Editor’s note: Barry Courter has a 26-year-old son who is a college graduate and a 22-year-old daughter who is a college senior. Each week he poses a question he wishes they would ask.
Q: I’ll be graduating from college and hopefully getting a real job soon. Should I be thinking my first job will be the one I have until I retire?
A: You should probably approach it that way, but the reality is that it’s not very likely. You might stay in the same career over the next 40 or 50 years, but likely not at the same place. With that in mind, this first job can set a foundation for everything from where you will live to your salary, so choose wisely. But it’s good to realize people change careers all the time.
– Barry Courter