Boston Dropout: Life After Dropping Out

Country Music

2008-08-23T00:09:00.002-04:00

I never was a big fan of country music before spending time in Colorado, but ever since then I really have learned to like it. I'll be the first to admit although it doesn't seem like it's for everyone, that's exactly who country music is for. Country music is all about a story. Now yes it's true many of the stories are the same, but they are still stories nonetheless. The best part, everybody's got one! Everybody has a story about heartache or something great that happened to them. If you can't stand country music, just remember it's all about the story. The story is what allows us to connect to people who don't sound like what we like and who have a totally different background than we might have. It's the common thread between that binds us for those few mins of understanding and compassion for what they are feeling. The point is give country a chance and you might just be surprised at what happens.

Family

2008-08-22T23:57:00.002-04:00

There's nothing half as important as the support of your family. It's what gets you through the tough times and they are the people you celebrate your greatest highs with and are there to catch you during your lowest lows. When you have nowhere else to turn, they are the people that are always there. Whether or not your family are blood relatives matters little. As long as they are there for you that's all that matters.

Something Worth Doing

2008-07-05T17:03:00.002-04:00

There are times that you want to pull your hair out, but you have to push on. It's times like these when you have to decide whether the brick walls are going to keep you out or show what you're made of. Brick walls are designed to keep people out and you have to figure out a way around them. Sometimes that means going over them or under them. Other times it means go around but no matter what push on and don't get stuck. It's important to remember there is no problem that can't be solved. Some problems take years, others take only a few minutes but never give up.

There will always be detractors

2008-06-18T22:54:00.002-04:00

You have to remember that there will always be times when you want to give up. When you want to runaway because things get hard but that's what separates the men from the boys. It's at times like that you have to be true to who you are. You have to push through this, because staying true to who you are wis going to pay big dividends in the long run. So stay true and I'll write more soon.

Elephant Hunting

2008-05-30T00:23:00.000-04:00

I’ve wanted to write about this for some time but I’ve never felt that what I had was quite good enough. I’m not sure it’s good enough now but I’ll give it a shot.

Elephant hunting is a term I borrow from a great man who many call the “Oracle of Omaha”. He talks about going after big fast moving game. They are the kind that most can’t take on but they are worth it when you get one. For him this means waiting for the right investment that may only appear briefly but when it does and your ready you make an absolutely killing. This analogy can be applied to many things even dating. Guys know there is sometimes that limited opportunity with a girl that is way out of their league but if they strike it could be great. For me it’s Real Estate.

I’m looking for that elephant. I’m looking for the buyer that can spend enough money that my it is an impressive years salary by most standards. Unlike Buffett, I can’t wait forever, so I take the more proactive approach. I’m actively seeking out potential elephants and coaching them out of the woods to the grassy clearing where I can pull the trigger. It’s not everyday that you can lure them out into the open but when you can it’s always worth it.

Anti-Learning

2008-04-06T18:52:00.002-04:00

I’ve been getting email from people who think I’m anti-learning. This is not the case at all. I’m just against the traditional thought that someone with a degree is smarter than someone without one, because this is not the case. In effort to prove that I am not against traditional education I am providing what help I can below for those who can’t normal classes in.

Online education is one way to get some education in without all the normal structure required. Many of these classes are go at your own pace and you can take up to a year to finish them. The benefit of this style of learning is that it fits your schedule no matter how crazy that schedule might be. When you’re ready to learn the course is there and when your too busy it doesn’t care. The University of Colorado is a school among many that offers a wide variety of online courses that you can sign up to take.Click here

ITunesU is a great way to go hear lectures and speeches from different college campuses across the country. The fact that they have audio as well as video for many different schools and speakers is a great thing. I recently was listening to Mark Zuckerberg speak at Stamford from a few years ago before Facebook became the mecca that it is today. Check it out here(requires itunes)

MIT offers open course ware. This website offers course material such as lectures notes exams and other things for people who love to learn for learning’s sake. The site is fairly straightforward and offers lots of different things that people can study.Click Here

I hope this proves that I have greater interests beyond telling people school is not necessary, because it is. The question is to what degree is it necessary. If you can read write and do basic arithmetic and are satisfied by that then fine. For those wanting a little more without throwing away $30,000 a year here are some great alternatives that fit into your life as opposed to the other way around.

