Getting Real: Helping Teens Find Their Future [Paperback]

Kenneth Carter Gray (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0761975152 | ISBN-13: 978-0761975151 | Publication Date: August 11, 1999 | Edition: 1

Getting Real offers realistic advice and career directions to negotiate the disparity between teenage beliefs and aspirations and the real economic and labor market.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I applaud the author’s efforts in promoting a shift from the 'one way to win' stance toward that of helping students face reality and develop career goals that will help them be successful." (Shawn Grime, School Counselor )

"Stresses the need for career maturity. This is one of the few books that addresses this topic so well." (Diane Smith, School Counselor )

"This book is a must-read for those involved in developing futures planning for students in ninth grade through their exit from high school into adult life." (Kelli S. Kercher, Transition Specialist )

“Gray provides a systematic method for working with students to look at opportunities after high school in a realistic way.” (Mary Reeve, Director ) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Kenneth C. Gray is a professor in the Workforce Education and Development Program at Pennsylvania State University. Prior to joining the faculty at Penn State, he was superintendent of the Vocational Technical High School System in Connecticut and has been a high school English teacher, guidance counselor, and administrator. He has published widely and is frequently quoted in the national press. He is coauthor with Edwin Herr of Workforce Education: The Basic. His latest book, Getting Real: Helping Teens Find Their Future, addresses the importance of helping teenagers develop career direction as a prerequisite to postsecondary success. He holds a BA in economics from Colby College, an MA in counseling psychology from Syracuse University, and a doctorate in technical education from Virginia Tech.

Product Details

• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: Corwin Press; 1 edition (August 11, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761975152
• ISBN-13: 978-0761975151
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,600,912 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thinking outside the box, September 11, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Getting Real: Helping Teens Find Their Future (Paperback)

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.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for teens (and parents who want their teens to succeed), February 21, 2008

By 

Carol Christen "Career Strategist" (Central Coast of California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Getting Real: Helping Teens Find Their Future (Paperback)

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

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All school counselors should read this book, June 30, 2010

By 

mountainmom (Tooele, UT) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Getting Real: Helping Teens Find Their Future (Paperback)

This is an excellent book for counselors and parents of high school students. As a school counselor, I have told my students that the more education they receive, the more money they will make. This is not as simple as we have made it out to be, and I am determined in coming years to be more accurate with my information. Mr. Gray uses the analogy that getting a college degree is like getting a ticket to an overbooked flight. Everyone has a ticket, but not everyone makes it on the plane. And if they don't have specific marketable skills, there won't be a seat for them at all. The statistics and information Mr. Gray provides in this book are very helpful. I dog-eared my book continuously so that I can refer to the book as I work with my students' educational/occupational plans in the future. I took it with me to a counselor's conference to share with other counselors. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Mr. Gray was scheduled to be our keynote speaker, then highly disappointed to learn he couldn't make it because of some health concerns.

This book is formatted so that the reader learns first to rethink traditional advice, and is offered supporting evidence to do so. Mr. Gray then follows with specific ways to help students in a school setting and gives suggested programs for students to access and learn work skills. There are also chapters addressing gender roles in work and education as well as students with disabilities and ethnic minorities. Very well written.