About this item
The decision of whether to go to college, or where, is hampered by poor information and inadequate understanding of the financial risk involved.Adding to the confusion, the same degree can cost dramatically different amounts for different people. A barrage of advertising offers new degrees designed to lead to specific jobs, but we see no information on whether graduates ever get those jobs. Mix in a frenzied applications process, and pressure from politicians for "relevant" programs, and there is an urgent need to separate myth from reality.Peter Cappelli, an acclaimed expert in employment trends, the workforce, and education, provides hard evidence that counters conventional wisdom and helps us make cost-effective choices. Among the issues Cappelli analyzes are:* What is the real link between a college degree and a job that enables you to pay off the cost of college, especially in a market that is in constant change?* Why it may be a mistake to pursue degrees that will land you the hottest jobs because what is hot today is unlikely to be so by the time you graduate.
About the Author
Peter Cappelli is the George W. Taylor Professor of Management and director of the Center for Human Resources at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He holds a doctorate from the University of Oxford, and he conducts research in human resources practices, talent and performance management, and public policy related to employment. He is also the editor of Academy of Management Perspectives.