Good Idea's Never Last Long

2008-04-05T00:13:00.000-04:00

I don’t mean to say that good ideas are bad but rather that they are likely to strike someone else as well. I recently discovered that this had happened to me for the millionth time. I recently discovered that someone else had the same idea that with the dropout rates increasing it was time for someone to start speaking to this crowd. Let them know that there were others out there like them and that they are not alone. The desire to create a place for people who may not know where to go or how much is still available is clearly a thought that is on a few minds. It boils down to the desire to help those with the skills but not the necessary knowledge of how and where they can be applied. In the end there might be a partnership able to be formed and you might see something much bigger than just a blog. Stay tuned!

Education vs. Knowledge of Opportunity

2008-03-28T22:38:00.002-04:00

I was at a mini family reunion recently and something struck me that I wasn’t always aware of. There is a great divide between education and knowledge of opportunity.

I was visiting extended family that I hadn’t really met before and we were sitting around talking with them when they said several things that bothered me. The mother was complaining that all her son did was play video games all day and that she was honestly just hoping he passed 10th grade. This may seem like the complaint of an average parent in this day and age but what struck me was that she didn’t see the opportunity or have any knowledge of what might be the opposite of her reaction. Let him play games! There are ads on tv all the time with colleges looking for new game developers and there is a reason why they want them, they make a lot of money! The mother’s reaction was a shocked look when I mentioned to her how if her son had a true passion for gaming he could go very far in life. This was shocking news to someone who was a parent in a dual income house still struggling to survive. She had never considered the fact that she might want to encourage her son in his passion and that it could lead to a much better life for him. Even if he didn’t like the idea of developing a new game there are still plenty of people who get paid a lot of money to review games. Just like the world is full of movie critics the world is also full of game critics.

The point that I wanted to illustrate with this story is that there is a world of opportunity out there and if you have the knowledge you can apply your skills to any number of different things. I use this story to illustrate this point because the boys mother was a nurse someone who possessed a fair deal of intelligence and education but not necessarily the knowledge of what her sons “skills” could allow him to do. This lack of knowledge could very easily have been his greatest hindrance but now her mind is open to new possibilities and the boy she prayed would graduate 10th grade may go much further in life than she could have ever dreamed of, purely because of an increase in knowledge of opportunity. Never be afraid to seek out a new opportunity you never know where it might lead you!

Patience is a Virtue

2008-03-28T22:17:00.001-04:00

Wow so I haven’t written in a long long time! I blame this partly on being busy and partly on the fact that I hadn’t gotten any great dropout stories lately. With that in mind I write this entry.

Patience is a virtue! We’ve all heard this before it’s the right up there with the golden rule for how you should conduct yourself. Patience is what is the advice that I will pass on to all of you. Patience I’ve quickly discovered is one of the most important parts to being a real estate agent. Patience to hold your clients hand so to speak as they flip flop enough to make John Kerry look decisive. You find that much like any other business the people who have been doing it a long time and seem to get burned out. They ran out of patience. They let the flip flopping and the constant about face moves of their customers wear them down. I have a friend who always told me, “life is like a grindstone, whether it wears you down or polishes you up depends on what your made of.” For the people who get burned out they were not made of tougher stuff as they say. My point is that certain things in life will require patience and just seeing something through till the end. Lots of people have gotten much further in life than they otherwise would have by purely sticking around. The patience to do a job long after others got fed up and quit. I don’t want to say this is always the case cause there are plenty of people who leave and go on and do amazing things but there are a few for whom I hope this advice makes sense.

Another Story Another Success

2008-02-24T16:51:00.000-05:00

I was in a bar recently and the woman bartending that night was telling me how she too had decided college wasn’t the route for her. She goes on to say how she wants a career in fashion and how she currently has a job in the field where she is just starting out but actually has the same level position as this girl who did go to college. One girl graduated college has student debt and loans to repay and has the same title and pay as another girl who has been working for the past 3 years. Since she’s been working she has no student loans to repay and is most likely on a better track to have a career in fashion. Why is that you ask?

Well for one, if she does decide to go to college she’s already decided she’ll go to design school because this is what she wants to do. So any debt that she incurs will be smaller than the other girl because she’s had a 3 year head start and will have a degree in a field that matters to her and her colleague’s. There will be no “Oh, well I was an English major but I want to design clothes.”

Don’t get me wrong I think college can be great for some people I’ve even called in the great incubator. It allows time to think things through and see what’s going on and how you can fix problems. It also gives you access to tools you wouldn’t otherwise have access to. For all these reasons it’s a great thing. But for people like this woman behind the bar it wasn’t the right decision and that’s not something to be ashamed of or chided for.

