“My Daughter Thinks a Degree Is a Waste of Time”

My daughter is coming back from seminary this week, and she is very stressed about what to do when she gets back. So are we. I see lots of help wanted ads looking to hire post-seminary girls, but wonder how I can know which of these jobs can develop into a real career and which are dead-end jobs. I feel like getting a degree is the first responsible thing to do, but my daughter keeps saying that it’s a waste of time and she doesn’t know what she wants to go to school for. How do we go about making this choice?

Would you like to know the real inspiration behind my own career?

Some ill-advised, unadvised, and peer-advised life choices that I made as an 18-year-old. When I finally got the dream job in my “chosen” career, I’d sit on the train heading home from work, and the clickety-clack of the wheels on the tracks seemed to sing to me mournfully: “Quit your job, quit your job, quit your job….” The chorus in my head went: “But what else should I do, what else, what else?” (And then the high part — “But you have student loans…” really made me freeze up in fear.)

When I finally figured it out, my personal mission was: “Prevent other 18-year-olds from spending a decade figuring it out.” Quite inspiring, I know. With that background, your question is quite meaningful to me. If I can help your daughter make a choice that her future self will appreciate, I will have fulfilled my mission.

The good news is that you’re both right. College may or may not be a good idea, just like a gluten-free diet may or may not be a good idea. It’s useful for some, and a serious waste of time, money, and brainpower for others. A job that is chosen because of a good ad is a real winner — for the person who placed the ad. As for the employee? Not quite, probably about 75 percent of the time.