I agree mostly with this title. Dedicating yourself to one company in the hopes of doing 40 years and leaving with a full pension is a unicorn.
However, if you figure out 'the game' and how to exploit the rules, it's possible to play hopscotch/chess, what have you, and get to a position where you're paid well and can have a good life
Pro tip for those just getting started, certifications certifications
certifications! Collect them bitches like Pokémon, even if it seems dumb or you're not sure when you'll need it. Even if it lapses, it's always easier to show you did it once and renew if a company needs it.
I honestly regret going to college. I learned a ton of inapplicable skills. I now have certs in Google Analytics and Salesforce. They cost me nothing and I make good money.
So although I think college is stupidly overpriced, if you are planning to go to college you need to learn the right things. College forces you to learn how to learn techniques and skills that is, in and of itself, a truly valuable skill. I think it isn't really that important anymore what particular skills and knowledges you obtain in your studies, you just need to learn how to pick things up in a controlled way.
I think this is the biggest risk to students these days with the rise of generative AI. Sure, you can cheat your way to a degree, but it isn't the case anymore that studying one thing from 18 to 22 is sufficient to set you up for a career - you need to be constantly learning and upskilling yourself. I can see value in cheating in something like Medicine, Engineering or Accounting - fields that have professional bodies that require a minimum qualification, but in any field that doesn't, you are really just cheating yourself.
A college degree is a basket of skills and knowledge, but it is really just a guided tutorial - if you don't gain all there is to gain from it, it is a bit of a waste of money.
Edit: a word
The question is, is what you learn in college worth the debt you incur and the time you use for it, or could you have learned the same thing for free with YouTube.
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u/RoutineAd7381 7d ago
I agree mostly with this title. Dedicating yourself to one company in the hopes of doing 40 years and leaving with a full pension is a unicorn.
However, if you figure out 'the game' and how to exploit the rules, it's possible to play hopscotch/chess, what have you, and get to a position where you're paid well and can have a good life
Pro tip for those just getting started, certifications certifications certifications! Collect them bitches like Pokémon, even if it seems dumb or you're not sure when you'll need it. Even if it lapses, it's always easier to show you did it once and renew if a company needs it.