It must be the economy, but lately I’ve been hearing a LOT of folks speak on how important it is to choose your college major correctly so that when you graduate with a BA, BS, or BFA, you actually have some sellable job skills. 

Well, I don’t agree with that line of thinking.

Maybe it has something to do with where I work.  Kids here don’t seem as worried about their first job as much as they are about sustainability and diversity and human rights.  The UWC mission statement talks about using education as a force to unite people for peace and a sustainable future. Hmm, somebody forgot to mention job skills.

I do agree that after four years of undergraduate studies, you should be able to demonstrate some pretty significant talent and skills, but I don’t think the purpose of college is to get a job.  The purpose of college, in my opinion, is to explore, to grow, to learn, to discover things--not to focus on what your first job might be. 

I’ve even heard people say that majoring in the humanities or liberal arts is a waste of time and money.  If you follow this blog at all, you know that everything here contradicts that kind of thinking.  In fact, thinking is what college is really all about--well, that and having a pretty awesome social life.  But thinking is the real job skill that you’ll need in the long run--far more so than any other specific set of rules or guidelines or programs you might think you need to know.

Want to know what the best job skills are that you can offer to any employer at any part in your life?  It’s this list here:

-Being able to read critically and draw accurate conclusions;

-Being able to write effectively and succinctly to communicate an idea;

-Being able to make your opinions known in a group setting while simultaneously listening to and respecting others;

-Being able to work in a group setting in such a way that the goal of the group is advanced over any singular personal goals;

-Being able to compare the old way with a possible different way;

-Being able to understand a culture or a language that is different from your own;

-Being able to draw on examples from history and literature and science and art to contribute to decision-making;

-Being able to take responsibility for things.

-Being able to laugh at yourself;

-Being able to say that you don’t know all the answers.

These are  the skills that you should focus on acquiring in college. They will come from four years of intellectual, personal, and emotional growth as you wrestle with chemistry, literature, religion, linear algebra, dance, psychology, study abroad, linguistics, or theatre.  Forget about focusing only on your first job, and instead, focus on becoming a better YOU.  Try some things, makes some mistakes, learn from it all, and move onward. 

Going to college just to get the best job possible is a lot like learning to drive in the hopes that your first car is a Ferrari.  Your first car may well be a used Honda, and your first job might also be something not-so-glamorous, but that’s where we all start. 

With what you learn from college, you’ll be more marketable in the end, not to mention more interesting, than anyone else who used those four years to get trained in specific skills. 

That’s my thinking and I’m sticking to it.  Let me know what you think at askjohnaboutcollege@gmail.com.