If not for college

Last weekend, I watched an interview on CSPAN's BookTV with Charles Murray, a prominent libertarian most (in)famous for his book The Bell Curve. Murray talked extensively about the fact that far more people are attending traditional, four-year college these days than we really need and our economy can reasonably employ (without underemployment). While education is almost always a good thing, the appropriate type of education gauged to market demand as well as individual preferences, goals, and learning styles is important (so echoes the wise English major). The fact is there are a lot of people who have no business attending college. Some of them failed my course last fall. The root causes, problems, and fairly simple solutions to this phenomenon are posts in and of themselves.

In the context of that interview and the throng of college students arriving in town this week, I paused to ask myself: What would I have done if I had not attended college? If I had had the choice between 17-20, I would have attended one of the top radio broadcasting schools in the country -- conveniently located in Charlotte -- and then headed for the deserts of Arizona to work as a program manager/DJ. That would have been a huge mistake considering large-scale syndication has decimated program manager and on-air positions in radio. My accent, though very slight, may have forced me into a country music station.

When I was in college and trying to decide what to do outside of economics -- which I had studied for two years -- I took the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test. Turns out I'm predominantly an Intuitive Thinking (NT) type, which according to experts means ideal careers include:

-News analyst
-Design engineer
-Biomedical researcher
-Network integration specialist
-Software developer
-Psychiatrist
-Cardiologist
-Inventor
-Media planner
-Chief Financial Officer
-Military leader
-Webmaster
-Architect
-Desktop publishing specialist

But this can be narrowed even further into the specific Introverted Intuitive Thinking Judging (INTJ) category -- which in a career context translates into the “Mastermind” personality type. Ideal INTJ careers include:

-Corporate strategist / organization builder
-Intellectual property attorney
-Professor
-Business administrator / manager
-Freelance writer

I, of course, chose English with the thought of professor and/or freelance writer. My INTJ penchant for "contingency planning" has in turn been very valuable. That choice may have been a mistake in context of market demands, but it demonstrates the typical "why not?" INTJ attitude. Considering I’ve come full circle and am now doing business planning and development with an English degree (i.e. "contingency planning" in action) reinforces the INTJ's love for the unconventional and paradoxical. The INTJ personality type, interestingly, represents less than 1 percent of the population.

With all this and Charles Murray’s interview in mind, I formulated a "Top 5" list of careers I would have chosen 10 years ago if four-year school had not been an option. These choices are in light of what I know and see now about my personality type and economic realities. This is what I (think) may have done if I had been limited to a two-year degree or less.

1. Independent book seller/storeowner – Would have taken in working experience the time my undergrad and graduate education took, but I’d be in a position to do it now having 10 years in the business along with the requisite networks.

2. Webmaster – This would depend on the position requiring more logic and administration than artistic talent. I’m much more the manager and usability specialist than the graphics/web designer.

3. Printing shop owner – Probably the most desirable trade for me.

4. Landscaper – As some of you (family and people I grew up with) pick yourself up off the floor, let me explain. I envision this more as a landscape planning/architecture position than as a ditch digger or grass mower, although some days I look outdoors and wish I smelled fresh-cut grass instead of ink. The challenge (i.e. enjoyment) of this position would be determining what to do with a given plot of land, from both scenic and logical (water drainage, soil science, climate, etc.) perspectives.

5. Database analyst/administrator – These positions require reporting, analyzing, and solving very complex problems using theoretical models and methodologies. This is really a big question because I’m not sure my background in math and my self discipline at 18 would have been strong enough for this to be feasible until much later – like now, when I find myself fascinated by math, its theories, and its powerful applications. (If I had had a stronger mathematical background and more patience, I may very well have majored in math – in particular, probability theory, game theory, and statistics – knowing what I know now about my personality.)