Bursting with fresh ideas and vivid examples. ... The breadth and depth of Selingo’s expertise make him a uniquely good guide to what’s undeniably a complicated topic.
In an age when jobs and career paths are likely to shift — and even evaporate entirely — at an unprecedented pace, Jeffrey Selingo’s There Is Life After College offers a practical road map for graduates faced with navigating a challenging and unpredictable terrain.
Essential reading for high school and college students and their parents. Selingo doesn’t just provide the answers, he makes sure his readers know the important questions to ask. Students looking for a roadmap to the future should get this book and heed its advice.
Jeffrey Selingo demonstrates the radical changes complicating young people’s transitions to adulthood; highlights emerging and necessary transformations in the delivery of higher education; and, at the same time, gives students and their parents practical guidance in charting the best course.
Why are so many young adults wandering or straggling in the job market? How can parents help their kids thrive out there? Selingo convincingly frames the 21st century job market as a wholly unfamiliar terrain, then provides comprehensive strategies and tactical tips for tackling it.
A necessary and thoughtful contribution to the conversation on the role our colleges and universities play in preparing students for young adulthood. Everyone who has an interest in the development of today’s college students and tomorrow’s leaders should read it.
Explores several promising experiments that promise to redefine college as we know it.
Selingo provides valuable information about what kids really need to know to not just be employable, but to be in a position to know what they want, know how to get there, and succeed once they’ve arrived. I will be planting this book in my teenager’s bookshelf.
Terrific. ... Covers a wide range of pressing issues in higher education from the perspective and for the benefit of students.
Selingo identifies the question we should be worried about: what comes after college? ... An invaluable guide for students who want to make the most of their college years.
Jeffrey Selingo’s book belongs on the desk of every career counselor, on the shelf of every parent, and in the hands of every young person planning his or her future. There Is Life After College is essential reading for navigating the new workplace terrain.
Selingo provides an important road map for navigating the world of higher education. This is an essential guide for learning what to expect from college, and how to prepare for productive employment afterwards. That the book is written in clear, understandable language only adds to its value.
An eye-opening exploration of what the future holds for college grads. It’s an essential read for students — and their parents — to prepare for launching careers in a radically different job market.
Features many valuable stories from his interviews with students who figure out how to thrive in various career trajectories.
02/01/2016
Selingo (College Unbound) continues to explore the options and value of educational paths after high school. He draws on his background in journalism and education, as well as a commissioned survey (750 young adults) to divide "emerging adults" into three general groups: sprinters, wanderers, and stragglers. Sprinters bolt into the job market, changing jobs frequently and with confidence. Wanderers may go to graduate school, or take the first job that comes along. Stragglers drift without much plan, perhaps without a job that supports them fully. This book offers suggestions to help navigate the career path such as pursue internship opportunities, network, learn the soft skills of the workplace, and consider a bridge year before or between years in college. Parents may be reassured by the author's opinion that education is becoming more modular and students need not complete it all at once. Many employers take into consideration a candidate's curiosity and ability to learn as much as they look at GPA. VERDICT There are no bulleted lists for quick consumption, but students entering (or parents looking to launch students) into the working world may find insights into making the most of varied educational opportunities. [See Prepub Alert, 10/12/15.]—Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley Sch., Fort Worth, TX
Higher education journalist Selingo follows up his previous critical look at the changes in higher education in the 21st century (COLLEGE UNBOUND) with a critical look at and sage advice for parents and students on how to navigate these new paradigms. Narrator Patrick Lawlor’s deep but soft voice delivers the prose effectively, sounding like a benevolent guidance counselor dispensing wisdom to the listener. The combination of Selingo and Lawlor works well. Selingo packs in a good amount of criticism about the shortcomings of higher education but makes a compelling case for the opportunities both within college and outside of college for youth to attain a powerful education that prepares them for a dynamic career trajectory. L.E. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
2016-01-10
A guide to help "dispel our fears about life after college." As Chronicle of Higher Education contributing editor Selingo (College (Un)bound: The Future of Higher Education and What It Means for Students, 2013) writes in the introduction, in the recent past, a college degree almost certainly guaranteed a job after graduation. But times have changed, and the author uses interviews with college-age students, employers, and academicians to explain to readers just what those changes are and how to contend with them. Although high school students might receive high grades in college-prep classes, do well on the SAT, and show a variety of extracurricular items on their applications, as well as have parents and advisers who lead them every step of the way through high school and college, this doesn't force young adults to figure out how to make independent decisions on their own. "For many twenty-somethings," writes the author, "life to this point has been like a board game, the goal to get to the end quickly while picking up as many game pieces as possible." For employers, this lack of critical-thinking skills, coupled with a deficiency in work experiences, makes many new graduates undesirable hires. Some of the solutions Selingo adeptly presents include taking a gap year between high school and college, as many students do in Europe, to travel and explore options before committing to a college program. The author also suggests paid and unpaid internships and apprenticeships that put students into the workforce while gaining an education. The takeaway from Selingo's solid research is that education is important but not to the point where life experiences are ignored. Ultimately, students must approach college and the workforce on an individual basis, as the old route just doesn't hold true for most young people in today's global economy and workforce. Levelheaded advice for students and parents on the best path to take from high school to employment.
