Declaring a Major at 18 When We Don’t Know Who We Are Until We’re 30
By Michelle Malay Carter on January 30, 2008
I think most people reach about 30 years of age before they really know who they are and how that might translate into a job, and for some it happens later than that.? Some of this likely stems from our current education and work paradigms.
My 15 year old neighbor is already being pressured as a freshman in high school to start preparing for her career now!? She took an online assessment, and it said careers she should consider are artist, actress, a social worker and a data programmer!? Rather than providing clarity and confidence, this seems to have made her more stressed.
Unfortunately, when we try something and?dislike it?or find we are not gifted for it, we often regard these experiences as failures rather than experiments which helped us narrow our field of potential interests.? How often do we stick with things long after we should have moved on?
In my last post, I talked about the four year university experience and how it might be becoming outdated.? I think one of the limitations of the current?system is the lack of process for quickly eliminating subjects we do not care for.?
One Idea – University 101 Short Courses
I’m all for a liberal studies base.? Maybe all University 101 courses should be half-semester, short-courses designed to quickly expose students to a variety of fields and allow them to experiment and eliminate at twice the speed and half the investment.? Wouldn’t it also be great if those courses featured several interactive sessions with various people actually working in the field?
What a tragedy it is when a student?completes a four year degree, lands his first job, and realizes he hates the work!? Unwilling to cut their losses, some people spend their entire career doing work that makes them miserable.? Let’s face?it.? Some careers are far more glamorous in our minds (or on TV)?than they are in real life.? I’ve been told?architecture is one; being a medical doctor is another.
School Credit for Work
I read in the paper yesterday?that in Britain, students will now be able to receive high school credit for working at McDonalds.??I think this is a great idea.? The sooner we can begin having work experiences, the more we can use it to inform our educational choices.
I would love for this trend to continue?by allowing?adult workers to earn college credit for their work within an organization.? This way, one wouldn’t have to wait to begin a career until after college.? You could begin career, earn a few credits, then choose some courses based upon your work experiences.? I think intermingling work and school is a great idea for expediting the process of finding our place of flow.? The wide availability of online courses makes this an option even if you don’t live near a university.
Wouldn?t it be neat if education became more about building knowledge and skills our areas of interest and passion rather than about obtaining a degree?
Change Begins with Changing Our Mindsets
This model, however, could only work if organizations were willing to hire people whose college education was currently a “work in progress” rather than a “done deal”.
With most HR departments?expected to?minimize risk rather than lead change, I don’t see this? happening any time soon.
What other ways would universities and work organizations need to change to embrace a more integrated work/education experience?? Your thoughts on this subject?
Filed Under Organization Design, Personal Observation, Strategy, Talent Management
Comments
7 Responses to “Declaring a Major at 18 When We Don’t Know Who We Are Until We’re 30”
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I’m not so sure about these ideas myself. Education is not all about getting a degree to then figure out what to do with it. Its about training a person to learn and accomplish something, which most people are quite frankly, not very good at.
I’m afraid that if this is substituted for work at McDonalds, things would be much worse. Even less ability to learn and discover oneself if that training is not a long process to develop it like schooling is today. Of course there is a limit where you need a reality check as well, so it might have some uses….
Very interesting anyway.
Mike,
Yes, I agree that education is about training a person to learn and accomplish something, but I see those as earlier year goals (primary school) with each year shifting more toward finding out what I am gifted to do and what brings me life.
I guess if our underlying beliefs about what an education is for are different, then we wouldn’t agree on a model to accomplish it.
Thanks for joining the discussion.
Michelle
I doubt our views are that different really about what education is for, its more likely a difference in when those things are REALLY learned by people. Most people like you had mentioned early don’t really know what they want to do even after 12+ years of education. Generally formal post secondary is a big step towards that for many people.
Michelle – Great post!
I can’t tell you how many times I see people who go to college and end up in a career they absolutely hate.
Nothing pains me more than to see these individuals “stick it out” in a career they hate and as you say are unwilling to “cut their losses”
The consequences of this are quite serious – both for the worker and his or her organization.
The worker’s misery at work inevitably spills over into other dimensions of their lives negatively affecting their loved ones.
Organizations also pay the price of these workers sticking it out. Let’s face it – uninspired workers don’t produce near as much as those who are passionate about what they do.
While I don’t think there is a perfect answer to this dilemma, I think one thing that HR departments could do a better job is offering opportunities for internships and job-shadowing.
This is a great recruitment tool for organizations and also does a great job in reducing turnover costs associated with individuals just starting their career only to find out they hate their chosen profession.
Chris Young
The Rainmaker Group
Chris,
Thanks for the comment.
I agree that work stress spills into all aspects of life. What a ripple effect.
Yes, internships and job shadowing are helpful tools as well. It would be good to have more.
Michelle
This post really grabbed me. So many of my college students seem under-educated about LIFE, and internships don’t usually occur until senior year.
Perhaps we could borrow from the British and Dutch, where many students take six months to a year off before or during school to travel abroad for humanitarian work, to study a language or perhaps work on an archeological dig. In those countries, there are grants available to help pay for these experiences, and young people are encouraged by parents, educators and employers to broaden their world view through meaningful travel.
I agree that we need to rethink our current system. Early exposure to what is “out there” is certainly one component worth examining.
Heidi,
Yes, I agree with all your statements. These are great ideas. Humanitarian work would likely do wonders in helping young people grow in awareness and empathy. Many parents with the best of intentions are raising their kids in a self absorbed, self indulgent bubble.
True leaders serve. We need to make sure that is modeled for our kids and that they have an opportunity to experience it for themselves.
Michelle