New Creative Educator episode: Jeff Selingo on the path from college to career in a changing world
Join Adobe and bestselling author, Jeff Selingo, as they discuss important questions about the role of colleges in preparing students for a rapidly evolving future.
We launched the Adobe Creative Educator Podcast just a few months ago, and it’s off to a very exciting start. In our first few episodes, we have welcomed a diverse group of guests to discuss the power of creativity in education as well as strategies for how we can empower the next generation to be creative and reap the benefits.
In our recent episode, Changing Worlds: College to Career, we talked with higher education expert Jeff Selingo. As a former editor of the Chronicle of Higher Education and author of books like Who Gets In and Why and There Is Life After College, Jeff has great insights into the ways in which colleges are adapting to better prepare students for a changing world. He also has advice for students on how to make the most of their time in college and develop the kinds of skills that will serve them best in the future.
Listen to the podcast to hear Jeff discuss how — at a time when technological advancements are taking away jobs — colleges need to help students learn skills that complement technology rather than compete with it. He explains that there are “soft” or “human” skills that computers cannot master, like navigating ambiguity, communicating persuasively, and solving problems creatively as part of a team. And he says today’s college students should focus less on learning narrowly focused job skills and more on developing broadly applicable soft skills and practicing them in hands-on projects.
Jeff also talks about the importance of developing a “thirst for learning.” He says that college admissions officers are always looking for students who demonstrate the potential to learn and a growth mindset. And given the new reality that today’s college students will likely have multiple jobs and even multiple careers over their lifetimes, he says all students need to think about education as a lifetime commitment.
“Students prepared to keep learning, to stay curious, to innovate, to have the confidence to bring creativity to new challenges — they will be ready not just for one job, but for a career — and to be productive citizens,” he says.
You can stream this episode and every episode of the Adobe Creative Educator Podcast on the web or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. We hope you enjoy the series, and we look forward to hearing your feedback.