First, I'd like to apologize to my classmates for missing my scheduled posting. Life sometimes brings things that are unfortunately unwelcome and inevitable. Sorry again.
Education has been drilled in me from infancy. My mother grew up in Mexico and never had the opportunity to attend school. My father did have a normal education but my parents got married at a young age. His parents were not fond of the matrimony and protested the marriage by refusing to further his education. (And I have to insert this note because every time I tell this story the first assumption is pregnancy. In fact- she was not… that came 3 years later. It really is a Romeo and Juliet type story without the dying of course!) My mom worked full time to put my dad through college and it paid off. He graduated UTEP in 1986 with honors and a degree in engineering and math. In his last semester his friend, who had graduated the previous semester, told him about the great job she had landed and the company was looking for engineers. She convinced him to apply for the internship and sure enough he landed the job. My dad STILL works for the company today. He has worked his way up of course, from incredibly meager beginnings in our tight family to a comfortable but moderate lifestyle for all of us. Although I must admit that I often wonder- where would he be if he hadn’t landed real life experience through his internship? Post graduation worries are everywhere. My friends, my sister my classmates all express the same concern. What happens next?
Next example, my best friend got her BA in communications. She’s had jobs but they’ve been all work study positions as a cashier or receptionist. All throughout college she lived on her own, whether it was in the dorms or in an apartment, she lived alone. She moved back home after graduation, searching and applying for jobs. Six months after graduation she still hadn’t found a job and she decided to get into real estate. She even moved up into an area where sales were great. She got her license and started selling… for 6 months after selling one small property. Most people wouldn’t buy from her because they felt she was too young and didn’t take her seriously. She graduated in 2005 and she just barely found another job. She works with the tribe in Durango for a meager 13/hr as a receptionist. She has no real world job experience, no serious computer, human resource or marketing skills. She stresses everyday to me “What did I go to college for if no one will hire me?” She has applied for every “entry level” position under the sun and still nothing. Is a degree really all you need anymore?
I think a degree isn’t enough anymore. I read an article early this year saying unemployed college graduates in on the rise. So many graduates move back home after graduation because they can’t find a real job. I haven’t graduated yet but I did what my dad did. I have tried to further my real world job experience as well as my education. A degree can’t be enough anymore. There is a lot of competition out there so what can we do to stand out from the other resumes? I’ve actually found some people get awesome jobs and don’t have a college degree. Examples include my boss, Brandon, who is in charge of lifestyle marketing for Atlantic and my friend, Matt, who is a marketing coordinator for Warner Music Group, but neither have degrees. What do they have? Experience- experience-experience. Brandon has seven years of marketing experience… he is 23! How should we go about getting this experience? I admit it is hard to get a decent job no matter how much experience you have (believe me I am sick of hearing the response “over qualified”) especially when you attend school. Should the school put more emphasis on preparing you? Could post graduate stresses be avoided by making a real job internship mandatory as part of you curriculum? Should we seek a professional mentor? Should we work our networks? I think it couldn’t hurt to try it all. I don’t feel that UNM puts enough emphasis on helping its students find jobs. Maybe it’s because I am uninformed about what the university offers but lets face it- I can’t be the only one. I read the lobo and listing career fairs can only do so much! I feel that at this point in our careers, if we don’t fend for ourselves, we’re screwed.
Next example, my best friend got her BA in communications. She’s had jobs but they’ve been all work study positions as a cashier or receptionist. All throughout college she lived on her own, whether it was in the dorms or in an apartment, she lived alone. She moved back home after graduation, searching and applying for jobs. Six months after graduation she still hadn’t found a job and she decided to get into real estate. She even moved up into an area where sales were great. She got her license and started selling… for 6 months after selling one small property. Most people wouldn’t buy from her because they felt she was too young and didn’t take her seriously. She graduated in 2005 and she just barely found another job. She works with the tribe in Durango for a meager 13/hr as a receptionist. She has no real world job experience, no serious computer, human resource or marketing skills. She stresses everyday to me “What did I go to college for if no one will hire me?” She has applied for every “entry level” position under the sun and still nothing. Is a degree really all you need anymore?
I think a degree isn’t enough anymore. I read an article early this year saying unemployed college graduates in on the rise. So many graduates move back home after graduation because they can’t find a real job. I haven’t graduated yet but I did what my dad did. I have tried to further my real world job experience as well as my education. A degree can’t be enough anymore. There is a lot of competition out there so what can we do to stand out from the other resumes? I’ve actually found some people get awesome jobs and don’t have a college degree. Examples include my boss, Brandon, who is in charge of lifestyle marketing for Atlantic and my friend, Matt, who is a marketing coordinator for Warner Music Group, but neither have degrees. What do they have? Experience- experience-experience. Brandon has seven years of marketing experience… he is 23! How should we go about getting this experience? I admit it is hard to get a decent job no matter how much experience you have (believe me I am sick of hearing the response “over qualified”) especially when you attend school. Should the school put more emphasis on preparing you? Could post graduate stresses be avoided by making a real job internship mandatory as part of you curriculum? Should we seek a professional mentor? Should we work our networks? I think it couldn’t hurt to try it all. I don’t feel that UNM puts enough emphasis on helping its students find jobs. Maybe it’s because I am uninformed about what the university offers but lets face it- I can’t be the only one. I read the lobo and listing career fairs can only do so much! I feel that at this point in our careers, if we don’t fend for ourselves, we’re screwed.
3 comments:
I know it is a frightening thought really. If one specializes the degree has got to count for something. Sometimes there are worthless degrees, maybe. My family sent me out into the world, as a matter of fact they sent four out of five children out into the world with a college diploma, and no encouragement in that area. I resent that fact and as a single parent I was sole supporter on $8-$10 per hour. It is partially my fault for accepting such low pay, and I wish I had been more of a revolutionary. I suppose in some ways I am, since I will graduate from college at 60 and hope to go teach somewhere.
I wonder, do people think that the master's degree is the new bachelors? It seems that way to me, and you wonder - what's the difference between a 4-year degree and just a HS diploma anymore?
Screw college - I say go out and pull a "Into the Wild" and go live with bears - just kidding!
Hey great analysis. I think we both are on the same thougth process with the notion "Education is everything". If you get a chance take at the abstract ideas I wrote. Do you think what I proposed is something that could be utilized to fill that experience void?
vernon
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