A few summers ago, my wife Lynnda and I were on vacation with our youngest son’s family. His daughter, Lauren, was getting ready for college and working a summer job.
One day, she told us she wanted to quit because she was scheduled to work three days in a row. Her father calmly replied, “Welcome to the real world. Your mom and I work five days a week, sometimes more.” Lauren’s wide-eyed response—“I don’t know how you do it!”—still makes us smile.
Fast forward four years, and we watched Lauren graduate college summa cum laude. She’s grown so much, working campus jobs like filming sports games, and now she’s back at her old summer job while searching for a career role. Living at home, she’s beginning to understand the realities of adult life—expensive rent, car payments, insurance, and soon, student loans.
Lauren earned a liberal arts degree, and like many recent graduates, she faces a challenging job market. According to ZipRecruiter, the average starting salary for liberal arts grads in 2024 was $41,000.
In contrast, nursing starts around $55,000–$65,000 and engineering at about $75,000. With rent for a basic apartment in her area at $1,500, living with parents remains a smart financial move for many young adults starting out. It gives them time to save and plan.
When I graduated decades ago with an engineering degree, things were different. My basic expenses—rent, car loan, insurance, and student loan—only took up 40% of my salary. That cushion made saving for a house achievable early on. Today’s grads face a steeper climb, and the real world can feel harsh. Planning and awareness matter more than ever.
This idea of “the real world” stretches beyond just young adults entering the workforce. It’s a reminder for all of us, especially in leadership. I’ve seen many executives lose touch with what it’s like in the field—the place where customer needs are met, and revenue is created.
I remember one company mistakenly sent equipment too large to be used on a West Virginia well site. In contrast, a CEO I once worked with started his career in the field. He never forgot his roots and stayed connected to real-world operations, even making personal calls to support us when needed.
Ignoring reality in favor of idealism can have serious consequences. Look at California’s energy situation. Ambitious green energy policies—like pushing for all-electric vehicles, shutting down nuclear power, and phasing out fossil fuels—were implemented without answering one basic question: Where will the replacement power come from?
The result? High costs, brownouts, and blackouts. Wind and solar play a role, but they can’t fully replace reliable, constant sources like natural gas, coal, nuclear, or geothermal. The real world demands dependable energy.
This past week, the Shale Crescent USA (SCUSA) team attended SelectUSA in Washington, D.C., hosted by the U.S. Commerce Department. The event connects foreign companies with U.S. investment opportunities. This year set a record for attendance, and SCUSA had 52 pre-scheduled meetings—up from 32 the year before.
We share leads with state development offices in West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, with a strong focus on manufacturing. Our goal is to bring manufacturing back to the U.S., creating high-paying jobs here at home.
Our booth this year was twice the size of last year’s and drew more attention than ever. Many foreign companies were surprised to learn about our region’s energy advantage. Once they did, they began considering us seriously for investment—some even rethinking projects planned for other countries.
Interestingly, none of these companies asked for renewable energy requirements. Even European firms focused on long-term planning—30 to 40 years. What mattered most to them were energy costs and reliability. They care about the environment, but they also live in the real world, where businesses need profits to survive.
Our region—Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania—offers affordable, dependable energy. That’s a huge advantage in today’s global economy, especially for manufacturers. SCUSA is working hard to ensure that our region remains on the map, not just for its energy, but as a smart place to build, invest, and grow.
In the end, whether you’re a new graduate like Lauren or a global executive, success in the real world begins with facing reality, asking the right questions, and being willing to plan wisely.
