The case for NOT going to a specialty school A highly specialized degree might make it difficult to succeed in today's workplace. Whether you get your degree from a specialty school or university, you're still going to need a job after graduation. Those few stellar talents who immediately are snapped up by top orchestras and galleries need not be concerned with a workplace that increasingly demands flexibility. For the majority, however, highly specialized skills can be a hindrance. Clinton observes that we don't know what jobs will be available fifteen years from now, so today's college students are better off preparing for the future by learning general rather than extremely focused skills.
Some employers prefer to train new employees in the specifics of their jobs.
Those graduates with extremely focused degrees are sometimes not as valued because they can't be trained as easily. Communication skills are needed in every career. Before he became Director of Institutional Advancement at Life Chiropractic College West in San Lorenzo, CA, Fred Schultz taught freshman English to mostly engineering students who were not happy about having to write. All they wanted to do was figure out loads on bridges, not learn to communicate. Schultz knew better and emphasizes that good communication skills, no matter what the field, are critical to succeed.