Vindication

2008-02-24T16:39:00.001-05:00

Vindication is the greatest feeling in the world. When the New York Times vindicates your thoughts it’s even better. The New York Times recently did an article on whether or not Microsoft was making the right decision to go after Yahoo. Why do they ask this question, because they feel it’s outside the companies circle of competence. Microsoft is a big bloated software company not a internet startup, and to try and become one or merge with one is a terrible idea. It’s not what’s in the company’s best interest and not something it should spend time on. The article goes on to talk about how the company should go after a company where it’s already well entrenched. The logic is simple know your strengths and focus every last bit of energy you have on them.

Circle of Competence

2008-02-14T23:25:00.004-05:00

Circle of competence. Warren Buffet has a rule that you don't invest in things that are outside your circle of competence. This is great advice. It's so great though that you shouldn't leave it at just investments. It should also be true of brands. Stay within your circle of competence.

I have long been a fan of two companies and they are both very unique. The first is Vineyard Vines, they started as a small idealistic company that sought to give customers a great new option in ties. The second is Apple. a company that for 30 years has provided beautiful hardware and software solutions for the rest of us. Both companies have focused on a niche market but some niche's are larger than others.

Vineyard Vines was started by two brothers who quit their jobs in nyc to start making ties. They had fun beautiful designs that represented the finer things in life. Their goal was to make the ties they no longer wanted to wear. This was great for a few years they had the best company around. They made the best quality ties and their prices were lower than other who's ties eventually pilled or tore. The company then began to branch into a few other items all featuring their signature designs they had been developing over the past 3 or so years. This was great they were branching out in a natural extension of their brand. New things were coming very naturally into their circle of competence. Today the company still offers ties but they grown become something like a cross between brooks brothers and ralph lauren. The use of their original artwork in their new items is mostly non existent. They have even recently increased the price of their long famed ties upsetting many long time wearers. The company now pitches itself now as a lfiestyle brand. The ties they originally created accomplished this lifestyle goal but did it in a unique way. When a company that started selling beautiful high quality neck ties, begins selling hooded sweatshirts for $95 in less than 10 years it's clear they have lost their focus. They didn't wait the appropriate time for things to come in their circle of confidence. They started by taking the ordinary and making it extraordinary. Now they believe by stamping their logo on the ordinary they have again created the extraordinary.

Now as for that second company I mentioned. Apple inc. I continue to be amazed by this company. They have spent 30 years delivering the best possible computing experience available. They have set in and focused on only 2 things beautiful hardware and easy to use software. They have focused only on these two things because it's what they do best. Now some of you may say they were a computer company that became a consumer electronics company how is that not losing focus. While I agree with some of that it's about how they accomplished it that makes a difference. Their recent success was because of great hardware and easy to use software. They weren't the first in either the mp3 market or the cellphone market, for that matter they weren't even 2nd. In both areas they waited until these things came into their circle of confidence. They focused on only things in this circle and when they did expand it became a natural extension. Furthermore, when they went into these new products, they totally reinvented them they weren't bound by what already existed, happy to stamp a logo on something and offer it as a me too product. This is what makes this company so great they never settle. One of the best examples of this is when they got rid of the ipod mini. This was the best selling ipod in the company's history and they got rid of it. What did they introduce? The ipod nano, an even smaller even better selling ipod.

So what does any and all of this means for dropouts? Stay focused! Don't go for things outside your circle of competence. If you know nothing about being a delivery guy don't be one. If you know everything about being a janitor be a janitor because you'll be better at it. Who knows maybe as a janitor you'll discover a need for traveling janitors and you'll learn logistics like a delivery guy. The point is it's ok to wait it will pay off in the end.

Everybody Complicates Stuff

2008-02-10T13:53:00.000-05:00

I know the entire world isn’t black and white and that’s not the point of this entry but they over complicate matters. I read an article recently which said the reason guys have these ridiculous job titles is to impress women. It’s true if we didn’t have some really interesting sounding title women probably wouldn’t be as interested in a guy. So we have titles like Northeast Regional Manager of Affiliate Distribution and Supplies. What does this title mean, I have no idea I actually just made it up, but if I were venturing a guess your in charge of office supplies and making sure they get to people. But, that fake title sounds a lot more impressive to a woman then I make sure all the offices have paper and pens. I use this job title thing as an example of how we are over complicating things.

