Summary of Peter Cappelli's Will College Pay Off?

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.

Book Preview: #1 The American college system is extremely expensive, and while it is still considered necessary for advancement, it has become far more risky in terms of the likely career payoffs.

#2 Despite the media’s obsession with the supposed skills shortage, employers actually seem relatively uninterested in academic skills. They want the skills that come from experience on the job.

#3 The decision to go to college is one of the biggest financial decisions a family will make. For most families, the question is not whether to go to college versus not go to college, but which college to attend, and for that decision, the potential payoff from the degree matters even more.

#4 The prevailing wisdom that students should be pursuing practical, job-oriented majors like animation, property management, and invasive cardiovascular technology may well be the wrong advice. These narrow, vocational degrees may not lead to career progression later on.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Feb 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669348627

IRB Media

With IRB books, you can get the key takeaways and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience.

Book preview

Insights on Peter Cappelli's Will College Pay Off

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 4

Insights from Chapter 5

Insights from Chapter 6

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

The American college system is extremely expensive, and while it is still considered necessary for advancement, it has become far more risky in terms of the likely career payoffs.

#2

Despite the media’s obsession with the supposed skills shortage, employers actually seem relatively uninterested in academic skills. They want the skills that come from experience on the job.

#3

The decision to go to college is one of the biggest financial decisions a family will make. For most families, the question is not whether to go to college versus not go to college, but which college to attend, and for that decision, the potential payoff from the degree matters even more.

#4

The prevailing wisdom that students should be pursuing practical, job-oriented majors like animation, property management, and invasive cardiovascular technology may well be the wrong advice. These narrow, vocational degrees may not lead to career progression later on.

#5

The rise in college and university attendance was due to the changing job market. Before the First World War, being a college graduate was a sign of success, as it meant you were born into a wealthy family. However, after the war, the GI Bill made college affordable for virtually any high school graduate who had the ability and motivation to go.

#6

In the education-to-career model, the path was typically simple: do well in high school, apply to a four-year college, and if lucky, get into the flagship university in