Before embarking on a path to college, one should ask themselves the most important question: “Why?” Generally speaking, young adults furthering their education is a good idea, though sometimes this path isn’t ‘one-size-fits-all.’ If owning your own business is your goal, it may be wise to take the time to compare the pros and cons of getting an internship, job, or jumping into business ownership straight away versus going to college.
MORE NEWS: Arizona college graduates earn 65% more than non-college grads, study finds
Skills and experience are just as important as a college degree. Without these, a degree is only a piece of paper.
To be a successful entrepreneur, you must possess a strong and consistent work ethic, as both are essential to owning and running a business. But how does a person cultivate a strong work ethic if they don’t have one? While it is arguable that going to college can help shape a strong work ethic, workplace experience, especially starting at a young age, is where one develops a strong motivation and drive.
There are far too many “helicopter parents” as noted by Lee Benson, author of The Value Creation Kid, who insulate their children from chores and even part-time jobs and continue to shelter their children into adulthood. By doing this, parents inadvertently put their children at a severe disadvantage because they do not learn basic life skills needed to navigate through life’s normal struggles. Doing chores and having a part-time job when someone is young is the foundation of creating an excellent work ethic.
Creating a network while in college can be fulfilling throughout life, although this is not the same as networking with purpose while owning one’s own business. Networking with purpose, especially when considering mentorship, is one of the most important, yet under-utilized business tools. Unfortunately, not all colleges provide courses that teach students how to effectively network and the value this can add to any individual, especially an entrepreneur.
Where does anyone learn business skills that are important to achieving success? In a recent article, Jamie Dimon CEO of JP Morgan Chase said, “Schools are making his job harder by not giving students the proper training to enter the working world.” Many business owners who went to college would agree that college does an excellent job at teaching theories, but often it does not provide the needed real-world skills. Working from a young age, especially if a job is aligned in an area of business that interests someone with the perspective of an entrepreneur, is where these skills will be learned. Finding a mentor is also invaluable when it comes to learning how to operate one’s own business.
Selecting the right degree/school based on your aspirations is as important as having internships aligned with your future career. Many young adults do not focus on internships and find that a college degree alone is no longer enough to obtain a high-quality job after college.
Real world, on the job experience can often be as big of an education as a college experience and often, having that experience earlier in life can help inform your career path.
Author: Jason Monzcka is co-founder of Keymakers.