Have you ever been in a corporate meeting and heard some of the verbal diarrhea that comes out of these executives mouths. It sounds like when you were in college(before you dropped out knowing it was a waste) and wrote a paper then used the thesaurus in word to have it rewrite your paper to make you sound smarter. The truly smart people though don’t need the thesaurus to make them sound smarter, they win on the basis of their ideas. The best inventions are always the simplest ones. They are the ideas that are so plainly obvious when presented that everyone instantly goes why didn’t I think of that. That’s what happens when you uncomplicated things and state them for what they are. That’s how you make a difference and have an impact. That’s what we should all aspire to do.

What I do Love About My Job

2008-02-07T01:45:00.000-05:00

There is an upside to real estate and it can come at a time when you don’t really expect it. The upside is that you like a builder are a fulfiller of dreams. When someone calls you and says this is what I’m looking for and you instantly think of the place that’s just right for them. That’s the best feeling in the world because it’s creating the ultimate product. Every company creates a product that they hope has mass market appeal but here you are tailoring the product for a certain person and no one else and there is no greater feeling in the world than that. Real estate is all about being Google for people’s home buying needs. It’s being able to find and display to the client or searcher that one thing that they may not be able to describe fully but they are still looking for. It’s when this happens that you go this is why I got into real estate.

Never Settle

2008-02-07T00:41:00.001-05:00

The title for this entry is something I don’t think enough people do. I think a lot of people get complacent with their lives and their standards. My advice is don’t settle! I was at an open house for work tonight and I saw this relatively nice place but it was clear when it came to the design aspect of this newly remodeled unit they had gone for the cheap fixes. They had the opportunity to make this an unbelievable unit but instead settled for what they could do the cheapest and fastest. Some would say they settled because it’s a rental unit and renters don’t care. That doesn’t matter, no matter what it is that you do don’t settle for something that’s ok when you can make it better!

When I dropped out of college a lot of people thought I’d sit around and not really do anything. There was no way I could do that so I immediately began job hunting. There was one thing I told myself when I was searching, I said I’m not going to settle for some job I don’t care about purely because I don’t have a degree. I’m not settling with the rest of the world that a person without a degree can’t do anything I refuse to accept that. So whether it’s looking for a job or remodeling my advice is never settle. There are always ways to get what you want or need, even if you don’t know them someone else most likely does.

First Real Day on the Job

2008-02-06T16:51:00.000-05:00

So today was my first real day on the job and I got into work only a few seconds after the boss which was a nice thing to see. However, my first real day since get my license and it has to be the most boring day so far. So boring in fact that I’m writing this post while I sit at my desk.

The interesting thing about real estate is that when it’s dead it’s dead. There isn’t a whole lot you can do. You as the agent can’t really change the product and in that way affect the customers decision of whether or not to buy or rent a place. The only thing that you can do is to sit and wait for the right time. The time when people are interested in real estate and they do want something new cause their lease has ended or they need a bigger/smaller home. But otherwise, you have no control over what happens. You can do your best to try and create ways to get people to come in and look at places but you can’t do much more than that. So days like today when it’s raining and cold and it’s the beginning of February there isn’t too much to do around the office. Place as many ads as you mind numbingly can and wait for calls.

Entrepreneurship and the Video

2008-02-03T17:28:00.000-05:00

There are a few things that I want to point out in the video from the previous entry. They are important points and deserve further discussion and thought by all.

1. The story of the little girl who was told no one knows what god looks like. Her response to her teacher is indicative of what needs to happen for people especially dropouts if they are going to get somewhere. The just cause everyone else didn’t know what god looked like didn’t mean that little girl didn’t. No one knew what an ipod looked like before Steve Jobs showed it to the world. Remember just because it’s not being done doesn’t mean it can’t be done. This is a point continually pounded on by the show, The Big Idea.

Another point about this story is the teacher was discouraging this child from thinking about the unknown but even the best experts on any subject matter can’t predict what’s going to happen in the future. In the future we might indeed know what good looks like and that girl might have been right in her depiction. She might also be wrong but we just don’t know and we shouldn’t stifle the unknown. Her being wrong brings me to the next point.

2. The story about the little boy being wrong is something else I felt was important. He took the chance, he wasn’t sure of the line but he did his best. Frank sent this, does sound pretty close and I’m sure it gave everyone in the room a good laugh and he thought he was incredibly funny. No one yelled at this boy because he got it wrong instead they embraced his effort. Never be afraid to take a chance. I know for me personally dropping out was taking a big chance and one that I wasn’t sure whether or not I’d regret but so far not in the least. The biggest regrets you’ll have in life are not taking the chances you could have. Even if taking those chances me changing everything. Which brings me to my final point.

