Ronald Rainson
for Peoria Journal Star
September 13, 2012
It is an expensive mistake to think that any college degree will land you a paying job. It won't. The secret of success in the private sector is very simple: You must do what others won't or can't.
Too many high school counselors tell kids to do what they like, to do what they enjoy. That is only good advice if you have arranged for someone to support you for the rest of your life. I think an inquiry into the studies of all the kids who apparently can't get jobs when they graduate will reveal a lot of degrees in communications and gender studies.
Engineering is hard, so many can't or won't pursue it. The unemployment rate for new engineers in 2011 was 2 percent. Same goes for nursing, accounting and many other fields that require hard work and/or talent.
If you want to waste $100,000 studying something fun, don't be surprised if no one is interested in hiring you after you graduate.
For those who don't want to go to college, the rules for success are the same. A plumber makes more money than a new engineer and toilets can't get shipped to India for repair. Please see www.vo-tech.us for advice on careers.
