A current issue that is being handled based on false assumptions relates to the unemployment rate of recent college graduates. It is assumed that the reason that these students cannot find jobs is that there are not a lot of jobs for these kids as they are entering the workplace. While it is true that there are not a large amount of jobs in the specific major and salary that the students are looking for and this is the main problem. These students are becoming more and more unwilling to accept lower jobs right out of college because they ‘deserve’ the higher paying jobs right away. If more college grads were willing to take these lower paying jobs, the unemployment rates of recent graduates would be much higher than it appears.
People are graduating with expensive college degrees and are expecting to receive large salaries right out of college. They are not willing to take the lower paying jobs and work their way up. That is why many of our jobs have been outsourced. People in India and China for example are willing to take a low paying job as long as they get some pay. If people could accept the lower paying jobs, then unemployment would go down significantly and college graduate unemployment would decrease.
ReplyDeleteBut with higher college tuition costs, many students cannot both pay their regular bills on top of college loans with a minimum wage salary. Further, they will have limited opportunities to look for a job in line with their career. Lastly, these jobs that are available are not generally jobs that you can move up in, therefore you are stuck. Can you expect college grads with high debt to accept a position of poverty which would result? If so, is this good for the economy?
ReplyDeleteI agree that today's college grads are more demanding of higher paying jobs. This has good reason though, with college becoming increasingly more expensive, student loans can pile up easily. What students major in could also be a problem; will they realistically be able to find a career in their major? I think college students need to think about what they plan to do after college.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, I think students need to be more accepting of starting a little lower on the ladder. With the number of college grads increasing, it is no longer as easy to start out as high on the job ladder.
I understand that these students will not be able to pay off their debts with these minimum wage jobs, and that they will not be able to rise throught these organizations. But something is better than nothing, and these jobs should serve as an intermediate step between college and their field of choice. It is just a way to make money while waiting for their job of choice. For the period after college, some income is better than no income, even if you are not working in your job of choice.
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ReplyDeleteFirst of all, people do not have the skills needed to acquire some jobs. They should take into account that if they obtain a degree in a field that requires specific skills a job may be easier to find. Many students are taking classes that in that field do not offer a large range of jobs, for example someone who graduates with a degree in poetry will most likely not find a job right away. It's scary going into a world where it's difficult to find a good paying job. In this economy it may take twenty or more years to pay off college debts, so in reality, people will have to start with lower paying jobs.
ReplyDeleteWhat rebecca said^
ReplyDeleteI think that the most important thing a college student can do is carefully consider not only the major they choose, but what career they hope to attain. Many students falsely believe that choosing a major is enough, but without the focus of a career to work towards the student might not be taking full advantage of four years of college to prepare them for life after school. Taking full advantage means working closely with career services, and making sure you do everything in your power to make yourself marketable. Internships, for example, are an excellent opportunity during college. A successful internship can provide you with real life experience, and many networking opportunities, and connectionw with alumni. To help counter the economic aspect, maybe taking a work study postition or part time job during the school year would be an option. There is nothing ultimately wrong with taking a gap year off from college, to earn money at a lower income job. The worst thing, however, a college graduate can do is take a gap year, and during that time do nothing to further amp up their job application. This might even mean pursing a graduate degree in the meantime.
ReplyDeleteHaving a lower-paying job is better than having no job at all. The students may not be able to pay all of their bills and their debts initially, but they should take some job while continuing their job search. Students must really consider the major they choose, and the debts they will accumulate when deciding where to go to college. By choosing majors in fields where there are few jobs and money is scarce, students often set themselves up for a "position of poverty" as Mr. Geary called it. Students really need to consider their post-college plans, whether it means taking an unpaid internship in college to hopefully be offered a post-college job, working a minimum wage job, or moving back in with their parents to save money.
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