinking people to reorient the situation. There are many ways to acquire knowledge and many choices of careers. Staying informed and alert and planning ahead will enhance both your learning and earning potential.