3. The story about the little girl who goes on to become the choreographer for cats and phantom of the opera is one that we all should take a lesson from. If you are not thriving in your current situation sometimes you have to change the environment. She changed her environment and suddenly all the pieces just seemed to fall into place. This is what it takes a change of someplace that doesn’t always appreciate your particular style to a place and a group of people who do. You see this in sports all the time a player just isn’t fitting in well with a particular team they get traded and suddenly they have the season of their career because the new team is simply a better fit. Don’t be afraid of a change in environment in order to pursue your dreams.

Finally, Someone Else Gets It!

2008-02-03T01:22:00.000-05:00

I post this video purely because I believes it just showcases one of many problems with the current education system in this country. I know it's a little long but it's worth watching especially towards the end.

Nobody Knows What They Want To Do!

2008-02-03T01:15:00.000-05:00

After telling people I’ve dropped out the next thing they usually ask is well what were you studying? I tell them history, which always brings up the following question. “So what do you want to do teach?” No! Why does everyone think that if you study history you want to be a teacher. I mean yes I understand that a fair number of people who choose history as a major go down this path but the vast majority want to do something else. Some people know what that something else is, others do not. In fact the numbers of people who do not is staggering.

Time magazine just had an article on this subject matter and I felt it was important to share. They stated that 8/10 people would have their major be totally unrelated to their job later in life. The writer of the article said this was not the case for her but she found it interesting. I personally believe that college is the great incubator. It allows for you dream up ideas and try out new things. If you already know what you want to do that’s great but as this article proves the vast majority of people don’t. All they want to do is get through as quickly and painlessly as possible. I personally would rather take the time to figure it out and then go about that the best way possible then rush through and get nothing out of it. That is just a waste of time. The point is if you dropped out to go travel India and see the world and suddenly discover a passion for it and want to go back and get a degree in Indian studies that’s great. That’s more useful then getting through as fast as possible and not having a clue.

Jobless No More!

2008-02-03T00:30:00.000-05:00

I believe it’s important to practice what you preach. With this in mind I’m here to prove to the world that dropouts without an amazing amount of computer knowledge can go on to lead full successful lives. I recently moved from Boulder, CO to Boston under the belief that coming to a big city would provide more job opportunities than a much smaller city. After not hearing back from several my guess, short sited companies and perusing job sites for days, I quickly discovered a few things.

1. I discovered that most entry level positions were for companies most people had never heard of and selling products or services that few if anyone really needed. Basically you were creating a job that wasn’t necessary or selling someone on a service that if they really needed they would seek out on their own.

2. The other type of job that was primarily listed was that of a telemarketing position. Now if your looking to just bring in money right away this is the job for you. However, in order to be effective one of the things you must posses is the ability to separate what you do from who you are. I personally couldn’t bring myself to do this job. I know how much I hate it when I get those calls during dinner time asking me if I want to switch my long distance carrier or whatever it is they are trying to sell me. I hate that and I don’t want to do a job that people hate. I don’t want to be a person who makes someone else upset.

As you can imagine this limited my options somewhat. So I began to think about what jobs didn’t require a college degree. I came up with real estate agent and then punched that in. Low and behold there were hundreds of listings seeking real estate agents. I quickly set out to get the pre-license course out of the way and taking the licensing exam. Well fortunately that very weekend I found a place offer the course and I’m taking the exam on Tuesday. In mean time while walking down Newbury St. I saw a sign that said agents wanted and as soon as I walked in and explained I was taking the exam soon I was hired. I’m not saying this is always going to the case but I just want to prove to people that if you truly believe you can do something it’s out there.

In two weeks I moved to a new city started a career and found a job. All you have to do is want something bad enough and you will find a way to make it happen. For me it was about proving that I wasn’t going to be a bum after becoming a college dropout, for others it maybe something else. Always remember “no one ever drowned in a pool of their own sweat.”

Jobs You Don’t Need a Degree For!

2008-01-30T03:08:00.000-05:00

Ok this post is similar to the last one in the sense that it’s referring to jobs that you don’t need to have a college degree for. Additionally these are not jobs that involve a the food service industries. With that said some of the jobs will require additional education.

