What's the source and data for this statement?

 

I read it in an article a few years ago. It said that since the high school grad can't get some of the fancier jobs they are forced to do other things to make a living like open a gas station, tire shop, plumbing company, HVAC company and the number one construction company. In order to run a small business you need to acquire assets therefore real estate and heavy equipment is often bought. Over time this leads to an accumulation of wealth. My accountant told me the same thing. All his clients are farmers or small business owners who are multi millionaires and drive old beaters. While he makes his 85K and drives a newer BMW. Wealth building is not linked with education.

In my current occupation I see the public crying out for a reliable plumber and will pay handsomely for it while business school grads flip burgers. We have an over educated population of people who don't want to work. The rest are mostly unskilled and unambitious.

If you are truly interested in this topic you could read the wealthy barber or search the internet. I am sure that you will find something.

SkyHigh

I found an atricle from the UK on the subject.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pre...lionaire.shtml

 

That makes it official! After all, we know the media is completely honest!

No argument there. Reliable being the key thought.

Actually, I'd rather be able to write this article about myself .... as soon as I develop that new hula-hoop.

 

Are we to believe the that reliable plumber woke up one day and said "I am a plmuber" without any form or training?

 

Plumbers, electricians, carpenters in my area go through an apprenticeship. No classroom and no trade school. They earn a wage from day one and after 4 years have a profession that pays well. No student loans.

As I think about it the wealthiest guy from my high school graduating class pressure washes and maintains shake roofs. In fact I don't think he graduated. He shows up for work at 10:00am and is done by 3-4:00PM. He was considering building a home in a local resort housing development. I have seen his financials and he earns almost 750K per year. Not bad for a pot head.

Increasingly the skilled worker class is where the big bucks are; Firefighters, nurses, police, technicians.

SKyHigh

 

Of the three most successful of my friends in the same age range as me, two are not college grads, and are making six figures in real estate. The other is a recent law school grad, making about the same. None of these "statistics" matter though; a go-getter is a go-getter, college degree or not. You can spot them a mile away. They have a PLAN--an air of competence and ambition that most do not. People who take 5-6 years to finish a liberal arts degree clearly do not have a plan.

 

Yeah, what Bose said.

On the positive side of college, it has allowed me to have several really interesting and satisfying jobs. While I did roofing, and made good money prior to college, my professional jobs (including flying) are a lot more interesting. I do have engineering/technical degrees vice liberal arts.

Also a go-getter entrepenuer with a relevant degree or two can inspire the confidence of venture-capitalists...a software or bio-medical company might be more fun and profitable than a roofing company.

 

What's your status?

 

Well, let's see...I thought had a plan, but it turned out to be a bad one. After five years in the army I went and got that useless ERAU aero sci degree, and only recently admitted to myself that I don't love flying ENOUGH to deal with the low pay and lack of job/home stability. Now I'm flight instructing while working on my master's degree in CPA accounting.

 

You have a family... you're flight instructing... you are working on a masters for a CPA. Life experiences are never a waste of time… they are learning experiences… both positive and negative that you can impart to your children.

Myself, unsure of the aviation industries in the late 70s caused me to come up with an alternative plan in the event the aviation thing did not pan out. I became an enrolled actuary FSA. From that I started a business which I owned for 22 years before selling it. It supported my habit… my yearn… my desire to fly.

I don’t look at that pilots are fortunate to have airline jobs, but rather airlines we for are fortunate to have an employees that never gave up on their dream.