( CNN ) -- We hear that a lot of young people do n't care or worry about the economy and finances . But take it from a 23-year-old Wall Street Journal reporter : They do and should care . Kelly Evans , 23 , is an economics reporter for The Wall Street Journal . Kelly Evans started as an economics reporter at the paper as the economy started getting bad a year and a half ago . She has since seen the resilience of the people in her generation as they adapt to a changing job market . CNN 's Nicole Lapin talked to Evans about what young people should be doing to deal with the tough times . The following is an edited transcript of the interview : . Nicole Lapin : What do you tell young people to make economic news relevant to them ? Watch the entire interview with Kelly Evans » . Kelly Evans : We really , really do try to explain to people , past some of the language and the jargon , to say that economics is really about what 's happening : your job , your income , demographics , poverty rates , and what it looks like across the country . There are some terms that may seem unfamiliar , but I think if you sit down and read through our coverage , you 'll see that a lot of it makes sense . I feel very proud of the fact that over the last year , year and a half , a lot of the articles that I 've written and a lot of the articles that we 've written as an economics team have done a lot to point out the risks out there so that this did n't just come out of nowhere . Lapin : So what are some of the things that young people should really focus on ? Is it a 401 ( k ) ? Is it savings ? Is it a combination of the two , perhaps ? Evans : Well , I think for most young people , the big thing right now is a career or a job path . Whether you 're in high school or you 're in college , you 're thinking , `` What am I going to do when I get out ? Do I want to be a doctor , or a lawyer ? '' I think less people want to be in banking than did a few years ago , and so I 'm curious as a reporter what is perceived to be the golden ticket nowadays . Certainly health care , education are some of the more reliable places to go right now . So what I would say mostly is make sure you 're in a good financial position . Do whatever you can for yourself . But really make sure you 're investing in your education or skills , maybe the language skills in particular , that will be really important down the road . I think that ends up paying off in human capital . It 's really important . Lapin : What kind of tips do you give to youngsters who are about to get out of school ? Evans : I would encourage people who are looking at colleges to ignore the brand name and really go with what is going to be the best value to you .
Kelly Evans is an economics reporter for The Wall Street Journal . She says in this economy , young people should focus on education , job path . KELLY EVANS, BYLINE: When looking for college , Evans says , do n't focus on `` brand name ''