Jobs vs Careers, Specializations vs MultiTalented, and our current economy

About 10 year ago I was close friends with a youngish couple, both who had just gotten their PhDs. She was in Economics and he was in Physics and became a professor. While I have attended college, I don't have a degree, and I have had a bunch of jobs, some skilled, some not so much.

I personally think we as a society have gone too far with specialization, in some ways. In other ways I realize it is necessary in some fields such as medicine, education, etc.

Many jobs/careers have their own jargon. Many necessary jobs and careers in this country aren't paid well enough. I think many jobs require a love of something or a personality type, as opposed to book learning. For instance, teaching - my ideal teacher would be someone who loves kids, loves to learn and know how to encourage kids to love and want to read and learn.

What do you think we need? More or less specialization? More formal education or more common sense?
Schools are so busy teaching to tests they are cutting out gym, home ec, shop, etc. Our factories are being sent out of the country, and not everyone can afford to go to college or is capable of it. What Vo-Tech fields are still open? Many vehicles now have computer chips, so being a mechanic is no longer what it once was. HMOs and other managed care systems have ruined healthcare, in my opinion, but how to do fix it and make it more affordable?

Yet, even as the profession pushes for more education/degrees--wages are stagnant. Same is true for home health care workers! Many women are employed. Gender does play a role in some of these fields.


....Many jobs/careers have their own jargon. Many necessary jobs and careers in this country aren't paid well enough.

I agree.

public schools. But tests are emphasized so much now, who can blame them?

"Many necessary jobs and careers in this country aren't paid well enough."

Such as child care workers. Everybody gives lip service to the idea that child care is up there with Mom, apple pie, and the American flag, but child care workers are poorly paid and low-status workers.

I think in the USA there's too much of the idea that EVERYBODY should go to college. It was true when I went--late 60's and still is. There is also the idea--rarely spoken--that college is superior to technical or vocational training. That the trades aren't "as good as" some job that requires a college education and is white-collar.

Jeez, Americans should've gotten out of this kind of thinking ages ago. Many people who go into the trades make more money than people with bachelor's and master's degrees. And I don't think the US will be able to outsource plumbing, electrical work, etc., to India any time soon.

And by that I mean learning how to handle adverse situations, dealing with extremely difficult people, handling confrontations, adjusting to frequent changes, lowering expectations, being aware that many many many people around you cannot read, learning how to not take others' responsibilites when they do not follow through or complete their jobs and developing compassion for the masses of idiots who do not have a clue and sabotage the workplace on a daily basis.