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As a retired HS teacher, I had lots of 18 year olds asking me about "what's next?"
I also asked a lot of 'em about what their plans were after graduating.
For some I recommended college, with an emphasis on something technical like engineering, computers, medicine, math or the natural sciences.
For some who wanted to enlist in the military, I tried to steer them towards an MOS that would give them a marketable skill.
Others were headed towards trade schools and solid careers.
Still others had limited options but will no doubt turn out to be productive adults.
The bottom line about today's young generation is this:
Like all previous generations, 90%+ of 'em are good people and will find their way through this world in a positive manner. They'll raise families of good children of their own and the story will continue.
about a career path I would say, well you can either go to college rack up a boatload of student debt and maybe not find a job in your chosen field or worse yet find yourself working at Starbucks.
Or consider the trades. Minimal student debt, one to two years of education (and in certain programs, they pay you after the first year) and you can live anywhere and make good money, plus you can easily find a job. In my area electricians and plumbers make $80,000 to $100,000 a year. My auto mechanic owns four houses and he is his own boss working 40 hours a week.
I even saw an article about painters and maintenance workers in urban areas making close to $150K a year.
For the record I am a college grad. But 30 years ago having a degree was a ticket to making a good living. Not so much today. I think high school counselors are doing kids a disservice buy say you gotta go to college to make it.
I would tell them to spend the first decade and a half of their adulthood really searching for what they want to do.
Anybody can always go back to school at age 33 and become an accountant or nurse. Or become a plumber for that matter. 33 seems OLD to not have a career and $, and house when you're 18, but you have no perspective.
If you think rat race, then the rat race is where you're going to end up...
I would also like to add that telling a young person to do something that sorta makes $, and has job security, and has a high ROI overall, is just about the worst life advice ever.
If you really want to be wealthy, and I do have friends that are wealthy, I would not discourage that.
You don't want to be in between. Go for the $$ or go for the gusto...
Most people will eventually end up in that middle range of uninspiring/decent paying jobs, but to aim for that?
I would tell them to spend the first decade and a half of their adulthood really searching for what they want to do.
Anybody can always go back to school at age 33 and become an accountant or nurse. Or become a plumber for that matter. 33 seems OLD to not have a career and $, and house when you're 18, but you have no perspective.
If you think rat race, then the rat race is where you're going to end up...
15 years? Are you serious? By then the average college grad is 33, maybe close to 34. Talk about prolonged adolescence!
No, not anybody can go back to school at 33 to become an accountant or a nurse or a plumber. Re: the first two, statistically people who start college before age 20 are far more likely to graduate, and yes, nurses should get a 4 year BSN. https://slate.com/business/2014/11/u...-4-charts.html
By 33 many have already acquired a spouse, kids, and a mortgage, plus a car loan or two.
I've softened a bit on the idea of a "gap year", but only if you do something useful with it and frankly, there's not much an 18 year old with just a high school diploma can do. Jobs in retail, food service, recreation and the like are unlikely to give much insight into career exploration.
Right now the DOD has an extreme shortage of skilled workers and the past two years and currently there has been a massive effort to recruit skilled and unskilled (to be trained) workers.
All of the Naval Shipyards have been aggressively hiring through the outside. Meaning there are a lot of Non-vet opportunities available and you do not have to have prior military to seek employment.
Now this is a double edge sword because they are not seeing much interest amongst those out of high school and those in their 20's.
Some have an interest in learning a trade but so many don't value the opportunity to obtain a civil service job with benefits and retirement benefits.
As an older worker it surprises the heck out of me to see this. I hate to use the old stereotype of younger workers not wanting to step up to the plate but things have definitely changed.
Again if you are near a Navy Base and have someone with a skilled craft wanting a great position with security now is the time to jump!
Merry Christmas everyone!
Same thing where I am. We have a hard time recruiting quality skilled craft workers just as with younger scientists/engineers. The 20 something demographic we need to be hiring has a low percentage of skilled craft workers and a high percentage of unskilled/semi skilled workers.
15 years? Are you serious? By then the average college grad is 33, maybe close to 34. Talk about prolonged adolescence!
No, not anybody can go back to school at 33 to become an accountant or a nurse or a plumber. Re: the first two, statistically people who start college before age 20 are far more likely to graduate, and yes, nurses should get a 4 year BSN. https://slate.com/business/2014/11/u...-4-charts.html
By 33 many have already acquired a spouse, kids, and a mortgage, plus a car loan or two.
