Cave Dweller Graduates – By Scott Rostohar

Over the last few months I’ve come to realize that to graduate from college these days is to awaken like Brendan Fraser in Encino Man – confused, scared and armed with tools that are obsolete.

So what’s the problem, and what are the some of the caveman tools we’re wielding?

Ugh – No Want Work For Someone Else
Most of us graduates don’t have experience in the industry past the internships/mentorships we’ve completed. So we need to work for somebody in order to gain experience before we go out on our own. Not to mention needing the experience to gain confidence from potential clients. But is working for someone else really the most effective way to learn how to work for yourself? Much like a 50,000-year-old caveman’s loincloth, this needs to change.

Square Wheel No Roll – Need Learn New Way
I’m not biting the hand that taught me. The teachers I had were great. I’m merely asking why traditional Universities don’t prepare students to be entrepreneurs regardless of major. This could include teaching students the basics of freelancing, marketing themselves, even prospecting clients. Career Centers focus on finding students jobs, why not clients?

Getting Burned Best Way To Make Fire
As Hernan Castillo, another recent graduate pointed out in an MSNBC Blog by Bob Sullivan “I wish I’d gone to prison instead of college. At least I would have learned a trade or two and started being independent once I got out.” It’s obvious that there are several things that we can only learn in the real world. Universities should evolve with the economy at large to accommodate that learning.

Teach Others To Walk Erect
To those of you who have successfully made a career in working for yourselves — pass on the knowledge. Thaw our Encino Man minds toward self-reliance. Take on an apprentice. Teach them the ropes while getting some cheap/free assistance. By doing this you could ensure that the next generation doesn’t stay trapped in the stone ages.

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Follow Scott Rostohar on Twitter: @Srostohar