Getting Real: Helping Teens Find Their Future

First mechanics: Getting Real is extremely well written. Dr. Gray weaves together statistics, ideas and research into a well organized, easily read 128 pages. Secondly material: Sadly, too many teens are making career plans using information that is at least a decade out of date. Getting Real accurately updates readers at warp speed. Dr. Gray bravely tackles the myth that a university degree is the key to a successful career and that all university degrees lead to high paying jobs. In today's job market, this just isn't so. Dr. Gray shows why success for today's teens will depend as much on creating detailed and achievable post-high school plans as it does on getting good grades. His definitions of career maturity for 10th and 12th grade students are revolutionary. His ideas will come as a shock to Boomer parents who believe that teens should put off making career decisions as long as possible to keep all options open. Dr. Gray explains in detail why this old advice is bad advice. The global economy has created a job market is volatile and complex. High school and college teachers have little training about labor market realities or effective career planning techniques. Therefore, successful transition from school to work is an individual responsibility. Getting Real provides teens the guidance they need to create sound strategies for building their first career paths. Carol Christen, author What Color Is Your Parachute for Teens: Discovering Yourself, Defining Your Future

Ken Gray has dared to challenge what we all have come to believe to be the "right" path for a student to follow after high school. The truth is that times have changed and the path to success no longer follows the same pattern it once did. I highly recommend this book for anyone who works in close contact with high school students. Many students go to college because they feel it's the only option... then drop out because it isn't for them. Ken Gray's book points to another option for helping these students to succeed.