Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,000+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trial
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
Job U summary
Nicholas Wyman
How to Find Wealth and Success by Developing the Skills Companies Actually Need
12 mins
Brief summary
Job U by Nicholas Wyman is a guide for young adults to start a successful career without going to college. Wyman offers real-life examples, step-by-step instructions, and a hopeful perspective on vocational education and training.
Table of Contents
Job U
Summary of 5 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 5
A college education is not the best path into the future world of work.
Have you got kids? If you do, it’s a fair bet that once they’ve finished high school, you’d like them to go to college. A college degree will give them the best chance of a good job with a high salary, and that’s a fact. Or is it?
You might be surprised to hear that every day, jobs are created that do not require a college education. In fact, according to a forecast by the Labour Department of the United States, a mere 27 percent of new jobs that will be generated from 2014 to 2024 require college education. Moreover, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that of the 20 occupations expected to create the most new jobs from 2012 to 2022, only one of these – general and operations management – requires a bachelor’s degree.
So if we continue to force the norm of college education upon our children, they may later find themselves fighting for jobs where their degree is no longer relevant. And it’s not just graduates in a decade’s time who’ll find themselves unemployed – the problems have already begun. The jobless rate for college graduates under the age of 25 was 8.2 percent in 2013 compared to 5.4 percent in 2007.
So if a college education can no longer secure a job, what can?
There are two keys to finding a job today: technical skills and work experience. Rapidly growing industries, such as the tech world, require you to have both the technical know-how and, where possible, real world experience. Most college degrees can give you neither.
In this way, workers who did not go to traditional colleges to study are increasingly better off than those that did. For example, in Florida and Virginia, graduates with technical or occupational associate degrees currently outearn the state’s bachelor’s degree recipients by almost $2,500 per year.
So statistics show loud and clear that a college degree may not benefit you as an individual. But did you know that they are harming society too? Read on to the next blink to find out why.
Want to see all full key ideas from Job U?
Key ideas in Job U
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is Job U about?
Job U (2015) reveals how the idea that college is for everyone will disadvantage both the individual and the workforce as a whole – and even the economy itself. These blinks explore alternative approaches to education that will help us find fulfilling and well-paying careers, proving that college isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Job U Review
Job U (2015) by Nicholas Wyman is a compelling read that explores alternative education options and provides practical advice for career success. Here are three reasons why this book is definitely worth reading:
- Wyman offers insightful stories and firsthand accounts of individuals who have found success through nontraditional education, inspiring readers to consider different paths.
- By exploring the changing job landscape and the skills that are in demand, the book equips readers with the knowledge they need to make informed career decisions.
- The book's emphasis on practicality and actionable steps provides readers with useful tools for navigating the job market and finding fulfilling careers.
Who should read Job U?
- High school leavers
- Parents thinking about starting college funds for their children
- Anyone wondering what they should do next in their education or career
Categories with Job U
Book summaries like Job U
Getting to Zero
Jayson Gaddis
How to Work Through Conflict in Your High-Stakes Relationships
28 min
4.5
Learning Agile
Andrew Stellman and Jennifer Greene
Understanding Scrum, XP, Lean, and Kanban
17 min
4.3
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked these summaries
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
31 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth
Job U FAQs
What is the main message of Job U?
Job U emphasizes the importance of vocational education and the value of acquiring practical skills for a successful career.
How long does it take to read Job U?
Reading Job U takes several hours. Reading the Blinkist summary takes just 15 minutes.
Is Job U a good book? Is it worth reading?
Job U is a worthwhile read. It offers valuable insights on alternative paths to success beyond traditional four-year degrees.
Who is the author of Job U?
Nicholas Wyman is the author of Job U.
What to read after Job U?
If you're wondering what to read next after Job U, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Humanity Works by Alexandra Levit
- Same as Ever by Morgan Housel
- Future Skills by Bernard Marr
- The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
- The Bhagavad Gita by Vyasa
- DEI Deconstructed by Lily Zheng
- The Self-Made Billionaire Effect by John Sviokla and Mitch Cohen
- The First Rule of Mastery by Michael Gervais
- The Great Money Reset by Jill Schlesinger
- Moving to Outcomes by Robert Glazer & Matthew Wool