Our friends over at  have held several interviews with their  recently, and from what they’ve told us, there’s one common piece of advice that nearly all members of the Dream Team have given: don’t hold off on planning for after graduation until it’s too late!

Whether or not that advice is something you’ve heard a lot recently as a high school senior, their reminder to start thinking about after graduation is a good one. Trust us–it may seem like it’s a ways away, but next May will likely be upon you sooner than you expect.

We say this, of course, because midway through senior year is about the time most seniors start applying for colleges (if they haven’t already) or considering different career paths. Understandably, it’s also a time with a lot of confusion for many high school seniors who still aren’t sure what they want to do or where they want to go to school. And that’s okay. After all, who knows what they want to do for the rest of their life when they’re 17 or 18? We sure didn’t.

As you start thinking about your career outlook or which school you want to attend, we’d like to issue a friendly reminder not to forget about manufacturing! Getting started in manufacturing is easy with concentration and effort, and Nebraska is also home to many top-notch educational institutions all throughout the state. Inexpensive and highly practical, a 2-year education from a state community college is a great way to kickstart a career with minimal student debt.

Manufacturing isn’t about old, dirty factories, either. It’s a highly diverse field with an incredible amount of opportunity, and many different specializations in which skilled employees can work. Like welding? There’s something in manufacturing for you. What about computers? You’d feel right at home programming G-CODE into CNC machines at a local factory. Like management? You may have a future in operations and plant oversight. For people of all skills and interests, manufacturing is an excellent, high-paying, stable career path.

With graduation fast approaching, we’d encourage every graduating senior to take a moment and give manufacturing a look. Whether you already think you know what you want to do or you’re looking for some guidance, you may be surprised to learn how much manufacturing has to offer.

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photo credit: via