What Makes You Happy to Get Up In The Morning: A conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Karin Klein

Strategos Group Senior Advisor and host of the On Balance podcast Dr. Rod Berger sat down for a compelling conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Karin Klein to discuss the genesis of her new book Rethinking College: A Guide to Thriving Without a College Degree. Contrary to the title’s suggestion, Klein embraces higher education as a chosen route but also champions alternative approaches that involve authentic discovery of connections, lifelong learning, and personal assessment as epicenters of future opportunities.

The book’s origin evolved over many years of investigation, using what she calls the journalistic tool of “gathering string” from bits of relevant information. In the process, her eyes opened to the realities facing many individuals caught within shifts of corporate hiring, unnecessary prerequisites for graduate degrees, and the shutting out of qualified, intelligent candidates, including middle-aged women looking to alter their professional lives. 

Momentum grew but truly blossomed when her brother-in-law introduced her to the rigorous Swiss education model. While some high-level students in Switzerland leave high school directly to university, many find their paths through thoughtfully set up nationwide apprenticeship programs. “They spend half their time working in paid apprenticeships in the fields of their interest and then go into jobs that in the U.S. require a bachelor's degree,” said Klein.

Klein began asking, “Why are we cutting so many people off from a good future here in the U.S. when they might not need a bachelor's degree? Aside from the financial issues, some people aren’t classroom learners but are [highly skilled].” She also pondered the chasm and duality of choice: Why do you either get a bachelor's degree or work as a checker at Walmart? These inquiries and examinations led to bylines from her position at the LA Times, prompting HarperCollins to reach out for a book on the subject. In many ways, Klein’s book opportunity mirrors a curiosity for continuous learning and discovery she sees as crucial for all striving to find their paths.

Nowadays, a bachelor’s degree is no longer a guaranteed ticket to a job, eliciting Berger to ask, “Is this a challenge of economic storytelling and value proposition? Is there a breakdown inside education that needs addressing?” According to Klein, part of the problem is that high school counselors seem caught up in outdated parameters. “One of the issues I raised in my book is that our school counselors have one source called the Holy Trinity of Offerings for students. You can attend college, serve in the military, or enter the skilled trades.” While Klein acknowledges these choices as admirable, the narrow offerings do not present the realities of choice and opportunities for students today.

Klein recognizes that many youths today lack the necessary input of real-life experience. Whether getting into college or landing a job, it is about showing authenticity through experiences to create a rich, personalized story. The process demands honest self-assessment and the ability to network and connect as a person. Joining groups that exist on platforms like Facebook can create rewarding connections. Berger added that “story” is of utmost importance during his years of lecturing and connecting with students in higher ed. “I always ask for their resumes to understand how they will tell their story. Almost all of them bury the lead of what makes them interesting. When you dig it out with them, what emerges is an incredibly insightful, thoughtful, experienced, adventurous young person that needs to be the lead,” said Berger.  

“This is not the anticollege book,” Klein emphasized. “This is a book about finding your path. You will get ideas and a notion of how to get started. It can be just as helpful for those getting out of college because they usually don’t have any more ideas than high school kids on how to start.” Klein points out that the book isn’t about steering individuals away from college but toward the possibilities of apprenticeships, certificate programs, creative outlets, and service work, with valuable information and examples of how others have done it.

“Many people in our society have reached the point where they don’t think getting a four-year degree is the biggest deal. That’s ok, but what do you do because you won’t find out from your school counselor? This book helps you see how to go about it, with lists of corporations that used to require degrees but have now opened themselves up to hiring people without a college degree. There are also lists of white-collar apprenticeships,” added Klein.

In Klein’s view, it’s about finding what resonates as an individual and staying active in honestly assessing yourself and remaining curious. Instead of the overused word  “passion,” she prefers to share the wording of one of her sources: “What makes you happy to get up in the morning?” As Klein suggests, finding out what makes you happy is always a good start. “Maybe it’s the wrong start, but so what?” she said. “You might have to start over, but you haven’t wasted time finding out what you don’t want to do.”

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To hear the entirety of the interview with Karin Klein and Dr. Rod Berger, head over to the On Balance podcast, part of the Strategos Podcast Network (SPN). Karin’s book Rethinking College: A Guide to Thriving Without a College Degree is also available.