Good at Going to School: Let's Stop Praising This and Get Youth Back Working

Maybe the solution to re-directing youth from college/advanced degrees is this: Stop praising them for stand-alone academic performance. Those who have gotten good at going to school could then get it that such a know-how is in less and less in demand. 

Despite unemployment/underemployment rising among degree-holders and it's projected to get worse, higher education remains the path more traveled. An op-ed by Allysia Finley in The Wall Street Journal documents:

"U.S. colleges awarded 2.2 million bachelor’s degrees last year, about twice as many as in 1990 … 860,000 Americans last year received a master’s degree, nearly triple the 1990 figure. Nearly 40% of Americans with a bachelor’s now have an advanced degree."

Meanwhile, unemployment among college grads 22 to 27 is at 5.6%. 

A headline on subreddit r/careeradvice reads:

"41% of college grads are underemployed ..." 

InsideHigherEducation puts that at 52%

For those with advanced degrees the percentage? On professional anonymous networks, in addition to Reddit, posters on Fishbowl, Blind and Glassdoor chronicle their tales of MAs and PhDs not paying off in well-paying secure jobs. For my own PhD, oriented toward academic research and teaching, there were no direct employment opportunities that came my way. If only I had been told that I could become good at something other than going to school.

Especially good at going to school, as well as acing standardized tests, are those applying to law school. This year applications for that are surging. However, by time they earn the JD there may not be the wonderful jobs they studied so hard to be hired for. Or any jobs at all. Paul, Weiss and Sullivan and Cromwell sketched out how career paths in the legal sector could and probably will implode. Because of AI, demand will plummet for junior lawyers. Also because of AI, a number of practices could evolve into commodities. 

In coaching, I warn anyone who has to earn a living not to invest a lot of money and years of study. By time they are ready to enter the labor market the demand might collapse.

Success is a mental game. Failure comes from being done in by the “committee” in your head.

Together, we liberate your thinking. Then we change your story. And, unleash success. Meanwhile, we focus on bringing in income. That puts you in a position of strength.

Intuitive Coaching. Special expertise with transitions, becoming a solopreneur and aging. Psychic/tarot readings, upon request. Complimentary consultation with Jane Genova (Text 203-468-8579, janegenova374@gmail.com). Yes, test out the chemistry. Zero risk.

Don’t give up before the miracle.


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