“Come and listen to my story about a man named Jedd….” Joking aside, meet my little brother Jedd. He was born when I was in Kindergarten which was a perfect opportunity for him to be my real-life baby doll and later, my first student. I mothered that little boy from the day he was born until the day I graduated and left the house (and probably after, if I’m really being honest).
But there came a time in his life when he needed me, and I didn’t know how to help him. It really bothered me. When he was a senior in high school, he was struggling with what he wanted to do next. Jedd is smart, no doubt. There isn’t a math problem he can’t tackle, and the kid has the kind of patience and curiosity that allows him to sit down and work on an issue for hours without it phasing him. Because of his natural abilities and good grades in school, there wasn’t a question. He should follow society’s “chosen path” and go to university because that is how you become successful. This put Jedd in a really tough place. He could go to university and be “successful” by getting a degree, but he wasn’t really convinced this was what he wanted to do. Being the easy-going person he is, he took the route that society was telling him was best and off he went. He enrolled full-time at university and began taking general education courses.
If I had known then what I know now about career planning, I would have stopped this process immediately. If you’ve read my article 5 Signs a Student Needs Help Career Planning, you know that when a student tells you he/she is “taking general education courses and will figure out a major,” that is a big sign he/she needs help career planning!
Fast forward a year and a half into his college education and Jedd was miserable, my parents were frustrated, and time and money were being wasted. Jedd decided to go to work full-time and not return to school. This was the best decision he could have made at the time.
That spring, he started looking into the local vocational school. He had always had an interest in electricity and working on complex problems. He found an Industrial Maintenance program and enrolled full-time the following fall.
Let me give you a snapshot of his life now. He is 25 years old and working as an Industrial Maintenance Mechanic at a very well-respected manufacturing company in Northwest Missouri. He is making SUBSTANTIALLY more at age 25 with a one-year technical certificate than I did at age 25 with a master’s degree. And, best of all, he is confident, happy, and fulfilled by his work!
Is there a student in your life whose path is being derailed by the “university = success” mentality? Do you know a student who is just like my brother that needs help identifying something they are interested in and excited to pursue? If so, tell them it is OK not to go to university and that there are very lucrative career paths that don’t require a college degree!
I am a passionate Career Coach and Career Educator dedicated to the professional development and success of students! How can I help you (or a student in your life) achieve career goals? Don’t miss the opportunity to receive free tips and updates by joining my email list!