How to Attract the Career You Want We’ve been quite busy here at The Nerdy CEO and lately, I’ve been reflecting a lot on how I can help more of you find career fulfillment. ย Just within the past few months, Iโve had several discussions with some family members, close friends, and colleagues (including supervisors) and…
Is The College Route Worth It?
Is The College Route Worth It?
Is college worth it? This debatable topic sparks a lot of conversation, yet still thereโs no universal fix-all answer. For many, a college education is a worthy investment; they believe it is worth the costs of taking out student loans because pursuing a higher education will further the chances of getting a better job, which equates to making more money.ย
Then, there are others who argue that college is too expensive and isnโt worth the amount of money you have to pay back in loans after you graduate.ย Furthermore, after graduation, it is sometimes difficult to find a job within your degree field.ย
I have to be honest with youโฆ..I am a huge fan of college.ย In fact, I highly recommend it. However, there are advantages and disadvantages to making this major life decision. And itโs wise to look at them carefully. ย For some, school may have been a challenge. But there are many paths that can lead to a cheerful and independent life.
Below, is a personally compiled list of some alternatives to pursuing the college route for those who may be in limbo.
Alternatives to Pursuing the College Route
Trade and Certificate Programs
Learning a trade profession is a better option than college for many young adults. Trade professions are necessary for society to function, require less than four years of training, and often pay above average wages.
Trade orย vocational programsย offer a straight path toward specific jobs. This route is more of hands-on learning for students who struggle in school. There are programs in a wide range of areas, including web design, HVAC (heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning), beauty & cosmetology, massage therapy and medical assistance. Many colleges also offer certificate programs.ย More importantly, these programs tend to provide more supervision to help students keep up with their work. Many also offer internships that help students transition into the workforce.
Should I Take a Gap Year?
Have you heard of a โgap yearโ but unsure about what they are?ย I wasnโt too familiar with this term while I was preparing for college, but it has become quite popular and more common among American students. And many colleges will now allow students to defer enrollment for a year. People who take a gap year can get work experience, travel the world, do volunteer work, or explore other personal interests through internships or class.
The Military
The military may be an appealing option for those who thrive on structure and physical activity.ย The training involves a lot of practice and repetition.ย There are multiple branches to choose from including the Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy, and Coast Guard. These branches also have part-time reserve components where you work your civilian job, yet go to drill a weekend a month and two full-weeks a year. You must meet an age requirement, which varies by branch and pass a health screening and vocational aptitude (ASVAB) test.
There are numerous careers in the military and some even transfer to civilian employment much better than others once you leave the service. ย If that military career does not align perfectly with a civilian occupation, you can always take college classes while serving. Many universities cater to a military clientele and on top of that, the military pays for it.ย Talk about a win-win situation.
Every year, thousands of Americans consider serving in the military. You can make the military a very rewarding growth experience if you prepare yourself before joining.
Start Your Own Business
No business degree? No problem.ย You donโt need a degree in business to actually be in business.ย Today, entrepreneurs starting up businesses don’t necessarily need a business degree. ย After all, an entrepreneur makes his or her own destiny. While having a business degree could make some things easier, having a business degree does not guarantee business success.ย However, if you want to become successful in business, then you must become an expert and be good at what you do.
Are you ready to be the CEO of your own company?ย Start your own business? You can embrace the entrepreneurial spirit and start your own business in just a few minutes, thanks to websites like eBay, Etsy, Fiverr, and Amazon.
Work
If more schooling isnโt right for you,ย going straight to workย can be a rewarding path. But in a tough job market you may have trouble getting a job, especially if you have no experience. If thatโs the case, consider volunteering for a while to build skills. Try seeking out internships and volunteer work that interest you.
Many jobs require a college degree.
You can choose from plenty of exciting careers without a degree. But certain jobs like teaching, nursing, engineering and law all require at least a two-year degree. Graduating college can open doors to career paths that would be closed to you otherwise. Not to mention having a degree might put you ahead of your competition during the job hunt, even for jobs where a degree isnโt required.
You learn a lot inside and outside the classroom.
