Career planning
The picture above basically says “learn hairdressing to become a biologist”.
It is an advertisement aimed at young people to pursue a career that starts with an apprenticeship to learn a craft – in this case, hairdressing. (Apprenticeships are a famous and valid way of vocational training in the German speaking countries to enter the job market without the need of academic education. This is fine, and there is absolutely nothing wrong about it: Not every job needs academic education, and not every person needs it either. Society would be seriously wrong if it would be otherwise, here I totally agree with Rudolf Strahm.)
But something bothers me here (and I hope that I just didn’t understand it): The abovementioned ad (that was distributed widely on Swiss train stations a few months ago) seems to imply that there is a direct career path that leads to an exciting job (“biologist”) and starts naturally with an apprenticeship for some unrelated craft (“hairdresser”). This is not the case.
Of course, even if our educational system is hierarchically structured, there are ways from (almost) anywhere to everywhere. But these or costly in terms of time if detours are involved. I see the real danger here that the “opportunity window” in one’s lifetime to pursue education closes before one reaches his or her real potential (speaking not only, but mainly, about intellectual potential here, but also about vocation - or, if you will, “calling”). This might most probably happen if one enters the educational system “too low”” as measured by what he or she would like to have achieved in retrospect after reaching the age of 35: A time in life might come where you perceive a “glass ceiling” that hinders you from career progress, just because you basically miss the qualification that sets you appart from your peers (more on this maybe in a different post).
My advice to young people therefore is: Do what you like and what you are good at; and pursue further education until you reach your limit (in personal potential).
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You did your Bachelor’s with ease? Think twice (or more) before not doing a Master’s degree.
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Nobody from your environment ever pursued a Ph.D., but you are intrigued? Start exploring the options.
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You learned the craft of “Mechatroniker” and are excited by the work? Stay in your job, you can think later about becoming a master craftsman (or “Techniker”). But if you are bored by daily routine, go back to school and eventually become an engineer.