college — Blog — Jill Jacinto

College and high school graduations are in full swing. Alongside the pomp and circumstance come the highly celebrated commencement speeches from politicians, business executives and celebrities. Here's a sweep of celebrity career tips from 2014 commencement exercises.

Charlie Day:

"It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia' actor Charlie Day spoke to the graduates of his alma mater, Merrimack College.

"Create a job instead of waiting for it to happen. Don't wait for your break, make your break. Make it happen for yourself."

"I don't think you should do what makes you happy. I think you should do what makes you great. What's uncomfortable and scary, what pays off in the long run. Be willing to fail. Let yourself fail. Without this struggle – what is success anyway?"

"You are going to change the world in big ways and in small."

And adding a bit of humor, "I sound like a 10-year-old smoker."

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Katie Couric

The talk show host addressed the class of 2014 at American University.

"You are entering the professional world at a time of breathtaking change and uncertainty. But I am very excited about the future. And I think you should be too."

"A solid work ethic, a lot of initiative, a positive attitude will serve you well."

"I have faced setbacks and disappointments and sorry to say so will all of you. You may take some wrong turns and lose your way but you'll get back on track."

"Do what's best and what works for you. Only you know when to lean in, lean out or lie down."

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Elin Nordegren

Elin Nordegren (Tiger Woods' ex-wife), was chosen as the Outstanding Senior of Rollins College earning a 3.96 GPA.

"When I entered my student adviser office in the fall of 2005 I was 25 years old and had just recently moved to America. I was married without children. Today, nine years later, I'm a proud American and I have two beautiful children...but I'm no longer married."

"Education is the one thing that no one can take away from you."

"Every single day we each have an opportunity to keep on learning and to infuse the learning with meaning. I believe we each have the responsibility to pass on the importance of education to our children and future generations."

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Sean Combs

Sean Combs formally known as Puff Daddy, P. Diddy and Diddy addressed the students of Howard University. He dropped out of Howard to pursue his music career.

"I can't wait to live in the world you are about to create...I can't wait to watch you change the world."

" I want you to remember three things, Number one, I want you to never be afraid to make a decision. Be decisive. Don't be afraid to fail. Be fearless. Number 2, I want you to remember the power of you. You are the most powerful generation this world has ever seen. Number three, Can't stop, won't stop."

"I don't want you to dream. I want you to do. Close your eyes and dream. Then open your eyes and see."

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Sandra Bullock

Sandra Bullock spoke at Warren Easton Charter High School in New Orleans. Bullock donated to the school after it was damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

"Stop worrying so much. Stop being afraid of the unknown."

"Raise the bar higher."

"Nothing is a failure; it's just not supposed to work out that way. Something better is supposed to come along."

Janet Yellin, Chairwoman of the Federal Reserve, spoke at NYU's 2014 commencement.

"Listening to others, especially those with whom we disagree, tests our own ideas and beliefs. It forces us to recognize, with humility, that we don't have a monopoly on the truth."

"There is an unfortunate myth that success is mainly determined by something called "ability." But research indicates that our best measures of these qualities are unreliable predictors of performance in academics or employment. Psychologist Angela Lee Duckworth says that what really matters is a quality she calls "grit"--an abiding commitment to work hard toward long-range goals and to persevere through the setbacks that come along the way."

"Serious decisions about life surely lie ahead, but take the time to savor the joys, large and small that come along the way. Share those joys with others, and share a laugh when you can."

> Watch this awesome Navy SEAL Commander address the University of Texas, Austin

Meet Nancy. She's a 28-year-old tour guide. She leads city tours in Florida. She went to a great college and majored in photography. She tried to make it in her profession, but taking a crying baby's photos or shooting a wedding wasn't her ideal career after all. She now works at a job that is seasonal, has no real growth or benefits and didn't necessarily require her diploma.

Meet Danielle. She's a 29-year-old manager of a popular seasonal bar in New York. She graduated from a prestigious fashion school and scored a job designing showrooms for stores. She hated it. She started bartending and saw she was able to triple her former salary. She only works four months out of the year and is able to travel for eight months. To her, college was pointless and not at all necessary. If she could do it again, she would have saved her tuition money and started bartending four years earlier.

Meet Dan. He's a 30-year-old bartender at a popular bar in Washington, D.C. Dan graduated from a local college there but wasn't interested in finding a job in his chosen career path of art history. He bartended through college and kept going after graduation. He isn't thinking about applying to a regular nine-to-five.

Meet Andy. He's a 25-year-old waiter, a former pre-med graduate. After attending classes, he saw that becoming a doctor was not the path for him. He's still thinking about what his next steps are, but at the moment he is very happy and comfortable with where he is financially. He's taking food and wine courses to help him move up in the industry.

All of these people are extremely intelligent and educated. They all expressed how much interpretation and analysis goes into each of their lines of work -- something the customer rarely thinks about.

The college system is broken. More and more graduates are entering industries that not only have nothing to do with their field of interest but might not even require a degree. Colleges need to provide real life, on-the-job training. Students should have a chance to fully test out what that job should be. They should understand the roles, responsibilities, salary and demand of that position.

With the exorbitant cost of college, it really might not be the best option for some people. Plenty of industries do not require a four-year degree and won't leave students in a job they don't like with high amounts of student debt. Those jobs include electrician, cosmetologist, hygienist, customer service representative, or paralegal.

Professors Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa from New York University andThe University of Virginia released a study and wrote a book, Aspiring Adults Adrift, on the demise of prepared college graduates. They told the Wall Street Journal,

"Colleges focus too much on students' social lives at the expense of a strong academic and career road map. Schools have given their charges an unrealistic sense of what it takes to achieve their life aims, resulting in overwhelming -- and possibly unrealistic --optimism among young people about their prospects."

Everyone's vision of success is different. The ROI of attending collegesattending colleges have faltered the millennial set. Schools need to take action now and reform their education process.