I just realized the following:

-I am the first in my extended family to have a tertiary education. My parents and grandparents were laborers.

-Despite having two degrees, I’ve never been able to use either of them

-I spent the next twenty years working various customer service jobs while never actually rising through the ranks.

-Today I’m over 40 and looking at living paycheck to paycheck until the day I die or retire. No-one in my generation with half a brain expects retirement to just, y’know, be there when it’s our turn. All of us are waking up to the reality that despite paying into SS for our entire working lives, we will never get even a fraction of what we put in back.

Given these circumstances, how am I supposed to convince my son to continue his education when he’s finished with high school? I feel like a liar already for trying to convince him that if he just works hard at something it’ll eventually pay off, because I have seen firsthand that this just isn’t true?

  • Suspiciousbrowsing@kbin.melroy.org
    3·
    5 months ago

    Perhaps worth identifying your previous degrees and country? Where I reside, there is an incredible short fall in some areas that require additional education or tertiary education. So, no, higher learning isn’t a scam… however I would encourage searching for a reputable university in an area with a growing need. Perhaps it’s worth searching for your government “planning for the future” to see which careers they feel will be required in the future

    • Ex Nummis@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      1·
      5 months ago

      Western Europe, journalism & computer science. Exactly those fields that are collapsing because of AI. As said I only work as a service rep in an entry-level role for 10 years. I’ve sent out thousands of resumes in that decade and only got a few appointments, and never any actual offers. It’s also a bit late for me to retrain (again) and I have no aptitude for working with my hands. It’s not beneath me or anything, I’m just the opposite of handy.