We were told to pursue our dreams. Reality may alter that. Be Ready!

Is Your Diploma Worth the Paper It's Printed On?

Youthful Rebellion

Bob Dylan once wrote, "20 years of Schooling and they put you on the day-shift." It was a smack at a system that was trying to assign all of us a number. Remember, Don't fold, spindle or mutilate? That was a counter culture rebellion against making all of us a data point. Both had underlying motivations in the desire to be valued as an individual. The Graduate was told his future was in plastics, and we snickered.

50 years later the data points have won. The best we can do is prepare for the future.

Gigging Millennials

Millennials are facing the brunt of a sea change in how we find work.  The Gig Economy is taking over. Estimates are that 34% of the workforce participates in the gig economy. Intuit is estimating that within two years that in two years 43% will be in the gig economy. Work in the gig economy is temporary, with the best gigs going to people with the right skills. The best jobs are in IT and computers. 

Education is how workers get the skills, but the model used by boomers, go to school, learn to think, get a degree and get a job isn't really working anymore. The required skill sets are much more specific. 

With that in mind here are some of the weakest majors for today's job market.

A posting from from CollegeGrad.Com ranks the Top Ten Worst majors for Jobs. You'll see a lot of majors that were popular through the 90's. It is not surprising that Liberal Arts tops this list. With liberal arts colleges charging as much as $70,000 per year for a full ride, you might have to question, "Is this really worth it?" It sure seemed that way when I went to school.

1. Liberal Arts/Liberal Studies
2. English
3. Humanities
4. Journalism
5. Art
6. Music
7. Theater Arts
8. Marketing
9. Public Relations
10. Management

The Only Constant is Change

Change is coming at us faster than any of could have imagined in the 60's and 70's. We're all struggling to keep up, and that includes educational institutions. According to the authors the book Careermegeddon - Cracking the 21st Century Career Code, Marcia LaReau and Neil Patrick assert events are conspiring to make good scarce and hard to retain. They cite six engines of change:

1. Globalization and offshoring
2. Technology, artificial intelligence, and robotics
3. Disruptive business models
4. Education and the speed of  institutional change
5. Demographics and the aging population
6. Fiscal policy

With job requirements changing so rapidly, and job skills becoming obsolete within five years, keeping current is the only hope for employment that provides a sustainable lifestyle. That coupled with the trend toward more contract workers makes the work environment a lot less stable. This book is a place to start working on your career plans.

Advancement and Education

Getting the right training and keeping skills current are essential, but are educational institutions able to keep up with the rapid change? When I went to college, we were supposed to follow our dreams. I was encouraged to pursue a career in a field that most closely matched my gifts and my dreams. It would all work out, and for 31 years it did. That is, until the great recession. Changes in how people consume media and age have conspired to force me to re-purpose myself, and I'm not alone.

Millennials and Uncertainty

Could it be as simple as a STEM education? It all depends on the direction. According to the National Science Foundation STEM careers in computing are going unfilled right now with many more jobs than qualified applicants. The same is not true for careers in engineering, physical sciences and mathematics. There are exceptions in engineering. Jobs that deal with extracting mineral wealth from the earth pay well with low unemployment rates. It's a highly skilled position with a limited number of openings.

The gig economy has highs and lows matched with uncertainty. It's an uneven ride. We all need to be prepared.