“Find a job you like and you add five days to every week.”
~H. Jackson Browne
Secondary education can make you a living, sure. But it is self-education spent in the trenches of the real world which can yield an impossible fortune.
Consider this:
When you commit to something for four years and beyond, you are by definition dedicating yourself to a specific path, pointed toward a fixed horizon. This is why you don’t find too many doctors, lawyers, or other decorated degrees surrendering their hard won security for a roll of the dice, no matter how promising the potential may be.
Bootstrapping entrepreneurs, on the other hand, must jump from situation to situation in a state of fairly constant adaptation.
Granted, the risk is extraordinary and certainly not for everyone. But those who do take the risk might build their estate far off the beaten track that is so difficult to leave once you start spending a lifetime running around it.
What if careers are slowly dying?
What if intelligent evolution within the way we each carve ourselves a living is an inevitable future.
There has never been a better time to believe in yourself and all you can do, while making piles of money doing it. The key is to believe, proceed with a plan, and then ignore all the people who tell you that you’ll never make it.
You can toss them a wry smile while they’re running laps.
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About Sean Platt
I see what you’re saying here; I suppose it all depends on how you define the word “career”, and a person’s risk tolerance.
I read a while back at a fairly famous blog (Steve Pavlina) that if you have a “day job”, you should approach it in many ways as if you are self-employed, and that it might work better for you. A benefit of doing this, for instance, is that it helps put you in the proper mindset in case you decide to go out on your own.
If you’re self-employed, to me, you still have a “career”. You’ve just chosen a different path.
As for this part here, “When you commit to something for four years and beyond, you are by definition dedicating yourself to a specific path, pointed toward a fixed horizon”, I believe this depends on each person’s own courage.
I’ve taken that path so far in life, and it earns me almost 6 figures a year.
I know that there are other people in my industry who have gone independent, and they are earning high 6 figure or low 7 figure salaries by working for themselves.
The four year commitment allows you to do that.
If I decide to go that route, I can make the jump in a way similar to the way that the people who didn’t go to college did it.
If, after a few years of self-employment, I decide want a “day job” again, I can go back to a “lowly” 6 figure income as an engineer.
Is it possible to do that without the college degree? I don’t know.
.-= Brett Legree´s last blog ..the terminal man. =-.
I see what you’re saying here; I suppose it all depends on how you define the word “career”, and a person’s risk tolerance.
I read a while back at a fairly famous blog (Steve Pavlina) that if you have a “day job”, you should approach it in many ways as if you are self-employed, and that it might work better for you. A benefit of doing this, for instance, is that it helps put you in the proper mindset in case you decide to go out on your own.
If you’re self-employed, to me, you still have a “career”. You’ve just chosen a different path.
As for this part here, “When you commit to something for four years and beyond, you are by definition dedicating yourself to a specific path, pointed toward a fixed horizon”, I believe this depends on each person’s own courage.
I’ve taken that path so far in life, and it earns me almost 6 figures a year.
I know that there are other people in my industry who have gone independent, and they are earning high 6 figure or low 7 figure salaries by working for themselves.
The four year commitment allows you to do that.
If I decide to go that route, I can make the jump in a way similar to the way that the people who didn’t go to college did it.
If, after a few years of self-employment, I decide want a “day job” again, I can go back to a “lowly” 6 figure income as an engineer.
Is it possible to do that without the college degree? I don’t know.
.-= Brett Legree´s last blog ..the terminal man. =-.
“If you’re self-employed, to me, you still have a “career”. You’ve just chosen a different path.”
That is an excellent, excellent point.
And to answer your final question, yes I think it’s possible, but no, I don’t think it’s easy. I believe there is limitless potential in not having a boss, but it is certainly a more difficult route.
I’m also quite sure that if I had a college degree I’d be declaring the many, many benefits of having one. It’s easy for me to trumpet the benefits of entrepreneurship when I was too impatient to sit through college!
hmmm…. do I sense something quite autobiographical here? If you talk to many people they are firmly rooted in the belief that unless you have intense formal education and a degree with an iron-clad career attached you are destined to fail. I think when at 17 you announced that you had no intention of going back for senior year it was no big deal. Some people have the intelligence, independent spirit and fire in their belly that you know will prevail. When layoffs are happening all around you, sometimes that fixed in place career does no good, if nobody else is hiring. You have managed to find something you are passionate about and made your own way despite the economical chaos we never counted on. Megan has her Berkley degree in anthropology, but will probably be tenfold successful following her heart and passion. She has made amazing progress just in the last year!! Me? I have always done what I love to do and am very good at, just need some marketing skills!! (got any?? ha ha)
love ya, mom
Gee Ma, you figured out that that was autobiographical!?!?! Did you have your super secret decoder ring?
