Do you advise your kids to pursue academics or trades?

[bowie]

How do you advise your children on career paths?...

Academics or trades?

To accumulate money or to pursue interests/hobbies?

Which is better, higher education (along with the accumulated debt) or the trades?


How would you advise a twenty-something based on your past experiences and your vision on where the world, finances and economics are heading?...

[Luigi]

You sound like you were raised in the 1950's.

[bowie]

Born in the 50's, raised in the 60's and 70's. No real guidance provided to myself. The going concensus then was you go to college and become successful or you became a working man.

I couldn't get the grades in college studies so I traded six years of my life (with Uncle Sam) for the best electronics training in the world. It was the best decision I ever made and served me very well.


But, the question is, how would you advise one of your children concerning a career path these days on the basis of where you believe the world is headed?

Would you steer them away from or towards academics?

If academics, which fields?

If trades, which fields?

The list of available occupations is limitless. Which will provide a child with a good and strong career path along with a lucrative or comfortable lifestyle?

[billy the kid]

well he wants a job where he has decent free time and a good wage Iunless you really love the job)
preferably being able to ply that job in most countries.
Debt is slavery,,you wouldn't want that in your prime.
yea and enjoy.
some kinda trade maybe.
leave out smuggling Heroin through Indonesia.

[Chittychangchang]

I was raised in 80's Thatcher's 80's Britain.

I'm guiding my three children down the academic path in the hope that they can achieve their full potential in life.

Hobbies and pastimes change all the time.

I would advise a 20 something to uni and study/work hard then they will be set for life.

I tell my kids the harder you work when your younger the easier the rest of your life will be.

[bowie]

Debt is slavery,,you wouldn't want that in your prime.

USA. We promote student debt, the story is you borrow money to go to one of the better colleges, get your degree and there is a $50k job just waiting for you.

the truth is, there is a 25-30k job waiting for you in a call center, retail, or service industry. Not enough to pay off the accumulated debt in a timely manner.

The exceptions to the above are engineering, law and medicine.


Student debt is the next looming crisis on the economic front. Many, many graduates are delaying marriage, home purchases, children, etc. And, of course, if you don't graduate the debt is still there.

[bowie]

I tell my kids the harder you work when your younger the easier the rest of your life will be.

Good advice.

I say do something for a living that you would do as a hobby if you couldn't get paid for it. You want to enjoy going to work. The unfortunate side of this is finding someone to pay you for doing something you enjoy.


Experience counts - so, if at all possible - intern.

[Lantern]

When my lad left school he did a couple of weeks "work experience" in three different places. One fortnight where I work learning electrical technicians skills, one fortnight with a mate of mine digging trenches for electric cables, and then one fortnight at the local butchers. I remember that time we were having a few 40 deg C days and as he was in an air-conditioned butchers shop I asked him which he preferred. Needless to say he is still in butchery 14 years later.

[bowie]

Good for him. He chose well.

I watched my old man go to work outside, everyday, regardless of weather, to a job he hated. No education, few options, plenty of responsibility with a wife and kids.

[thaimeme]

A decent life.....

[bowie]

Yes, it was a "decent" life. Yet it wore him down on a daily basis. He aged quickly and had very few pleasures in his life.

[Norton]

Do you advise your kids to pursue academics or trades?

Not big on the idea of advising or channeling kids. Best to make sure they have education needed so when they reach the age where they have to decide, they can go either way.

[ltnt]

In today's world best advise them to learn how to suck the system dry...no need to work. As many posters have advised its not worth doing you know, working is for fools.

[Iceman123]

^
Hope that nonsense is tongue in cheek.

[kmart]

^He is a Pakistani.

[lob]

there's only one thing, job, passtime, hobby, call it what u will. THE THAI SET. get in there. age irrelevant. ive tried all sorts, successful on all fronts. nothing comes close to the set. thats what i tell my kids.

[baldrick]

you borrow money

get your degree

bought degrees is what higher edumacation is developing into for most people

in the corporate arena to be promoted past a level it is pretty well essential to have a degree - but what university it comes from will matter little as long as it is a wersten uni

[Luigi]

BA, travel the World for 3 years.

MA.

[Iceman123]

there's only one thing, job, passtime, hobby, call it what u will. THE THAI SET. get in there. age irrelevant. ive tried all sorts, successful on all fronts. nothing comes close to the set. thats what i tell my kids.

If you are advising your kids to secure their future by investing on the Thai stockmarket, I would have to say it is pretty shallow advice.

[nigelandjan]

BA, travel the World for 3 years.

Even by BA,s standards that a long flight

I advised one of my neighbours sons to go and work in Dubai or somewhere similar about 3000 plus miles away and take his brrrrrmmm brrrrrmmmmmm Subaroo with him

[Storekeeper]

Get a BSN and work in a setting where she can find a mate with an MD ...

[jamescollister]

Got 2 kids, too young to be worried about future job/career goals yet.

I started out as a telecoms technician, government paid for me to go to their training college. Cold war and all that crap, expanding phone systems etc. kept me in good jobs in 3 different countries for years. New technology arrived, last job in that field, UK, exchange had over 200 techs, now a maintenance man an maybe a cleaner, if that.

Guessing what jobs will be around in 20 years is like guessing the lottery numbers.
Go for philosophy, then when waiting tables in years to come, it may help remove some of the bitterness.

Worlds changing, read somewhere that there is, will be more change from the year 2000 to 2020 then in the previous 200 years.

[Passing Through]

It depends entirely on the child but, in any case, it's something of a false dichotomy. Plenty of people do degrees in the arts or social sciences and then work in much more practical fields. A more pressing concern (if you or your children are concerned about these things) is making sure not to pursue a career which runs the risk of being automated in the near future, though that's probably easier said than done.

I would have to say it is pretty shallow advice.

I think I'd go for 'completely shit advice'.

[Neverna]

How do you advise your children on career paths?...

Academics or trades?

To accumulate money or to pursue interests/hobbies?

Which is better, higher education (along with the accumulated debt) or the trades?


How would you advise a twenty-something based on your past experiences and your vision on where the world, finances and economics are heading?...

In the UK, most twenty-somethings have already decided on their path (Uni-18, trades -16/17/18). Is it different in the USA?

The most important thing is the child/young person. Are they academically inclined? Do they like working with their hands? What are their thoughts on their future? What age are they now?

From my experience, choosing a good employer is one of the most important things. Choose wisely if you can.

[Davis Knowlton]

My twins are almost 16 and have no idea what they want to do in life - nor did I at that age. I am going to send them off to college. Once they get a four-year degree (BA), my responsibility ends.

At that point, I've done my part as far as providing options.

If they then decide they want to be woodworkers, construction workers, bartenders, or whatever, it's their call.

But, they'll have an education if they want to pursue careers which require a degree.