Interesting how this topic comes up almost once a month in some form.
As I know I’ve posted before, I can only speak from the perspective of what I’m actually seeing in the real world with my kids, and their peers, who are now in their mid to late 20’s.
All of my kids went to college, and have done well, but they all had very specific goals when they started, and each knew exactly what they wanted to try to achieve.
On the other hand, many of their friends who also attended college with very specific goals have had problems finding positions in their desired fields. Those who attended with no particular goals in mind, are completely lost.
Sadly, many expected their dreams would be handed to them with little effort on their part, and that has not worked out well. In reality, it seems to be about a 50/50 success rate from what we’ve seen–and that’s being optimistic.
If I were to analyze what gave my kids an edge, I’d have to say it was probably inside connections in their desired fields. Each one of them built amazing connections with people they knew along the way, and we threw in a few, too.
Apart from genius–to which the OP alluded–never underestimate the power of connections. IMO,that single element can really make all the difference in whether your kids live their career dreams or not–with, or without a college diploma.