Yeah, it seems to be something in our family blood. : )
As far marketing: read, learn and do. You’re a smart lady, you can figure it out. You just have to start trying.
hmmm…. do I sense something quite autobiographical here? If you talk to many people they are firmly rooted in the belief that unless you have intense formal education and a degree with an iron-clad career attached you are destined to fail. I think when at 17 you announced that you had no intention of going back for senior year it was no big deal. Some people have the intelligence, independent spirit and fire in their belly that you know will prevail. When layoffs are happening all around you, sometimes that fixed in place career does no good, if nobody else is hiring. You have managed to find something you are passionate about and made your own way despite the economical chaos we never counted on. Megan has her Berkley degree in anthropology, but will probably be tenfold successful following her heart and passion. She has made amazing progress just in the last year!! Me? I have always done what I love to do and am very good at, just need some marketing skills!! (got any?? ha ha)
love ya, mom
Gee Ma, you figured out that that was autobiographical!?!?! Did you have your super secret decoder ring?
Yeah, it seems to be something in our family blood. : )
As far marketing: read, learn and do. You’re a smart lady, you can figure it out. You just have to start trying.
There certainly is a slant to the ‘educated’ make it, and the non-educated dont… such thinking never takes into account gumption… high fives to any and all that ignore ‘nay-sayers’
Gumption is right! And I do have that, in plenty from what I’ve heard. Thanks for the high-fives!
There certainly is a slant to the ‘educated’ make it, and the non-educated dont… such thinking never takes into account gumption… high fives to any and all that ignore ‘nay-sayers’
Gumption is right! And I do have that, in plenty from what I’ve heard. Thanks for the high-fives!
No matter what you choose to do, of course, someone with more spirit and gumption will do better than others who lack it.
I truly believe that; I have seen it in many people, and I am seeing it in myself, having recently decided to take my skills and chart my own course.
I suppose if I had to summarize my long first comment, it might be “do you need a formal education – depends on what you want to do”.
A person formally trained in medicine, with spirit and gumption, could certainly become a freelance writer if she decided to go that way.
A freelance writer with no formal training in medicine, and all the spirit and gumption in the world, will never become a licensed doctor.
This is why I am not sure I believe that careers are dying.
.-= Brett Legree´s last blog ..the terminal man. =-.
True, I guess I’m just wondering (out loud) if the very nature of careers is shifting. It could be really slow, but the common definition of career is the majority right now. Perhaps it won’t always be that way?
No matter what you choose to do, of course, someone with more spirit and gumption will do better than others who lack it.
I truly believe that; I have seen it in many people, and I am seeing it in myself, having recently decided to take my skills and chart my own course.
I suppose if I had to summarize my long first comment, it might be “do you need a formal education – depends on what you want to do”.
A person formally trained in medicine, with spirit and gumption, could certainly become a freelance writer if she decided to go that way.
A freelance writer with no formal training in medicine, and all the spirit and gumption in the world, will never become a licensed doctor.
This is why I am not sure I believe that careers are dying.
.-= Brett Legree´s last blog ..the terminal man. =-.
True, I guess I’m just wondering (out loud) if the very nature of careers is shifting. It could be really slow, but the common definition of career is the majority right now. Perhaps it won’t always be that way?
Ironically, there is also a category of Nay-Sayers who poo-poo and belittle college, like it’s “conforming to society”, and that we don’t really need it.
Fair enough. But I think an education is NEVER a waste of time. Even if you don’t use it. And it’s not just about the money, it’s about growing as a person, trying something new, widening your horizons.
Besides, four years is a relatively small investment, considering you’ll have to somehow support yourself somehow for the 50-60 years.
Nobody’s saying you can’t succeed without a degree. Just that if you have one, you have more options.
You can always change your career, like Brett says. And if it dosen’t work out, you can always fall back on that piece of paper and earn a living wage, till you decide what you really want to do.
I don’t want to sound arrogant, but I haven’t read too many stories about employed doctors, lawyers or engineers who can’t afford Kraft Dinner, and have to beg for rent money on the Internet. Unlike some free-lance bloggers I’ve read about. (Those bloggers aren’t necessarily here, but those stories DO exist, and they’re not uncommon).
Not only that, but some careers have a lot more responsiblity than others (in terms of consquences of what happens when you screw up). Like patients dying or bridges collapsing.
In those cases, you can be as passionate as you want, but you’ll still need some kind of formal eduction and certification.
I mean…who would you rather take your kid to…a doctor who has a degree, or someone who’s passionate about medicine, but taught themselves?
So…no. I don’t think careers are necessarily dead. Just that there are more options, right now, compared to 30 years ago.
I agree with everything you said.
I don’t belittle college in any way, though I don’t think it’s for everyone and do believe there are some people who only go because they think it’s what they’re supposed to do. To me, that is a waste of time.