In college, youโre not just learning concepts, theories, or and taking exams. Your classes help you build skills youโll need in the workforce, like critical thinking, problem solving, public speaking, teamwork and organization. Sure, you could gain this experience in other ways, but itโs a part of what makes the college experience a good investment for a lot of people.ย
I canโt forget to mention you meet some of the most amazing people and develop lifelong friendships.ย College is also a great opportunity to branch out and meet people from all walks of life. You never know what you might learn from someone with a different background than yours. Colleges and universities are usually melting pots of cultures, religions, political views, and other beliefs. While your core values will probably remain the same, youโll hopefully gain a better understanding of where others are coming from.
Youโll have access to more opportunities.
Internships are one of the best ways to gain on-the-job experience and maybe even a job offer. But many internships are only available to current college students.
A typical college campus should also have guidance counselors, career centers, job fairs, clubs, and volunteer opportunities to help you gain the experience youโll need to make yourself stand out in the job market. Many colleges work hard to make sure that a high percentage of graduates move directly into the workforce in their fields of study. Thatโs a win for youย andย for them.
I say this all the time: College is not for everyone. And just like there are plenty of pros to getting a college degree, there are some cons too. Letโs talk about them.
You might not need a degree to do the job you want.
A college degree can open doors, but what keeps those doors open? Hard work, determination, and perseverance. ย Some of the worldโs wealthiest business people and entertainers didnโt even finish college let alone attend at all.
The following successful people either never enrolled in college or never completed their college degrees: Bill Gates-Microsoft founder; Steve Jobs-co-founder of Apple; Wolfgang Puck- chef and restauranteur; Beyonce Knowles Carter- singer, actress, and one of the greatest entertainers of all time; Michael Dell- founder of Dell, Inc.; Walt Disney- Disney Corporation founder; and Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook.
They are proof that the traditional college route isnโt the only path to success.
Your degree might not land you a high-paying job.
Sure, having a college degree will help you bring home a paycheckโbut not all degrees are created equal. A history degree might earn a starting salary averaging around $40K while an engineering degree, for instance, might earn twice that. You have to consider whether what youโd be making is worth what youโll be paying for school. Seriouslyโgraduating college with $100,000 in student loan debt to take a job making $40,000 just doesnโt make sense. And it doesnโt take a college degree to figure that out.
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So, Is College Really Worth It?
I get it.ย Going to college is a societal norm for many. Generations of parents and grandparents that came before us, tells us to go, or friends and family members outline our collegiate paths to match the ones which they have traveled. After polling around, Iโve determined that many people go to college with the hope that it will help them have a better future. This can be true, as long as that hope is combined with hard work.
There are a lot of careers where a college education is required, or where having a college education will improve your chances for promotion. ย If you do decide that college is or isnโt for you, remember that it isnโt a debate about whatโs โbetter.โ Itโs about doing whatโs right for you; no matter what, youโll be happier when you choose your path, and forge your way.
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Remember, it is your life! Donโt be afraid to live it with purpose!
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Just a Girl That Decided to Go For It
The Dream is Always Worth It
When weโre young we all have dreams of what we can accomplish in life.ย Having a dream is easy.ย Making it come true is hard.ย As a child growing up, I like many others had a dream.ย Going to a good school and obtaining a college degree was the only way to fulfill long term goals and to make money.ย So I thought.ย Follow your dreams. ย Follow your passion. They say.ย So I did. ย
A few degrees later and more than 10 years of experience in my profession as a Scientist, I established a career that I became very passionate about.ย One of my long term goals early on as a student was to one day work at the CDC.ย Working in Public Health was (still is) a passion of mine.ย I loved the idea of solving problems, identifying solutions, and helping others.ย Not only being intrigued by infectious diseases and outbreaks, I felt it was a good way to contribute and give back to the community by working in public service.ย
Employed as a government contractor, I joined thousands of other colleagues in the quest of Saving Lives and Protecting People 24/7. Throughout my tenure of working as a scientist, Iโve dealt with multiple government shutdowns and more recently the loss of my contract due to lack of government funding while on maternity leave.ย I felt compelled to share my story because I felt that someone else could relate or it just may inspire someone else. 
