Los Angeles Times editorial writer and author Karin Klein recently published her book Rethinking College: A Guide to Thriving Without a Degree. The book discusses career opportunities for young adults outside of a traditional college setting. Klein shares how various pathways, like volunteer work, allow young adults to explore their strengths, interests, and passions.
More Americans feel hesitant about four-year college these days. The high cost of tuition, the high dropout rates, and the high percentage – more than 40 percent – of recent graduates who are underemployed, working jobs that don’t really call for a bachelor’s degree are just a few top concerns.
There are many great options for those who choose not to go to a four-year college and in all kinds of exciting fields. Right now is the perfect time to go for them, as more employers and many states drop their bachelor’s degree requirements in favor of valuing an employee’s skills and potential.
Many high school students are unaware of these opportunities and are given very little help finding them. Most school counselors have little information to offer about non-college paths.
But, there are many pathways, and one of the most surprising alternatives is full-time, residential volunteer work. They can be a perfect pathway to finding the right future. With certain organizations, volunteer work provides free room and board, and often health insurance and even a stipend. With the cost of living these days, that’s more than most people fresh out of college make.
It’s also an opportunity to see new places and learn worthwhile skills, including the “soft skills” that employers seek. But you also might learn how to comfort victims, build houses, teach others, farm, help underserved kids become leaders, or help protect the wilderness and make it healthier. You gain experience in the fields that interest you. You find out what kind of work makes you happy to get up in the morning.
Employers are more likely to hire people who have performed meaningful, committed volunteer work. And, if you later decide to go to college, know that admissions officers like to see a commitment to service. Plus, you will have real stories and real accomplishments for your college essays.
One of the largest of these organizations is AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, and an umbrella for several programs. This surprises many who think they have to be college graduates to join. Not so. A third of AmeriCorps’ members are high school grads, and another third are partway through college. The kinds of work you might do vary depending on which program you join and your assignments. You might help low-income communities or refugees through the VISTA or NCCC programs. If you work in conservation corps units that offer AmeriCorps service opportunities, you’ll be helping to preserve and re-establish wild lands and forests; if a future in environmental matters appeals to you, this could be the perfect starting ground. Many employers have signed on to give AmeriCorps alumni preference when hiring. Plus, there’s an education award after your service to help for college if that ends up being your path.
Mario Fedelin made the most of his AmeriCorps service. Determined that he didn’t want to be a barista any longer, he walked into an AmeriCorps office to work with youth through the City Year program. His service included after-school programs aimed at reducing local dropout rates. With his people skills, he was quickly promoted to a paid managerial position. He used the knowledge, contacts, and commitments he made during his time with AmeriCorps to start his own nonprofit, Changeist, which empowers youth to solve problems in their communities. It was awarded a grant from the state of California and was recognized by the Obama Foundation. As its chief executive, Mario is now earning a six-figure salary and is in charge of his own life and organization, able to have a real impact on people’s lives.
“I waited for a long time to build my civic home,” Fedelin said. “We wanted something to build that earlier in young people.”
Like Mario, not everyone’s path is clearly defined from the start. Whether you are saving to attend college or are more passionate about gaining experience, national service and volunteer work is an alternative to finding your pathway.
Karin Klein is a Los Angeles Times editorial writer who covers education, and the author of Rethinking College: A Guide to Thriving Without a Degree.
