On the wall next to the entrance to a high school guidance office was a large poster. It listed the US Department of Education’s estimate of annual income based on levels of post-secondary education. The numbers ranged from $30,000 for a beauty school graduate to $85,000 for a Ph.D. I thought “Yeah . . . right.” I know Ph.Ds that are earning $30,000 a year and beauticians that are earning $85,000.
How sad it is that thousands of students see this sign, and others like it, and develop their perceptions of how much they will be paid based on incomplete information. I wanted to scrawl, “IT DEPENDS!” across the whole thing.
In what position? At what point in a career? From what school? From what specialty? In what locale?
As an employer, I’ve had young applicants tell me that they are entitled be paid a certain amount to start. When I ask their reasoning, some stumble around. Others quote me chapter and verse from some salary survey.
The reality is we, as a society, do a lousy job with career guidance. Ask a group of people, as I do regularly, if they consciously chose the field they’re in and about one in one hundred will say “yes.” Most four-year schools will tell you that as many as 40% of their freshmen enter college without declaring a major.
There is an abundance of career guidance information available. But schools seem more focused on just pushing students out the door at graduation rather than helping them decide on their occupational paths. The ratio between students and guidance counselors in most high schools is hundreds to one. In the current model, however, we cannot rely on the schools to provide this assistance. It really comes down to parents and those who influence these individuals, including employers.
Most employers will argue that they don’t have the time to assist in career guidance. But they, more than most, have the opportunity to help floundering, work-a-day employees get a better grip on what they want to do long-term. The reward for this is engagement, motivation, and retention. Read the next post for some simple and immediate strategies on how to do so.