Episode: 90

Episode Title: College Is Not the Finish Line

Too many young people view college as the finish line in their race for a great career. But it’s actually just the training. Stay tuned for more, coming up next.

Ep 90 show:

Hello, and welcome to The Perna Syndicate! On yesterday’s show, we talked about how only one out of ten jobs requires a master’s degree, only two out of ten require a four-year degree, and the other seven just need specialized industry training. This is the 1:2:7 job ratio, and it holds true across all industries. 

I think of the young people who are going off to college in droves, little knowing how few job opportunities will be waiting for them when they emerge. It reminds me of the 100-meter dash at the Olympics. These athletes have trained for years for this one moment. With the crack of the gun they’re off, running as fast as they can. 

When they cross the tape, most runners slow gradually to a walk as they cool down. But others cross the finish line and then crumple into a heap on the ground, completely spent. 

I think our young people today often approach getting into college the second way. Once they cross the finish line of a good school, they stop cold because they think they’ve completed their goal. They don’t keep training for what comes next.

But college is not the finish line. The real race is the life and career that you enjoy after your career training. College is just one way to train for that race, and there are many others, like apprenticeships, internships, industry credential programs, and more. 

We need to shift the paradigm for young people and their parents, showing them that getting to and through college is not the race. It’s just the training. 

If you have a comment or question on this episode, I’d love to hear from you. Get in touch with me at MarkCPerna.com.