Every Day is a Weekend
Jan Aclan is a current Praxis participant. This piece was originally published on his personal blog. Ever since I dropped out of college, Saturday lost its charm. Every day is a weekend and Mondays mean nothing. Because of the absence of classes, each day matters. Personally, I would feel rather guilty for doing nothing all day. At least […]
Introducing Forward Tilt
Praxis is about putting ideas into action. Through the 12 month program, participants learn the mindsets and methods to build careers they love. But, you don’t have to be a Praxis participant to use the Praxis mindset. Today, we are excited to launch Forward Tilt, a new podcast by Praxis to help you create a great […]
Forget the Degree, Build A Better Signal
A college degree is a signal. It’s a signal to the world of your value in the market. It conveys information about your ability, skill, and intelligence. There is a lot of noise in the world of work, and it’s hard to figure out who’s worth working with. A degree cuts through some of that […]
Dropouts and Opt-Outs: Steve Jobs
“After six months, I couldn’t see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out… So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the […]
Why You Shouldn’t Stress About Your First Job
Doing something is more valuable than thinking about doing the perfect thing. At Praxis, we work with participants to place them in an excellent apprenticeship with one of our business partners. Our number one goal is to ensure an experience that challenges participants, helps them grow, and lets them move closer to discovering and doing […]
3 Strategies for Self-Directed Learning
The most important skill for a young person today is learning quickly and effectively. Since the Great Recession, nobody buys the false impression that you can get a credential after studying for four years, land a job, and then have a career with the same core set of skills over your entire life. Even professional career tracks like […]
3 Things You Won’t Learn in College
I saw an article by a recent graduate of the University of Michigan, the school I attended for two years before dropping out. The article praised the university experience and noted that, “The value of an education from the University of Michigan is rivaled by no one.” It didn’t mention what you won’t learn in college. I […]
Instead of New Year’s Resolutions, Create a 30 Day PDP
It goes something like this: its almost New Years and you sit down to write out your goals for the following year. You begin writing and are surprised by how much you want to accomplish. You’re excited and inspired but also overwhelmed with choices. Where do you begin? How long will it take? New Year’s […]
A Wrong Decision is Better than No Decision
Today, it is easier than ever to become lost in indecision. We are surrounded by a plethora of choices in all areas of life. They range from choosing your next big career move, to choosing where to live, to choosing what to have for dinner, and everything in between. The process of choosing which thing […]
Here’s What Employers Value More Than Experience
Since I dropped out of college, I’ve noticed something unexpected: Despite starting in entry-level positions, people who quit school and have minimal experience often perform better and advance much faster early on in their careers. They have a chip on their shoulder. They realize that they’re starting from a lower perceived spot by quitting college, […]
How to Overcome the Social and Parental Pressure to Go Back to College
Should I drop out or should I stay in school? Most people I talk to will choose unhappiness and boredom over disappointing their family and friends. I was like this a few years ago. Few people know that I dropped out of college for the first time in the fall semester of 2014. I skipped […]
3 Reasons to Be More Ambitious
I talk to a lot of competent, hard-working young people. I do this at our business partners, in Praxis interviews, during speaking engagements, and on social media. The audience I am engaging is better than your average 18 or 22 year old. These are people who actually look forward to working and are excited about the opportunity […]
Throw Your Resume Away: Simple Steps to Developing an Effective Value Proposition
You don’t need a degree. You need a value proposition. This is the central idea of an article I wrote awhile ago. Here’s a summary: credentialism, resume padding, and rising standards of living and education levels, have all led to resume inflation. The resume is becoming an increasingly poor way to “sell” yourself to companies […]
I Interviewed 20 Successful Dropouts. Here’s What I Learned.
This is a guest post by Kylon Gienger, the host of the Successful Dropout Podcast. Kylon has interviews with Praxis Director of Marketing Derek Magill and CEO Isaac Morehouse. As the host of the Successful Dropout podcast and website, I have had the pleasure of interviewing an inspiring and successful dropout every week. Most have […]
How to Create a Useful Digital Paper Trail
Your presence online is either a liability or an asset. There is no middle ground. The trick is getting your digital paper trail to work for you. I don’t mean this in the way of your teachers in high school who cautioned you about putting pictures of parties online. I mean it in a way that’s […]