After spending years chasing my dreams and establishing myself as a career driven woman, I shifted my focus to concentrate more on my personal life.ย Fast forward to present day. Iโm a wife and first time mom to an adorable baby girl.ย With all of the anxiety and excitement that comes along with these roles, my life literally changed forever.ย It is said that motherhood is the toughest job youโll ever love.ย I have to say I completely agree 100%.ย In fact, it was the birth of my daughter that kicked off this whole โI want to do something greater, have a bigger impact, while building my brand and leaving a legacyโ side of me.
I have always been the type of girl that likes to strategically plan out everything that I want to see manifest in my life.ย Now for the most part, it does happen. However, not always in my timing.
Self-Disclosure: I initially thought I would return to work after my 12 weeks of maternity leave.ย At least I thought so.ย This mama was ready to get back to business. ย But life had a way of slowing me down and keeping me โstillโ at home just a little while longer….and longer than I expected. The loss of my contract and becoming unemployed after having a baby was totally unexpected and I was completely caught off guard.ย Truth is I didnโt know what to do in that moment. ย I was inundated with soooo many questions such as….”How much time are you taking off?” Or “When are you going back to work?” ย My response was very generic but in my mind, all I could think about was how am I going to care for my brand new baby and still live comfortably? ย Of course my husband was still working full time and providing for us (so thankful for him); however I am a millennial woman and most millennial women now a days are described as “Miss Independent” and like to make their own money. ย
Talk about a life lesson. ย I think God knew exactly what he was doing. ย Want to know another self disclosure? ย While out on maternity leave and being unemployed, I did what any other normal person would do…..I began applying for jobs. ย Applying for jobs became my full-time job. ย How many of you can relate to that? ย The job market at the time was slow to hiring but I managed to have gotten a few interviews in the process. ย Out of all the interviews I had gotten, I did NOT receive one call back. ย But I did not let that stop nor discourage me from pushing forward. ย Almost a year later, I was finally able to go back to work full-time at the CDC.ย
From this experience I gained the time and mental space needed to collect and gather my inner thoughts and figure out what my next moves were.ย Furthermore, it allowed me the time I so desired and needed to nurture my baby and embrace this new hat that Iโm wearing as a mommy and Iโm so thankful for it. With that, I was allowed to press the reset button and honestly, it has been the most humbling and transformational experience for me.ย Not only was I able to stay at home for a while longer with my daughter, but I also had a chance to rediscover myself.ย Who was I? ย What was my purpose? In that moment, I knew I needed to identify with the new person I had become.
Having said that, Iโve spent the last few months brainstorming, networking, and educating myself on whatโs next. ย So I decided to take a leap of faith and start my own business.ย ย Now who doesnโt love a girl boss?ย Shout out to all of my girl bosses out there making moves, inspiring others, and empowering other women.ย I put my head down and got straight to work.ย I learned the skills I needed to grow.ย Now of course I am still working as a scientist.ย But what gets me is that I know there are other women out there in this world who have dreams and GOALSโฆ..but there are some who just donโt know how to reach them.ย Thatโs why Iโm writing this post today.
# GIRL BOSS
I have been established in my career for some timeย and have been extremely successful with it.ย I have always had the passion to mentor others who are just as passionate about fulfilling their goals and dreams. What I have learned throughout this experience is that life will definitely throw you some curve balls but it is up to us to take that curve ball and make it a grand slam. Sometimes in life we have to shift our priorities and focus on whatโs important at hand.ย I had to remind myself that its ok to be still.
Lifeโs lesson….Donโt ever give up on your dreams. When one door closes, several more will open.ย Now I donโt want you to think that I have it all figured out because I donโt.ย Just like you and everyone else, Iโm still learning. And learning A LOT.ย The greatest and hardest part about sharing my story is that isnโt quite over yet because it is still being written.ย I have learned so much in life. Still learning actually.ย Iโm hoping you will join me for the ride and I pray you find some encouragement and inspiration from my posts.ย As I return to the workforce, I am beyond excited to embark upon this new journey not only as a career woman but as a working mom, and now a GIRL BOSS. ย I share in the hope that something Iโve learned along the way may help you on your path and journey.
Xo!!!
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ย Motivational Tip: ย The best way to predict your future is to create it.
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