3 ms·

What would you suggest to people who arent going to enjoy programming? Trades like hvac/welding? would you recommend they get into the IT side? go back to scho

What would you suggest to people who arent going to enjoy programming? Trades like hvac/welding? would you recommend they get into the IT side? go back to school? i often have people near me who are struggling financially ask for advice on how to get into an actual career - these are smart people who have fallen into and out of various lower skilled jobs like restaurants, call centers, secretarial roles, small auto repair shops, and the like. These are mostly people in their late 20s or early 30s who have college degrees in something less marketable (non-STEM). Whats out there these days for intelligent people who are willing to work hard, and how do we get these people to these jobs? for the trades, apprenticeships have largely been outpaced by associates degree programs and credentialism. IT roles are rife with credentialism, most credentials taking 300$ plus for the exam alone without any training materials. Going back to school takes a lot of money and real confidence that youre sure what you want to pursue. I keep seeing people say that during the industrial revolution people were saying machines would take all our jobs, and that this time its the same thing. If thats the case - where should all these people be moving? What should the 25 year old waitress with a philosophy degree be doing in her time off work to get into a real professional career that will allow her to retire at 65? Are we sure we have jobs for these people? Is all this displacement just caused by the older generation being slower to retire because its less affordable to retire after the housing crash? If so, how do we address that?

tboyd47 9y ago
I'm not a career counselor but I do believe there's something out there for everyone. Maybe the 25-year-old waitress is happy in her current job. Maybe it's easy and fun for her, she lives in an exciting place, and she makes enough to get by. Why should she worry about the next forty years down the road if she's happy? Things don't look good economically for a lot of people in America, and a lot of people get treated unfairly for stupid reasons, but there's no easy solution I'm afraid. You can't guarantee a job for everyone because not everyone necessarily wants a job, or perhaps they may only want a certain kind of job.
tropo 9y ago
For the most part, the non-STEM people are "smart" and "intelligent" only regarding stuff like social skills. The high-paying jobs for them are management, law, and commissioned sales. I suspect you can do very well for yourself selling jets, mining rights, container ships, and corporations. Non-STEM is out of luck aside from the above and some 1-in-a-million entertainment things. I guess there is also crime and gambling, but you can't keep that going for long.

tboyd47 9y ago

I'm not a career counselor but I do believe there's something out there for everyone. Maybe the 25-year-old waitress is happy in her current job. Maybe it's easy and fun for her, she lives in an exciting place, and she makes enough to get by. Why should she worry about the next forty years down the road if she's happy? Things don't look good economically for a lot of people in America, and a lot of people get treated unfairly for stupid reasons, but there's no easy solution I'm afraid. You can't guarantee a job for everyone because not everyone necessarily wants a job, or perhaps they may only want a certain kind of job.

tropo 9y ago

For the most part, the non-STEM people are "smart" and "intelligent" only regarding stuff like social skills. The high-paying jobs for them are management, law, and commissioned sales. I suspect you can do very well for yourself selling jets, mining rights, container ships, and corporations. Non-STEM is out of luck aside from the above and some 1-in-a-million entertainment things. I guess there is also crime and gambling, but you can't keep that going for long.