Real Estate Agent. This is the best example of a job that doesn’t require a college degree and has a very respectable position is society. Real estate has long been the cornerstone to wealth for so many families in the US. However, you can’t just say I wasn’t to be a real estate agent there is a process to becoming one. The requirement in most states is you take a class followed by a licensing exam. Even in times of economic turmoil you can still generally do quite well in real estate.

Lawyer. I throw this one on the list just to open your eyes to all the different possibilities but it’s not entirely realistic. To be a lawyer you don’t actually have to go to law school, all you have to do is pass the bar exam. This largely unknown fact is 100%. While yes law school will teach cases and help you pass it is not necessary to become a lawyer.

Home Inspector. This again is profession that requires additional education but is a job often in high demand. Home inspectors are used for every home sold in the US. Furthermore, many banks and insurance companies need home inspectors to look at properties before either can make a variety of decisions on them.

Bank teller. This may sound like a nothing job but the truth is it can lead to better things. It’s a job where you will have to take the time to cut your teeth so to speak but after a bit you can move into the branch training program and begin to advance yourself inside the bank. Bankers have long been looked at as a staple of America. If you think about jobs that are always going to be here being a banker is one of them. This is one job where the need will never go away.

Blogger. This like being a lawyer is more a fringe job but for a different reason. The reason blogging is a fringe job is because it can go any of three ways. It can be something that you do and no one reads, it can be something that a few people read and you maybe make a little bit of money off it or it can be a huge success. How it turns out matters on a few things. First it matters what you write about. If you write about something you know nothing about and do it purely to get high search engine rankings to drive traffic to your site then you probably won’t be successful. On the other hand if you write really quality pieces on a subject matter that very few people care about you won’t make a living either. You need to find a balance, something that your are knowledgeable and passionate about but also appeals to a fairly large group.

These are just a few jobs that you can have don’t require a college degree but again how far you go in life is up to you. Your desire and drive is what determines whether you’ll be a dropout who makes it big or just another statistic.

Company Benefits

2008-01-24T23:20:00.000-05:00

I know that most of the time when someone drops out of college everyone around them thinks that the only thing their future no holds is the phrase, “Would you like fries with that?” While this is true one job that you don’t need a college degree for is to work at McDonalds but that’s not all. Beyond even the jobs that you can get without a college degree which I’ll try my best to cover in another post I’m going to cover something that has been a major topic of discussion during this political season. Healthcare! Benefits that certain jobs provide are something that everyone should look at carefully, but even more so with college dropouts. But if you look at the statistics 4/5 richest people in the US. are college dropouts, and by and large initially dropouts earn less. The reason for this is that their first job is not as great as someone who went college. The jobs college graduates get are usually with companies that offer healthcare plans and stock options but this isn’t the case with dropouts. Furthermore your peers are generally covered because many colleges today offer healthcare plans to students. So what options are there for the rest of us? Those that don’t have a job at a big company and who aren’t in school to be covered by the school? The answer is that some of those "would you like fries with that," jobs actually do take really good care of their employee’s.

The first company to do so is Starbucks. Now you can love or hate Starbucks all you want, but the one thing that you cannot argue with is how they treat their employee’s. The company does a few things differently than most. First and many articles on have been written on this they call employee’s “Partners”, with the hope that the name change provokes a real sense of involvement with the company. The idea that you are more than just a cog in the machine but an integral part of the success. Beyond the simple name change, they company offers medical insurance retirement packages, and stock options to each “partner” who works more than 20hrs a week. Additionally all employee’s working this amount of time receive a free pound of coffee per week.

Whole foods is the next company I’ll mention. The company has grown tremendously over the past few years and are definitely hiring for people that have a passion for their unique brand. The company allows for employees to be eligible for paid training, paid time off, health insurance, as well as retirement savings.

The final company I’ll mention is Barnes & Noble. The store offers a significant discount on store merchandise which is great if your a reader. However if it’s just a job they also offer a healthcare plan and a 401(k). The great thing about the company is that they have stores all over the US. and usually in multiple locations per state.

This list is just a short sampling of some of the most popular companies and some of the benefits that they offer. Consider the list a very short starting point and something to keep in mind when looking for a job.

Things you'll need

2008-01-24T16:13:00.000-05:00

Before I dropped out I everyone told me I was going to make my life harder. I knew that this would be the case as I’ve said before most people are short sighted and can’t see past the lack of degree. It is with this idea in mind that I post this entry. I want to share the few qualities that I personally believe for right or wrong make a difference between a dropout who’s just dropped out and a drop out who’s going somewhere.

