For college graduates, the playing field has changed. The following article is about a Scott Nicholson, who lives a couple of towns over from me, in Grafton, MA.
NY TIMES ARTICLE
The thing to be really careful about is the advice you get. Throughout the article, Scott gets advice from his father and grandfather about how he should be planning his career. The trouble is, the advice he is getting is very similar to the advice that many young people get today. It is advice that would have been sound 20-30 years ago, but it is severely outdated.
Let me make it clear:
The Playing Field Has Changed. It Has Changed Drastically. A College Degree Is No Longer A Wonka Magic Ticket To Well Paid And Satisfying Career.
What people who are building fulfilling careers need are the skills that you do not learn through traditional education:
1 Creativity
2 Innovation
3 Imagination
4 Whole Form Thinking
5 The Ability To Be A Self-Starter
These are the bare minimums. And you need to be applying them all of the time, including when you are considering your career choice.
There are millions of people who are in Scott Nicholson’s position. They are playing the waiting game, when that game no longer serves.
The game has changed and the playing field has changed. In order to build a fulfilling career you need to get up to speed on how the economy is changing, and quickly. And be very selective about who you choose to enlist as your advisers.
What are your thoughts?
Photo credit: rkvk7