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I wonder if the fact that all of the example "rock star" professions are in industries that are, at best in a transitional period and at worst are dying has any

I wonder if the fact that all of the example "rock star" professions are in industries that are, at best in a transitional period and at worst are dying has anything to do with the proliferation of unpaid internships and poor working conditions and salaries. The real problem is educating college students early on about the ramifications of their choice of major. Perhaps this also calls for an evaluation of which subjects are emphasized in American high schools as well.

nsedlet 14y ago
This is an excellent point. In the five years since I graduated college, I've seen so many friends blindsided by the difficulty of actually making a living in their chosen professions. Now that some are considering having families, they're shocked again at the impossibility of continuing their current jobs while enjoying life in the city. Colleges could certainly help by explaining that money matters (instead of simply encouraging students to follow their passions, as many colleges do), and that success in certain industries can be particularly elusive. However, it's understandably hard for colleges to figure out what's going on in the labor market, which is always in flux. It's actually REALLY hard to make sense of the job options out there, and the risks involved for each: employers aren't transparent about salaries, job titles are difficult to parse, and the career trajectories + risks implied by various entry-level jobs aren't obvious (even to the employers themselves).
- sopooneo 14y ago
  Passion, yes. When I was in undergrad the rising mantra was "follow your bliss." I think now it should have been "fund your bliss".
redwood 14y ago
Don't suggest this too loudly... the rest of us would have more competition! The solution can't be to have everyone be STEM... the solution will require something far more outside the box than that.

nsedlet 14y ago

This is an excellent point. In the five years since I graduated college, I've seen so many friends blindsided by the difficulty of actually making a living in their chosen professions. Now that some are considering having families, they're shocked again at the impossibility of continuing their current jobs while enjoying life in the city. Colleges could certainly help by explaining that money matters (instead of simply encouraging students to follow their passions, as many colleges do), and that success in certain industries can be particularly elusive. However, it's understandably hard for colleges to figure out what's going on in the labor market, which is always in flux. It's actually REALLY hard to make sense of the job options out there, and the risks involved for each: employers aren't transparent about salaries, job titles are difficult to parse, and the career trajectories + risks implied by various entry-level jobs aren't obvious (even to the employers themselves).

sopooneo 14y ago
Passion, yes. When I was in undergrad the rising mantra was "follow your bliss." I think now it should have been "fund your bliss".

redwood 14y ago

Don't suggest this too loudly... the rest of us would have more competition! The solution can't be to have everyone be STEM... the solution will require something far more outside the box than that.