An engaging an insightful article Jack. Great point you make by suggesting theory + implementation is esential to be successful in today’s competitive market. I myself attempted various university courses over a 3 year span and ended up being a ‘uni drop-out’. It was obvious to me after 3 years that the method in which traditional universities deliver their education is irrelevant to the kind of skills needed today. I wish someone had given me the kind of information back then, that you have included in your article.

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Great article! Couldn’t agree with you more. Job security in today’s world in nothing more than the crumbling facade. We have to adopt a new mindset that can take us forward in a rapidly changing information-based economy.

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You hit the nail on the head with this. I am one of those uni students doing the bare minimum to pass yet am actively working on extra-curricular projects and try to keep up to date with what is happening in the business world into which I’ll enter very shortly (which is why I read Anthill). There is so much to be said about this topic…I hope the right people are listening.

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Excellent article Jack. You are the pin up boy for Gen Y and entrepreneurship! Hopefully some other youngsters can learn from what you’ve done and adopt your stategies and views on learning and business!

Keep up the good work.

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Couldnt agree with you more Jack. The education system in place now needs serious attention. Raising awareness and connecting with our generation through media such as this will help get the wheels moving in order to make such desperate changes. Great article!

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Great article Jack, I personally was forced to believe that i needed a University Qualification to make my mark on the workforce and to create a strong career for myself. I did attend University for 3 weeks, where i did experience much of what you mentioned in your article. I put in the effort studying, to find that most of my fellow students didnt really desire to be there, they looked and acted as if they were depressed. We all just seemed to be biding time, doing just enough to get by with a pass, to get the piece of paper which would entitle them to a job.

Stepping into the workforce was the best decision I could have made. I have learnt so much and continue to have amazing experiences with people I really respect. I hope people are listening Jack, your message is powerful.

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Excellent article Jack! I saw a Limitless seminar you ran at RMIT last year and it really changed my perspective about how to go about achieving my goals.
I completely agree with what you’re saying, I too used to think that merely passing my university subjects would enable me to get a job that I’d love. I now know that this is simply not enough. I wish more people were aware of your strong message.

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I found this article really insightful Jack. It only takes one to think outside the box for the rest of us to see our capabilities. We should reform the education system to meet our Gen-Y needs, and encourage a more ‘hands-on’ approach to our learning.

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Spot on JD. This information should be mainstream and placed in the hands of parents and high school career advisors who play such an important role in influencing the decisions of young people. For me, going to University was like living on a desert island for 4 years – far removed from the realities of the commercial world. Personally I feel a bit ripped off that this type of advice wasn’t made available when I was starting out, as I’m certain my path would have been quite different. No doubt I’d be on the Rich List by now and writing this email from a 100ft yacht off Turks & Caicos!

Keep up the great work!

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As the last of the Gen Xers this is the first time I have read one of these types of articles and actually found myself nodding in agreement. A lot of what you have spoken about I have just managed to get through. The scary part is I felt guilty for much of it (Uni days) when i should have been happy to be battling on those (failed) start-ups while doing the ‘bare minimum’ at uni. That experience and the people I met has set me up well!

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As some one who was born at the crossing point between Gen X and Gen Y, I hit the job market at the crux of the last recession. In the mid to late nineties there was 35% youth unemployment in Adelaide so we figured out quicksmart that we should be grovellingly grateful to get any kind of job, let alone one that floated our boat. An important lesson that this taught us was to take whatever job we could get, and learn as much as we could from each and every experience.
Equally so for university, whilst having a degree may not get you a job (I know I wore my keyboard out spending 3 months applying for 10 jobs a day before I landed a graduate position) the education experience and environment is one where a lot of personal growth, life learning and important networks can be made.
Bottom line is, all experiences can afford you as much as you can shake out of them. Gen Y – the world will never be designed with you (or any one else) in mind – make the most of what you’re given, seek out whatever opportunities you can find and do whatever you can to get the most out of them. It’s not up to the world to be what you want it to be, it’s up to you to MAKE it yours.
LOL – now I’m just cringing at the fact that I’m only 30 and already doing the “in my day…” thing

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It’s a good thing someone of your stature is encouraging Gen Y to think outside the square. Keep up the good work.

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Jack, a very insightful article, well done!

After nearly completing my MBA, and running my own advisory business, I couldn’t agree more.

The mindset of an employee and an entrepreneur are considerably different. Over the past few years I have had spoken to many people about business, and had two vastly different responses to the same statement, “I am starting my own business.” Typically the employee responded, “Do you have a business degree?” conversely the entrepreneur responded by saying, “what’s your experience and show me the business plan?” A clear difference in mindset between them both.

I have heard many entrepreneurs say that your MBA should be your failure in your first business. That’s not to say that you should start a business with the intention of going bust, however the invaluable lessons that you learn from jumping in the deep end, networking and starting your business is next to nothing.

The traditional education system has been designed to pigeonhole our careers; understandable considering the alternative is 21 million business owners with no employees. As a rough figure, 95% the students I came across in my MBA had ambition to work for some top tier accounting, finance or investment banking firm. Even after completion, those with intent to start their own business had little or no understanding about how to go about it. The reality is that a MBA, or business degree equivalent was never designed to set you up to run your own business, though prepares us to rise the ranks of the corporate life.

Your MBA is your key to get you half way up the corporate ladder. To climb the rest you really have to be a ‘Corporate Rockstar’. Its similar to a newbie reading ‘Golf for Dummies’ and then competing against Tiger Woods in the world Championships, it’s a whole new ball game. The proof is in the pudding, just look at how many of the BRW Fast 100 have university degrees.

In hindsight if I had to choose to study at University again, I’d probably have taken a degree in Entrepreneurialism from RMIT. For those Gen Y’s who want a more practical solution, obviously speaking to Jack is a good start.

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Hi Jack, Pretty cool article. I would love you to blog at ygenclub.com

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I certainly agree with you Jack. Our university system has much room for improvement, especially regarding outdated curriculum & associated costs. I believe I’m very fortunate to pursue a career which doesn’t require the traditional education path (eg. uni) to establish oneself; all I’ve needed is passion, dedication, experimentation, & the internet for its wide range resources. So I must certainly agree emerging yourself into real world work is what leads career progress, paper doesn’t equal experience, only work experience is actually valued in the eyes of an employer. It would seem the paper of a uni graduate was actually worthy something it the days of my parents, but it’s certainly not so for some industries today.

I do currently employee uni graduates who are very talented, but I also contract self taught professionals for their matchable skills. How one learns their profession is irrelevant to me, it’s how well they can actually perform them in real world projects, & that simply comes down to the individual’s characteristics, not the source of their education. I’ve worked with a lot of people who have gained their skills from uni or self-education, & I’ve actually found on a majority basis the self-taught are generally better skilled & overall more impressive in my field of work.

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You say it as it is. Love your work champ.

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