Ambition! I believe it is absolutely essential that if your are truly going to make something of yourself that you have a great deal of ambition. The popular quote that goes here is “shoot for the moon because even if you miss you’ll land among the stars.” As much as I hate to agree with it, because it’s so utterly cheesy it’s true. You need to go after every lead after every offer because you never know when even the smallest of things can turn something around for you and change your life. I was just recent at a meeting of young professionals living and working in the Boston area. During the presentation I was seated next to a lawyer who happened to know quite a few people in the industry that I was interested in. This simple meeting of being seated next to this person has opened doors for me that I couldn’t’ previously imagine. Don’t be afraid to share some of your ambitions with others, you never know what might happen. But ambition will only get you so far.

Hard-work! I recently read a quote that said, “nobody ever drowned in a pool of their own sweat.” Ambition will only get you so far, to get the rest of the way you are going to have to work. I’ve been looking to get into multiple different industries lately and hard work is required to get past the entrance. If there’s something you want to do you have to put everything you have into it. Here’s the secret that nobody tell you when they write those stories on successful people. It takes lots and lots of hard work! Even those Ebay millionaires had to put in more time and effort than they originally let on. Has Ebay created millionaires from people who had little to no education yes! Was it easy for them no! Just keep that in mind when you wonder why things don’t seem to come as quickly to you as they do to others.

Networking

2008-01-21T11:35:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned before networking will be key once you've dropped out in order to find that person who's going to take a chance on you. It's not an easy task because few people see that someone without a degree has value. The truth is you do have value and perspective and insight that others may not. In order to show this off though you have to meet these the right people and where you meet them is a something everyone has a theory on.

Where you should go to network is like asking where you should go to find a date. Some people say the super market others say at bars. In the end what I think it really depends on is the type of person your trying to meet and associate with. If you're looking for high powered executives the bar isn't the best place to look. The better place would be to find them in club house after a round of golf. If your looking to launch a new trendy product who's target audience is ultra hipsters then clubs or the latest high end martini bar is probably your best bet.

One of my favorite places to network if you get the chance is on a plane. You get a really interesting dynamic cause it sort of forces you to interact with the other people in your row. This type of networking can be hit or miss though. In order for it to be most effective your best chance is on weekday flights that's aren't around holidays. These are the flights that are filled with the business travelers and not the college students trying to get home. College students can make for lovely conversation but they aren't going top help you with what you're trying to accomplish.

Job Hunting

2008-01-07T02:51:00.001-05:00

So after dropping out the obvious thing that you have to do is get a job. You can't sit at home on your parents couch watching tv all day that's not a good plan for a drop out. Making your job search more difficult is the fact that for the majority of jobs that say requires a college degree you can rule them out right away.

I've been job searching for a bit and it doesn't seem to get any easier no matter how good you think you are at identifying opportunities. Obviously you have to do everything you can to pad your resume since you already have a strike against you off the bat. The best thing to do is to make sure there are no errors or grammatical mistakes to the best of your ability. I don't pretend that my writing skills are perfect and it's always a great idea to have a friend read over your resume to catch things you may have missed. For some of examples of what you don't want to do click here. For some more advice on what you can do to increase your chances of getting hired the WSJ did a nice piece on subject here.

Adding to the difficulty is the idea that most likely if you've dropped out you need an entry level position and no job site makes looking for this position easy. Your best bet is to figure out the area you want to work in then type entry level into the search field. The other problem is picking which job site do you pick to search? There number of job posts on the net increases everyday and just makes the process harder. I'll be honest I don't have a perfect answer here. I've searched the big sites like monster, career builder, but there is one that I do like the idea for. For those of you that may remember the pre google days, there was a search engine called Dogpile. This site still exists but what made it so cool originally was the fact that it a combination of mean different search engines. Dogpile would take the results of Yahoo, Altavista and other engines for your search term and display all these results. With this idea in mind Jobster was created. It puts together a list of jobs from a couple of different sites. This can be really helpful but sometimes confusing. The best thing to do is search a local site and then stick whichever big site you feel most comfortable.

The toughest part of the hunt is when you have your application in. Having your application in for a job is the same as it is when your applying to college. You can do everything possible to improve your chances, but until they let you know something you just have to sit and wait. Always make sure if you get the chance to actually meet with someone during the application process to contact them again and send a note to them thanking them for their time and interest in you. Make sure to let them know how interested you are and show them exactly why they should pick you. The rest is up to them.

