A Fulfilling Career

We hear all the time that getting a good job after college is a primary factor for students and their parents in deciding where to go for college. One assumption has been that this deciding factor in college choice is tied to better incomes from those better jobs. But a recent survey suggests that money might not be as big a factor than some think.

A survey Jeff Selingo and I did with parents of high school or college students asked them what they hoped college would provide for their child by rating 16 different potential factors on importance.

Towards the bottom was “a lucrative career” with only 14% telling us that this was extremely important to them for their child to obtain from their college experience.

What was at the top was “a fulfilling career” with a whopping 61% telling us this was extremely important.

The obvious implication here is that “fulfilling” is more important than “lucrative.” But some people still insist on looking at salaries of graduates as the most important outcome of college. It might be for some (that 14%), but most parents want something more meaningful for their children.

We live in a time when many people are searching for meaning in their lives. “Mattering,” by Jennifer Breheny Wallace is a New York Times Bestseller. Arthur Brooks just released “The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness.” These are just a few of the ways people are trying to find meaning and purpose. Focusing on how college can help facilitate a fulfilling life rather than a lucrative life is a good start.