...With a Little Bit of Luck

In a recent article from the New York Times titled "Will Dropouts Save America?" the author argues that in our modern, unpredictable economy, the most successful entrepreneurs are those who abandon the path of academia and utilize their own creativity and "street smarts" to realize their revolutionary business ideas. The article cites billionaire-visionaries Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, among others, as examples of people who succeeded only by dropping out of college in favor of more worthwhile pursuits. However,one thing the article fails to note is that most of these people are dropouts from Harvard University, one of the country's most famously exclusive universities and one that takes serious commitment to academia to even be accepted to. Where I believe the author of this article is wrong is in saying that, because of our now-unpredictable economy, it is as easy for a college graduate to find employment as it is for a college dropout, granted they both possess the same amount of this nebulous "street smarts" characteristic.
In class, we've discussed how the American dream involves anyone being able to make it with hard work and a little bit of luck. However, I believe that, ideally, luck should have nothing to do with one's success, and that luck is exactly the factor that this author is unknowingly placing too much emphasis upon. In the article, something called the "informal job market" is detailed in which jobs are filled through an employer asking his or her friends if they know anyone fit for the position. In this job market, a college degree is hardly necessary. What is necessary, however, is being somehow connected to an employer with an empty position for which you are perfectly qualified. To me, it seems as if this informal job market is based solely upon luck-of-the-draw, a wholly unamerican prospect. Rather than utilizing knowledge and skill to find, apply for, and interview for a job, it is simply about getting lucky enough to have some sort of connection to an employer who just so happens to be in need of a person exactly like you.
Of course, you can always succeed through independent entrepreneurship and a stroke of genius à la Mark Zuckerberg, yet the circumstances surrounding that man's rise to power can arguably be described as based upon luck as well. In general, hoping to follow in the footsteps of a visionary like Mark Zuckerberg is not a stable or even sensible business plan in any way. It is simply not possible for everyone (or even a small minority of) entrepreneurs and university students to do what Gates and Jobs did and invent technological marvels.
To me, this article reads more like a "what to do if you are a genius" advice column than a helpful informative piece for everyone. So, unless you're willing to take a large risk with your economic future, it seems the best advice is still to try your luck experience in the "formal job market," where a college degree is a definite way to help achieve employment. While the economy may be unpredictable these days, anything we can do to make job security more predictable is definitely a good thing. It seems that, for now, the American dream is still alive and well.
What do you think? If you know anyone who's made it in the "informal job market," feel free to share your story.