How Important Is College in Today’s Workforce?

The irony of a college education in today’s America is that, while more people go to college than ever before, it’s not the be all and end all that it used to be. Studies show that the average college graduate makes significantly more money than the average high school graduate who doesn’t pursue anymore education, but such an economic statistic is just one angle. Each job path has its own steps to success, and that may or may not include a college education. 

In addition to this, some people are so unsuited for college that it would only be a detriment to them and their future to attend. So, depending on what someone wants to do with their life, college may or may not be screaming out to them. Whether you want to believe it or not, deciding whether or not to attend college is an important part of career assessment.

The reason for this is because there are many careers that don’t even require a college education. For example, a few years ago I was interested in starting a career in computer animation. Upon going on the Internet to see which companies were hiring, I was surprised to find that many of them did not even require a college degree! The only required you to submit your portfolio. If they were impressed by your work, you would get a job.

This is just one of the many careers that don’t require a college degree. While you will definitely need to go to college if you wish to become a lawyer or doctor, there are many careers you can start with very little education. When you assess your career, it is crucially important to look at how much education you will need. If you’re going into a career that only requires Associates, it doesn’t make much sense to get a Bachelors or Masters Degree.

"Non-college" Professions

Lots of jobs in America are both a society must-have and don’t require a college education. And many pay very well. Plumbers are a good example. Nobody can get by without one at their beckon call, and these people, at the most, are only required to go to a technical school which specializes in just what they need to learn to get the job done. Construction workers are another good example. Some manual labor experience and minor training can lead someone into a good union construction job.

And nobody can argue that these types of jobs are any less important than ones requiring a college education as far as keeping society glued together. Also, when you consider the fact that the typical college student owes about $19,000 in student loans, it is very dangerous to go for a degree in a field that doesn’t have high income potential.

"College" Professions

In many specialty careers, while college is required, it’s also the least of someone’s worries. Take doctors, for instance. Their undergraduate years don’t mean much compared to the four years of medical school that lie ahead of them. Same goes for lawyers (three years of law school) and psychologists (up to 10 years of grad school). Since the majority of what they need to know is taught in grad school, the importance of good study habits surpasses that of undergraduate studies, and whatever practice they fall into after grad school will have little to do with their undergraduate years.

However, since what grad school a student goes to can be very important in whether or not they succeed in their field, the college years are not to be taken lightly as far as getting accepted to a good grad school.

"In-Between" Professions

Many jobs are a bit hazy when it comes to whether or not a college education is needed. Take a bank teller, for instance. Bank tellers don’t use any skills not taught in high school. However, today’s job market is so competitive that more and more people are going to college, and that means simple jobs such as a bank teller are being taken by college graduates. So, even if you don’t need a college education for a certain job, it might be necessary to still have one just because it’ll keep you from falling behind the competition.

On the other hand, going to college keeps someone from earning a living for four years. This could be valuable time he/she uses to work his/her way up the career ladder. Even if a recent high school graduate takes a low-end job such as mailroom clerk, they can work their way up in the company to the point they end up making a great living. Further, a college education has become extremely expensive. A college graduate, who just spent over $100,000 on a four-year education, might have so much pressure to become financially stable again that it takes them years after college to get the ball rolling on a career.