The hardest thing to tell people

2008-01-02T04:21:00.001-05:00

There are many hard things to do in life. They are those conversations that we all must have with someone, which we don't want to. Then there are those conversations we have to have with people we have just met and tell them things we really wish we didn't have to. It's when your meeting someone and they ask that one question that you really hope they don't ask. For dropouts that question usually revolves around education.

Education for the past several decades has been used as the yardstick by which to measure someone's worth to a company. Do they have a college degree or don't they? Do they have education beyond college or don't they? This is particularly important in a city like Boston where intellectual snootiness is at it's peak. The decision that because someone has a MBA or a PhD means they are smarter than someone else is not necessarily the case, but for many that slip of paper makes them believe it to be true. Although, maybe the point to see if someone has attained, "higher education" is to see something else?

One of the things I learned in my time in college was how well some people networked through the alumni office and how some others didn't. Some people spent the time cold calling alumni to see if they could get a job or an internship something that might help them out later on in life. The most some of these cold callers had in common was that they went to the same school as the person they were calling. Sometimes that's all that's needed. It is what many people call the old boys network. A future employer looking at your resume when seeing if and where you went college is really looking to see do I have some connection with this person. Maybe they went to that same college which immediately creates a conversation starter. Or maybe their best friend or colleague went to that school so they are familiar with the type of person it produces. These are the type of things that people really want to know. The reason young people are always asked where they went is because it's an easy conversation starter and a way to create a bond with someone.

Now if your reading this your probably going yeah that's all great but I didn't go so how does any of that help me? The short answer is it doesn't! It does however tell you what your up against. It also may help you to understand how to sidestep that question in a way that's more positive. It allows you to say you know I started at...but decided it wasn't for me. Whatever way you handle the question don't be afraid to tell people that you dropped out. For reasons of good or bad you decided to take a different path than a lot of people and you shouldn't hide that fact. I know, I had a hard time at first telling people that I had dropped out of college when it appeared I was so close to finishing. With time though it gets easier and you become more convincing in your conviction that you made the right move. It's hard at first because your life is so up in the air and your trying to make sure that things settle down, but once that happens it gets easier.

Why I dropped out

2008-01-01T22:39:00.001-05:00

Why I dropped out is an interesting question. I've always believed that education doesn't begin or end when you step foot in classroom or on campus. My favorite quote on deal with this matter is one by Mark Twain, "I never let my schooling interfere with my education." This has always been my attitude when it came to "school" work. I've never believed the education system as it currently is setup in this country really benefits anyone beyond high school. It is by this graduation that you learn how to do most of the math you will ever use as well as the writing skills necessary to correspond with others. That being said college isn't a total waste because for people who have no idea what they want to do it does to important things. It gives them more time to figure it out and it gives them the ability to try different things that they might not have otherwise been exposed to. These two qualities are very important and perhaps one of the best parts of college. However once you've completed these two things where do you go from there.

For some people the completion of this step takes them graduation and then off to work at some company. I say some cause most likely the person doesn't care all that much as long as they are getting paid a decent wage to do work they don't mind doing they are happy. Then there are the rest of us. For one reason or another we dropped out. For some of us it was we just couldn't focus. I make no excuses for the fact that in several of my classes I could have done better if I had been paying more attention as opposed to reading the news and seeing what companies were making what deals. But for me that was far more interesting and often educational then the professor in front of me babbling on about some mundane subject. When you break down the cost of tuition per class was it really worth it for me or anyone else to hear this babbling? For some the answer is obviously yes. For me the answer was no and it was the beginning of the road I am on now.

Introduction

2007-12-31T17:26:00.001-05:00

I've started this blog with the idea that it could be a way for me to document what is perhaps the most high risk move many people make in their lives. The decision of whether or not to continue with college. For many, the idea of just being able to go to college is a dream come true. The fact that they have been accepted and can find the necessary funding is all they can hope for. We've made a lot of progress in this country but we still are not at the point where everyone can afford to go to college. This is one of the many reasons most people can't fathom the idea of going to college then dropping out at some point during it. It's a huge risk today since most(but not all) jobs require a college degree.

My hope for this blog is that it will be a place where I can record for myself and others the daily task of first making the decision to drop out and then what follows. I will do my best to write everyday and keep this updated with the process. I will also do my best to try and provide helpful links and articles along the way. I want this to be helpful for others because life doesn't end when you decide not to continue on with a college education. For many it's just the beginning.