I've softened a bit on the idea of a "gap year", but only if you do something useful with it and frankly, there's not much an 18 year old with just a high school diploma can do. Jobs in retail, food service, recreation and the like are unlikely to give much insight into career exploration.
Not adolescence.
Carefully finding what is best for you and carefully planning the steps to get there.
You're LUCKY if you find out who you are by the time you're 33 and taking your time and sticking with and not worrying about who makes what.
Or ... go into accounting or nursing or something else you don't really give a sh@t about, and spend 40 years of your life doing something you don't really care about, like 90% of the world.
Granted, like I said, most people will end up there regardless, but to give up before your get started is insanity.
Same thing where I am. We have a hard time recruiting quality skilled craft workers just as with younger scientists/engineers. The 20 something demographic we need to be hiring has a low percentage of skilled craft workers and a high percentage of unskilled/semi skilled workers.
And therein lies the problem, not in the "too many people with college degrees" meme.
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depends on the kid,
By age 18 the parents / grandparents / schools / hobbies / extra-curricular activities (like 4-H / drama / sports / clubs / volunteering ) should have exposed their kid to several career / trades options.
Farm kids have been through a lot by age 18 (and most end up in college).
Good deal to find an employer who will pay for continuing education (Even Walmart does this)
Work night shift, school all day. (or apprentice and work a couple jobs.)
about a career path I would say, well you can either go to college rack up a boatload of student debt and maybe not find a job in your chosen field or worse yet find yourself working at Starbucks.
Or consider the trades. Minimal student debt, one to two years of education (and in certain programs, they pay you after the first year) and you can live anywhere and make good money, plus you can easily find a job. In my area electricians and plumbers make $80,000 to $100,000 a year. My auto mechanic owns four houses and he is his own boss working 40 hours a week.
I even saw an article about painters and maintenance workers in urban areas making close to $150K a year.
For the record I am a college grad. But 30 years ago having a degree was a ticket to making a good living. Not so much today. I think high school counselors are doing kids a disservice buy say you gotta go to college to make it.
Anybody think about asking the kid what they think??
First, anyone thinks the "trades" are an easy job better think twice. My older brother in law is a plumber/pipe fitter. first with many trades it is very physical back breaking work. He's in his 60's, bad knees, bad back and his hands look horrible. Now I don't know if tihs would have happened if he had a blue collar job but he definitely complains that it's brutal.
Next not sure where you live but my mechanic has his own shop. lol, he's in no way working 8 hours a day. I live in Philadelphia, which is the 5th largest urban area in the country. not many 150K maintenance guys around here.
anyhoo, I'm a chemist, everybody on my job needs a college degree and not every student runs up boatloads of debt. My niece is at the University of Pittsburgh. she's in the Pharmacy department, job outlook is pretty good (at least here in Philly) and she'll probably have around 25K in loans which is around a good car note. My last kid just finished up at Temple university, he's got around 10K in loans.
I'm not saying that trade school is bad but I'm also not pushing the "anti-college" agenda.
I am glad that many colleges are addressing the student loan load.
Personally I'd counsel trying to find a career they really love, working 40 years at a trade/career you don't like is not something I'd encourage. it sucks the life out of you.
So in your world only a college degree with debt or a trade school with debt are the only options?
There's this thing called military service, and they will pay for your undergrad AND graduate degree 100%.
I understand some people are too lazy to put in the elbow grease to get a free degree (military service), but no one said success was easy.
I would never go to a trade school. Spend all that wasted time and money only for the employer to ask if you have a bachelors degree, or that you need to get one in order to make management one day.
No thanks, I'll do things the "boring old-fashion" way with my free college degree hanging on my wall and easy military service.
When my kids went to school, I told them I don't care what you do, just make sure your marks are such that YOU have the choice, and not that they constrain you.
My daughter has two degrees, in Environmental Sciences and a B.Ed. She has trouble getting a job in education because she is TOO educated, meaning that those with only one degree are paid less, and the schools need to meet a budget (fortunately, her husband has a good job). My son, on the other hand took his first year of engineering, figured out it wasn't for him, and went into tech school in telecommunications. He has a 6 figure job as a tech (not management), and essentially is responsible for the internet backbone in a large geographical area. Now, it took him some 8 years after graduation to get there, but he is well settled.
So, degrees are not the ticket they used to be. And having a good trade ticket often are.
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