Choosing the Right College and Career

The need for lifelong learning has never been greater than today, with most high-paying, low-education manufacturing jobs going out of the country. However, not everyone needs to go to college. Many high school graduates who do receive college degrees end up with unmanageable debt because there are few jobs in the field they majored in or the jobs do not pay well. At the same time, many high school graduates do not go on to college or for technical or vocational training because many of those from low-income families think they cannot afford it. They do not realize that scholarship money and low-cost financial assistance is available; or that the right college degree will increase a graduate's lifetime income by more than $1 million.

Visit the following website and answer the questions below. Do NOT copy and paste; key in your answers!

This Web site shows the ten most popular careers in the U.S. (as well as Canada and Great Britain) for 2010. It also shows what job responsibilities are for those careers and provides a link to a list of the best-paying careers.

  1. What are the top ten careers in the U.S.?
  2. Choose one of the top ten careers to learn more about it. You may visit this site to learn more:
  3. I chose this career from the top 10:
  4. Three job duties from this career are as follows:
  5. The education and/or training required for this career is as follows:

In the New$... For Many People, College Pays; For Others, College Results in High Debt and a Low-Paying Career: How to Select the Right Career for You, With or Without College

by Dina Patel, undergraduate student in Computer Engineering, University of Kentucky; with contributions by Robert H. Flashman, Ph.D., State Specialist, University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service

Do you know what you want to do after you graduate high school? Are you planning to go to college and graduate with a degree that most interests you? Or do you plan to go straight into the workforce without getting a college degree? As you might expect, there is a difference in pay between blue collar jobs and those that require a college degree. However, the difference might not be as large as you think, especially if you find the right blue collar career.

According to recent media articles, blue collar jobs that are most in demand include plumbers, carpenters, electricians, automobile mechanics, roofers, and elevator installers/repairers, as well as heating, air conditioning, or refrigeration mechanics/installers. One career in great demand is for licensed plumbers, with a median annual salary of $49,773. Of course, a median salary is not what you will start out making annually. Initially, when you start working in this field as a journeyman, you might only make $20,000 annually. It can take you few years working at this job before you gain the experience you will need later on; you also will need to take a test to qualify as a master plumber so you can earn that salary. But you will also spend much less money on career training than you would have to pay for college, and you can begin earning money sooner, as well. For those who don’t thrive on academics and don’t want to be stuck behind a desk, blue collar careers can be an excellent way to go.

Jobs requiring a college degree that are in greater demand include physician’s assistants, medical assistants, network systems analysts, software engineers, and physical therapist aides. However, some of those mentioned require schooling beyond a bachelor’s degree. It is predicted that employment in these areas will rise more quickly than other careers. These jobs also pay well, and with experience, you are likely to get a higher salary. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for software engineers was $92,000. For physician’s assistants, the median salary was $85,710, and first year graduates got $74,470 in 2008!

As you can see, the more education and skills training one receives for high-demand jobs, the more likely you are to earn a higher salary. Therefore, choose your career wisely so it will meet your job expectations.

Answer the following questions:

  1. Do you know what you want to do after you graduate? Are you planning to attend college or go straight into the workforce?
  2. What are some jobs or careers that interest you?
  3. What are your expectations for a job or career? How much do you hope to earn annually? And what benefits would you like to get from work? (Examples of job benefits include health insurance, flex time, maternity leave, etc.)
  4. Considering your answer to Question 3, what type of degree will you need to meet your expectations?
  5. What actions can you take in the near future to move in the direction you want to go with your future career?