Learning is NEVER a waste of time. True that, but I also believe that learning doesn’t have to take place in a classroom. And for me, personally, it rarely ever did. By the time it was time for me to go to college, I was horrified at the thought of what felt like a few more years of imprisonment. This has of course shaped my perspective quite a bit.
Careers are a long way from dead, but is it possible that they’re slowly dying, at least as the dominant means by which we approach our individual livings?
This is a great conversation, Sean. I’ll reply here to wrap up your other two replies all in one place :)
Careers will never die – but the old-school definition of a career is on the way out. Learning is a lifelong process and I agree, it doesn’t have to take place in a classroom.
I’ve learned more about myself and how to live life to the fullest from my children, at home, than I could ever learn anywhere else, for instance.
College is certainly not for everyone. If I were at that fork in my life again, right now, I’m not so sure I’d have chosen the path I did.
It has worked out, though, so I guess I did what was right for me.
Besides – you can always adjust on the fly.
Gone to college and hate your cubicle life? Strike out on your own.
Out on your own and need to learn something? Well, there are many places to do that, online, libraries, workshops, heck, even college.
It’s never too late, as long as you still have a pulse!
.-= Brett Legree´s last blog ..the terminal man. =-.
Ironically, there is also a category of Nay-Sayers who poo-poo and belittle college, like it’s “conforming to society”, and that we don’t really need it.
Fair enough. But I think an education is NEVER a waste of time. Even if you don’t use it. And it’s not just about the money, it’s about growing as a person, trying something new, widening your horizons.
Besides, four years is a relatively small investment, considering you’ll have to somehow support yourself somehow for the 50-60 years.
Nobody’s saying you can’t succeed without a degree. Just that if you have one, you have more options.
You can always change your career, like Brett says. And if it dosen’t work out, you can always fall back on that piece of paper and earn a living wage, till you decide what you really want to do.
I don’t want to sound arrogant, but I haven’t read too many stories about employed doctors, lawyers or engineers who can’t afford Kraft Dinner, and have to beg for rent money on the Internet. Unlike some free-lance bloggers I’ve read about. (Those bloggers aren’t necessarily here, but those stories DO exist, and they’re not uncommon).
Not only that, but some careers have a lot more responsiblity than others (in terms of consquences of what happens when you screw up). Like patients dying or bridges collapsing.
In those cases, you can be as passionate as you want, but you’ll still need some kind of formal eduction and certification.
I mean…who would you rather take your kid to…a doctor who has a degree, or someone who’s passionate about medicine, but taught themselves?
So…no. I don’t think careers are necessarily dead. Just that there are more options, right now, compared to 30 years ago.
I agree with everything you said.
I don’t belittle college in any way, though I don’t think it’s for everyone and do believe there are some people who only go because they think it’s what they’re supposed to do. To me, that is a waste of time.
Learning is NEVER a waste of time. True that, but I also believe that learning doesn’t have to take place in a classroom. And for me, personally, it rarely ever did. By the time it was time for me to go to college, I was horrified at the thought of what felt like a few more years of imprisonment. This has of course shaped my perspective quite a bit.
Careers are a long way from dead, but is it possible that they’re slowly dying, at least as the dominant means by which we approach our individual livings?
This is a great conversation, Sean. I’ll reply here to wrap up your other two replies all in one place :)
Careers will never die – but the old-school definition of a career is on the way out. Learning is a lifelong process and I agree, it doesn’t have to take place in a classroom.
I’ve learned more about myself and how to live life to the fullest from my children, at home, than I could ever learn anywhere else, for instance.
College is certainly not for everyone. If I were at that fork in my life again, right now, I’m not so sure I’d have chosen the path I did.
It has worked out, though, so I guess I did what was right for me.
Besides – you can always adjust on the fly.
Gone to college and hate your cubicle life? Strike out on your own.
Out on your own and need to learn something? Well, there are many places to do that, online, libraries, workshops, heck, even college.
It’s never too late, as long as you still have a pulse!
.-= Brett Legree´s last blog ..the terminal man. =-.
I tried to edit my comment, and I had accidentally requested a “delete”.
You can keep my comment, but delete this one! (and forgive the typos).
(D’OH!) ;-)
I tried to edit my comment, and I had accidentally requested a “delete”.
You can keep my comment, but delete this one! (and forgive the typos).
(D’OH!) ;-)
“If you’re self-employed, to me, you still have a “career”. You’ve just chosen a different path.”
That is an excellent, excellent point.
And to answer your final question, yes I think it's possible, but no, I don't think it's easy. I believe there is limitless potential in not having a boss, but it is certainly a more difficult route.
I'm also quite sure that if I had a college degree I'd be declaring the many, many benefits of having one. It's easy for me to trumpet the benefits of entrepreneurship when I was too impatient to sit through college!