Growing up, my mom told me to stop watching MTV and focus on my homework. She would say MTV will always be there. She was right. But I wish she had told me that my education could teach me how to start my channel or build my own game. COVID 19 exposed that students who grew up in inner cities like me may have stifled career options by going to college, also known as post-secondary education. Given the struggles exposed in digital education during COVID 19, here is what I will be telling my children to look into:
- Follow your passion.
Foremost, find something they are passionate about. Students will improve their skills as they practice them. You do not have to worry about how they earn money; they will get paid more if they understand the business aspects of that industry. For example, my mom told me to stop playing video games because it would never make money, and here comes Fortnite.
- Capitalize on your digital and non-digital skills
It is not enough to say get digital skills. There is also a gear deal of opportunity flopped those with other skill sets if they navigate the increasingly digital world. For example, hard skills such as time management and soft skills such as managing expectations are essential for freelancing. Solopreneurs and freelancing do provide lucrative opportunities if our students understand their value.
The Uber-fiction of the economy means that working at Burger King over the summer can be a last resort. If your student is great at writing, they can open a Fivver account and draft essays, eBooks, and other content for companies that would pay anywhere from $50-100 for a thousand words. This means they can do what they love without writing code if they can navigate a website well.
- Credentials and execution matter more than degrees.
Degrees are nearly played out. No one cares how much you know anymore. People care about what you can DO with what you know.
Start looking for credentials in whatever you are passionate about or good at. If you love music, an eight-week course in production or transferring those skills to podcasts? There are plenty of businesses that need editing services. Plus, you can freelance in your free time.
So, if it does not come with the security of protection from credentialing, then forget about it. That may require getting a or multiple degrees such as a Certified Public Accountant or Medical Doctor. But it could also mean a trade such as a certified plumber or electrician.
Hopefully, this was helpful. The KEY to the future, ESPECIALLY for people like you and I (first-generation, non-traditional, minority students), is understanding basic business principles regardless of the job. This requires a comprehensive approach to learning that is practical and overflowing with passion for helping drive the motivations of our hearts. My mom and dad did a fantastic job preparing me to adapt; they gave me something a degree never could. Would you mind doing the same for your students?
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