Perhaps the BEST B1G Forum anywhere, here at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

So that's actually interesting.

While the world will always need lawyers, we actually had a surplus for a while. Law schools, needing funding, minted too many. It was a whole thing.

The other two are sort of on the other side of things. They're professions with higher levels of gatekeeping because we want really, really good accountants and engineers. So many, many people, no matter how much research they do, ain't making that cut. (Accounting is also interesting because that job just knocks people around, so that might be a sign of surplus, since you can't just fly off to an easier job).

In the end, I am doubtful people are getting an english lit degree because they were able to be engineers or accountants but simply didn't realize. Econ is an odd one because it's a good precursor to a lot of white collar work, as it involves a modest amount of math and such. Better than history, for sure.

Im simply trying to point out that young people often do not plan properly to enter a career that will give them what they want in life

If a person wants job security they should pick a profession which is needed by society that meets their interests and future earning potential

some degrees are a nonstarter and yet folks still go after them and this could be avoided with proper planning

Meaning wages have been stagnant since 1970. 
They crept up for the 20 years before that, incrementally, and were enough to provide for a family. 
Since then, people make the same amount of money, while the cost of everything has increased. 
.
So we wind up with the generation that had it financially easy bitching about the young generation that has it financially impossible (when talking one-income families). 

The only problem with your theory is that its just wrong

Both my children were born in the mid 80s and had a very well thought out plan for their careers

My son is a CPA and makes more then I ever did

My daughter is an attorney for a large law firm in Houston and again does very well salary wise

I say all this not to brag but to support that their successful careers was  not an accident of luck but the reward from a very well thought out plan

Do all children have the same opportunity sadly no but Im speaking about the ones that do and just blow it through poor planning

Having a plan beyond which house party to go to on Saturday is important.

Having a plan before entering the post-secondary world is even more critical.

The process:

What program am I best qualified for? What fields interest me most? Can I get into the college of engineering? 

No? But that's my interest! 

Maybe I should consider an associate degree in manufacturing or construction technology. 

Man, that would cost me 1/10 of going to the University of ____________ - double bonus!

I can make $60-70K/year out of the gate doing this?

Now I have a plan.

Meaning wages have been stagnant since 1970. 
They crept up for the 20 years before that, incrementally, and were enough to provide for a family. 
Since then, people make the same amount of money, while the cost of everything has increased. 
.

I think you should note that wages have cre[t up but so have prices, rather than wages are stagnate and prices have gone up.

I've pointed to the chart showing real median income growth as perhaps the most important metric in judging the economy.  Clearly we've have significant periods when it has done pretty well, and then others when it hasn't (called recessions).

Please change your name to Captain Small Sample Size or Mr Anecdotal Evidence.

Sheeesh.  We can't even have a conversation.
My post involves tens of millions of people (conservatively) and yours addresses 2. 
I mean seriously.

I know you cant believe my example also represents anyone in your millions that have the opportunity to choose their career and control their destiny but it does

you are a teacher and thats the result of a plan

There are a lot of really good paying jobs right now that are not being filled. This is disturbing to me, because the requirements to fulfill many of these jobs, in most cases, require a 2-year degree, or less.

For example, healthcare. There are shortages in just about all of the below programs.

Yep. My wife's office lost their medical assistant and she needed to hire a new one about 6 months ago. She previously would have gotten 40-50 resumes the first day a posting went up. She might have had 2 dozen over the course of 10 days this time, and only two were even remotely appropriate. 

It's not the MOST high paying job in healthcare, but it only takes a HS diploma and less than a year of additional schooling to get the MA certificate. And that can get you a job with predictable hours and be a stepping stone if you want to try to advance requiring additional study in your off time (as several of my wife's previous employees have done). 

the diploma printing lobby is strong