 "The average cost for an in-state public college is $22,261, and a moderate
budget for a private college averaged $43,289 for the 2012-2013 academic year.
For elite schools, we're talking about three times the cost of your local state
school," says Stewart, a spokesman for
College Works Painting, which provides practical and life-changing business
experience for college students who have shown potential for success. Interns
operate their own house-painting business with hands-on guidance from mentors.
Making matters worse, adults in their 30s have 21 percent less net worth than
30-somethings 30 years ago, according to a new Urban Institute report.
"More students are being saddled with long-term debt while getting less value
for their education," Stewart says. "Because of the difficulty recent college
grads are having finding jobs in today's tough economy; today's students may
have even less worth in their 30s than 30-somethings today."
To add value to their professional career, Stewart encourages students to
seek outside-the-box avenues for increasing their career stock while in college.
Running a business is a great way to do that, he explains:
A
college degree is the minimum qualification employers are seeking. What
hiring managers are looking for is that something extra when reviewing a
stack of qualified resumes. At the heart of the economy is innovation; it's
the difference between simply existing in a market and thriving in one.
Employers know they need people with creativity and gumption for innovation.
Real-world management of time
and money. College is a time when young adults learn to live
autonomously. It's the rare student, however, who learns to manage his or
her own affairs and the most precious resources in the business world – time
and money. Managing employees, driving sales, developing specific skills for
a real market and building strong customer relationships are best learned
with hands-on experience.
Learn where they need help. What do you do
well and where do you need help? The best way to know with any certainty is
through experience. Running a business while attending college allows
students to circle back to their education and focus on their trouble areas
by adjusting their curriculum in future semesters.
[to top of second column] |
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Develop
meaningful bonds. One of the most meaningful aspects of the
college experience is the relationships students develop with
each other, which often have professional consequences after
college. Enlisting the help of fellow students for a common
business purpose tends to have a powerful bonding effect.
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Immediate return on investment.
Most students who run a business during college will not prove
to be the next Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerburg or David Geffen,
which is precisely why students should not drop out of college
like those pioneers did. However, a student doesn't have to be
the next Zuckerburg to experience amazing success as an
entrepreneur. The business College Hunks Moving Junk is just one
recent example that began in an entrepreneurial student mind.
___
Matt Stewart co-founded National Services Group, which operates
College Works Painting, SMJJ Investments and Empire Community
Construction. Under the executive team's leadership, National
Services Group has grown from a small Southern California business
into a national leader in two industries and has been recognized as
an entrepreneurial leader by Ernst & Young, the Orange County
Business Journal, Entrepreneur and hundreds of other periodicals.
Stewart has received a several awards, including the Excellence in
Entrepreneurship Award from the Orange County Business Journal, was
named to "40 under 40" and has twice been a finalist for the Ernst &
Young Entrepreneur of The Year Award.
[Text from file received from
News and Experts]
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