Mike Rowe on the worst advice in the history of the world.

A college degree doesn't guarantee a
satisfying career - so whatever you
decide, work to make the best of it.
Picture © Mike Rowe.

Here's an article that's worth a few minutes of your day.

I LOVE Mike Rowe, the well-celebrated figurehead of "Dirty Jobs" fame. Here, he speaks on how young people today are continually "following the worst advice in the history of the world".

It is thought-provoking, and something that anyone in college should take seriously, partially because of some underlying messages.

Though I still think a college degree opens doors (and yes, is certainly needed for Science/Technology/Engineering/Math jobs), for the most part the system is terrible. TERRIBLE. Says Mike: “We’re lending money we don’t have, to kids who will never be able to pay it back, for jobs that no longer exist." There is so much that that you need for the real world that college fails to include in its core curriculum. Kids are rewarded in the short term for specializing early, a time when most don't even understand yet *how* people get to the point where they know what they want to do with their lives. And they graduate, owe thousands and thousands of dollars to a massive faceless for-profit organization, and THEN figure out that most college majors don't even correspond to the jobs that are out there.

HOWEVER. If you are going to go to college, you need to UNDERSTAND that the system is deeply flawed - and then make the best of it.

The one big benefit of college is that there is no other time in your life where you will be stuffed into a long-term situation with so many people your own age, likemindedness, different-mindedness, energy level, freedom, and drive. From a few years out of college and in the workforce, my advice would be this:

If you go to college, make it a massive priority to LEARN SKILLS that don't apply specifically to the classroom, and make them known. Make something with your hands, get good at it, and sell it in your spare time. Join an organization, be in charge of something big, and get others involved. Design a website or an app for a smartphone platform - maybe for an organization or small business that needs one. Go out and build homes with Habitat for Humanity. Do a research project on a topic you're curious about that doesn't have anything to do with a class assignment, and find a way to present it to a group.


Learn how to do important things, and learn to do them alongside other people. Because 1) one day, you are going to find yourself in the company of people who have figured out that work ethic, people skills and passion for what you do are worth much more on a daily basis than whatever certifications you happen to have. 2) You will feel like a more capable person now, and use the skills, credibility and confidence you have built to be more successful later.