A hundred years ago when I went to college, I told my father I was majoring in accounting. He told me that he hoped I liked “shoe stores”. The only other person whom he knew that ever majored in accounting worked as a manager of a shoe store. Apparently, he knew no accountants, while I now seem to only know them…
My parents disliked the idea so much, my mother suggested that I go to an art college, since I had some artistic skill. My father worker for a marketing company and he saw draw proposals, as well as art in most advertisement. So, they figured I would be better off.
I went to Columbia College, my teachers themselves were constantly chasing “freelance gigs” to supplement their salaries. I though of going from job to job carry my portfolio competing against those whom I knew had greater skills than I. So, I went back to accounting.
I knew that I could be a public accountant or go into industry, but there was a career path for me.
My peers who didn’t do accounting seemed to be more directionless.
My children, who did not want my participation in their ‘college hunt”, chose their institutions. One has bounced a bit and seems to have settled for an unchallenging position and is looking for different direction. Another who is about to graduate, does not have a solid plan, but has some ideas of directions. I am finding that our colleges are not doing any better a job in helping those who graduate find those first jobs. That is disappointing especially after they are selling themselves as great providers of education, that no one seems to want from their employees…