The Saratogian - Spa City millionaire publishes guide to post-college life, by Carl DeNovio, for The Saratogian
2 years, 12 months ago08/05/2007
SARATOGA SPRINGS - What does an older-than-40 millionaire with no college-age children know about helping recent grads get on their feet and working in the "real world?" Enough to write a book about it, at least. Writer/entrepreneur/corporate executive Nicholas Aretakis, an area native who now splits time between Saratoga Springs and Arizona homes, is the author of the recently published No More Ramen: The 20-Something's Real World Survival Guide.
Following a five-year period chronicling what college graduates across the country were doing right and wrong, Aretakis decided to write the book as a way of guiding young people through the transition from school to the that scary place so often referred to as "the real world." Working with his "co-authors," a selection of 20-somethings interviewed around the country, Aretakis compiled the fundamentals of his book by discovering the most basic, common and daunting fears, questions and uncertainties that plague young people as they attempt to discover their path beyond college.
The book's title, No More Ramen, is a reference to the popular brand of instant noodles, one of the staple power-foods of college students and grads struggling to make it in their careers, and how to help guide them through life's transitions. Aretakis said he got the idea for the book when he realized that he had moved much further in his career - working for semiconductor companies and becoming a Silicon Valley millionaire by the time he was 30 - than his college friends who were still struggling to make ends meet, going through life unhappy and with no passion for what they were doing. While he had sat down and set goals and objectives for himself, always updating and raising the bar of his aspirations, he said his friends were simply going through the motions and not taking control of their lives.
Set in his success and with plenty of free time, Aretakis set out on his mission: to find out what 20-somethings entering the working world need to know in order to succeed. "I hit a lot of different demographics," said Aretakis. "I confirmed a lot of stuff" about what these people worried about. Using this information, Aretakis created a list of the top 10 worries, summed up on page 33 of No More Ramen. Included are things like self-doubt and making too many tough choices, finding a good job, the monotony of a 9-5 life, having regrets later on, and more.
Knowing that his opinion alone, being 20 years removed from his target audience, may not be enough to attract young readers, Aretakis enlisted the support of hundreds of the people he interviewed. These young "co-authors" provided Aretakis with anecdotes, stories and opinions of their own, providing the book with a large number of voices from all walks of life. These stories and voices lend a human voice to a book that could just as easily have been as dry and detached as the average textbook. Instead, what readers get is an honest, personal look at real people with real concerns - concerns the reader likely shares. "It's an easy read," said Aretakis, proud of the number of good anecdotes he was able to provide his readers.
Aretakis did not isolate himself completely from the process, though, opting instead to use his generational distance from the target to his advantage. He frequently compares things as they are today to how they were when he was in his 20s, likening things like CraigsList online to want ads in the Sunday paper, writing a résumé on a laptop versus a Smith Corona electric typewriter, and finding a date via match.com instead of hanging out by the Stairmaster at the gym. His point, in essence, is that, the more things change, the more they stay the same. People today face the same challenges as 20 years ago; they simply present themselves differently. One major change that he points out is the difference parents play in their children's post-college lives. He calls these parents "helicopter parents," and their children the "boomerang generation." Helicopter parents hover over their children, holding their hands and doing more for them than they do for themselves, from calling and scheduling job interviews to providing free room and board and meals for longer than they have in the past. "Young adults boomerang back and forth to their parents," Aretakis said, pointing out that about 50 percent of people ages 18 to 24 still live at home. Not having any financial problems, he says, becomes a problem when these young people end up not having any motivation, determination, or reason to move on.
Other chapters and sections include how to make a career path, finding the right job, preparing for life after college, how to keep a budget and learning about "real world" money - finances, life insurance, and 401Ks, for example - and more.
Despite being a highly successful semiconductor engineer, a senior executive at two Silicon Valley tech companies, and a multimillionaire with homes in two states - as well as happily married with two young daughters, entrepreneur of humane pet collars, and aspiring screenwriter, Aretakis looks to this book, No More Ramen: The 20-Something's Real World Survival Guide, as his greatest achievement. "This book is my legacy, my life's work," he said. "The subject's hot, and there are only two or three good books out there - besides this one. It's been a lot of fun, it was a rewarding experience."
Next on his ever-growing to-do list is a book he's been working on that will be a guide for single women on how to pick the right guy, and weed out the wrong ones. In addition, he plans on turning No More Ramen into a series; the next book aimed at people who have finally found their career and how to advance.
No More Ramen: The 20-Something's Real World Survival Guide was published in September, 2006 by Next Step Press. It is available in most book stores, at $14.95 for paperback, or $24.95 for hardcover.
Interested readers can also find No More Ramen on the Web at www.NoMoreRamenOnline.com, where viewers can watch video diaries of real people across the nation wanting to share their stories. Aretakis can be e-mailed directly from the Web site with questions, comments, or new anecdotes. He promises a personal response within 24 hours to anybody who sends him a message.
©The Saratogian 2007
