<p>Lookingforward- no kid should assume they can walk out of college with a BA and make 80K. But a kid who is willing to cast a wide net, and get a job devoid of glamor but with lots of opportunity is better off than a kid whose career strategy is “I’m either going to become a sports agent, become head of strategy for the NFL, or sit on my parents couch” is not dealing with reality.</p>
<p>The kids I counsel have terribly unrealistic expectations for the way the working world operates. Nobody wakes up one day in a corner office. Working your way up to a cool job in Seattle or Silicon Valley sometimes means starting in Dayton Ohio. The head curator at a major museum in a major metropolitan area starts out as an exhibits coordinator for a small museum in Rhode Island. The head of marketing for a new digital music streaming service started out as a Brand Assistant for a dog food company.</p>
<p>Keeping your cost of living low while paying off a loan is very good advice.</p>