As much as every high-schooler likes to dream about going to college and getting a degree, the sad fact is, it isn’t for everyone. The reality is, to businesses, people are subject to the laws of supply and demand. If you have 5,000 people applying for the same job but only 1,000 openings, they can offer lower wages as long as someone would take it for the pay. The point is that sometimes jobs are saturated for a reason. At this time, the craze for a college degree is so extreme that in some cases, you have to have a degree to be a waiter! Isn’t it insane that a bachelor’s degree is required to even apply for a job? The worst part of it all is, not everyone needs to go to a four-year college to have a successful life, even though society does everything to present it as so.
In today’s world, some good paying jobs don’t need a degree, just a basic education to the high school level. Sure, you may need an education, but not necessarily via a four-year college or university. The trades have been dying for labor lately. Now I know you won’t necessarily be the richest or wealthiest person alive, but the fact of the matter is, in some cases, a lower-paying but steady job is better. The welding industry, along with many other trade industries, are currently in dire need of employees, and labor unions are now offering high school graduates scholarships for trade schools. This is good for both the industries as well as those looking for jobs because the trades are able to acquire more people to work for them as their current employees enter retirement, and students are being paid to get an education for the career path that they plan to take. Sure, the job is more physical, but it’s better than no work, isn’t it? That is the question you must ask yourself.
According to the McKinsey Study, after surveying 4,900 students from student website Chegg, some careers people are currently working don’t require four-year degrees. Based on the survey, half of college graduates are working jobs that don’t even require a college education. The job market can help you get jobs, and sure, maybe it will help you get a job at McDonalds, but why work there if you owe money and can do a job that pays a much bigger salary? This means you are just a overeducated person in a job that doesn’t need it. Sure, that isn’t bad in itself, but when you have to pay off debt, you need that job that pays well.
So the moral of the story is, just know that sometimes the best paths aren’t the ones most taken. Sometime trades are the best for people, while other times, dedicating oneself to military service is a better choice instead of living a life behind a desk. College isn’t for everyone, and today’s job market reflects on what it truly needs.
