Mark Twain once said that it is a real shame that young people must interrupt their education to go to school. Oscar Wilde once said that education is an admirable thing, but that nothing worth knowing can be taught. As much as I agree with the spirit of their statements, the current job market requires a student to function within the formal and very competitive educational system until appearing qualified enough to even be considered for a respectable position with an organization that seems financially stable.
In today's work force, men are slowly becoming the minority to well paid, highly respected jobs. More women are attending college, many achieving their bachelors, masters and doctorate degrees. While the number of men avoiding and not finishing college increases. As a male this may benefit me that I am the minority and the need for men in the workplace is crucial. But the desired jobs at the top will go to the more qualified, better educated persons. .
The current job market is very tough and people who are more informed than I am predict that it is going to get worse before it gets better. I believe that education is the only dependable advantage. Like most students today, the uncertainty of what the future holds almost scares me, but I feel that a solid education will help me manage my fear. Unlike many students, I am not just going through the motions. I really try and absorb all of the theory that formal education can offer me, because I feel that it will help me adjust to any future on-the-job training requirements more quickly. At the risk of sounding like a conformist, I realize that the more quickly I adjust in the workplace, the more quickly I will advance. As much as I don't always like following the rules, I understand why the rules exist. .
Coming to the realization that my dream job may be farther away, then first anticipated concerns me. The idea that I may have to fight for my dream job encourages me to get everything I can out of college.