College graduates graduating with the expectation to work for someone?

So i was contemplating things as i may and one of the subjects came to mind was an article i read once upon a time about college graduates having exceedingly high unemployment rates. While contemplating this idea i realized that students are being taught or breed to believe there will be a job waiting for them. Here i find an inherent flaw in the system, that flaw being the expectation of employment rather then employing oneself. Maybe college should be a system designed more for the entrepreneur rather then forcing every person on the planet through this system mercilessly with the expected result of having a good job after.

Whats wrong with us? This is the real problem with the economy in the United States, and maybe abroad.

Anyway here is an article...

Huffington..

In 2010, 39.3 percent of adults between the ages of 25 and 34 had a post-secondary degree, up from 38.8 percent in 2009. While the rate has creeped up steadily since 2008, underemployment has kept pace, according to Vedder's research -- the report found that the number of college grads will grow by 19 million between 2010 and 2020, while the number of jobs requiring that education is expected to grow by less than 7 million.

You can see the affect of the propaganda reaching into the way the author of this very article writes. Look at how they present the information. Its right there in front of your eyes.

I personally believe people ought to attend college IF they have a specific goal in mind and have an aptitude for the academics. I think far far too many attend because it's 'the thing to do' and end up dropping out or taking the path of least resistance for a degree that makes for a little chance of failure as possible....with as little chance of employment as one might expect.

That's for those who even make it though, and the odds aren't good. The feeder college I'm in has an 18% grad/transfer rate. 18%... It was ranked fairly well for my state. Some average numbers have a general average in the 20-25% range for Associate/Undergrad level..with debt ranging upward of $75k - $100k for the ones who graduate. That's debt which can never be bankrupted, never goes away and will literally follow a person INTO Death by attaching to the estate afterward.

If we're only talking about graduates though? Well, 4-6 year level seems fairly decent depending on area. Highly technical seems better than most from what I'm seeing as a Student, doing the research on it for practical purposes. Still, that isn't saying too much in this economy. There are Master Degree people managing fast food joints or Pizza Huts, and plenty with no work at all. ..and that sure isn't what someone pays Low - Mid 6 figures into schooling to 'achieve' in most cases.

I say, go to College/University if there is a real reason and plan...but not "just to do it". Never a good reason.

reply to post by onequestion

Maybe college should be a system designed more for the entrepreneur rather then forcing every person on the planet through this system mercilessly with the expected result of having a good job after.

Whats wrong with us? This is the real problem with the economy in the United States, and maybe abroad.

Anyway here is an article...

There is an expectation of a job after college. There is also an expectation by many to go straight to work and be able to live the lifestyle their parents live (house, nice car, spending money, etc). Kids are groomed to think that without a degree they will be failures. Obviously this isn’t the case as many do just fine on their own after high school without college.

I think what you described would be a good curriculum that a college student could choose; learning to be an entrepreneur and create opportunities where there are none. I would go a step further and suggest high schools really sit down with students @ 9th or 10th grade and get them lined out as far as the direction they chose to take as a career path.

Lets face it – most kids don’t go to college today. If the high school student doesn’t show an aptitude or serious interest in a degree field then the last 2-3 years of high school should be geared toward serious, modern, practical vocational training. I’m not talking about just the old ‘wood shop’ or ‘auto body’ classes of the past but a variety of vocations (HVAC, construction, CAD, etc). Let's get them prepared to earn a living, be independent and feel good about themselves!!

Just my $.02

S&F

It also depends on your degree. I was recruited before I had even graduated but went on to secondary school while others graduate with a masters and there are no jobs for them.

Nurses or geologists will usually have a near zero unemployment from what I hear but those with liberal arts degrees or fields not in high demand will have to search long and hard to find work.

I also interned constantly and made many connections which is why I was propositioned with a job offer yet I know people in grad school who have never interned anywhere yet. I do not see great hope for them.

If your in a low demand degree you better be out there during your off time volunteering and setting up connections or your going to be sorry once you do graduate. Unless you pick the right field there won't be a job waiting for you.

reply to post by Hopechest


Very good point you make there. I'm starting to see that myself at this level. Volunteer work is out there and plenty of it in all kinds of areas. No one seems to want to do that though because, obviously, it doesn't pay ....at that moment. The concept of networking which doesn't involve an electronic device seems to be entirely lost on a good % of people these days. Oh well...More opportunity for those of us who are willing to work for nothing now, so later we have a full phone book to call when times are tough and work requires a serious hunt.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


What's far more important than a paycheck is getting a letter of recommendation.

I have some that are just fantastic and once I'm ready to enter the workplace will definitely help me get a job. Also the work experience, whether you get paid or not, in invaluable.

I've spent hours on weekend nights volunteering at a museum doing the most mundane things you can think of while my friends are out hitting the bars but when it comes time to find a job they will regret not putting in the work.

And that's just been the last one. I've spent days filtering out letter's, e'mails, and website comments for congressmen so they have an idea of what the people are saying about them, I've been the official coffee getter for the city council, i've walked into the woods looking for old CCC sites and researched history on them.....and I've gotten glowing recommendations from all of them.

reply to post by Hopechest

If your in a low demand degree you better be out there during your off time volunteering and setting up connections or your going to be sorry once you do graduate. Unless you pick the right field there won't be a job waiting for you.

Good advice. Not everyone has your drive or foresight though.

The problem I see starts long before a person is cramming for tests in college and trying to intern somewhere. I think we should start earlier because many kids simply don’t go to college nor do they have any direction. These are the kids who become a drain on society ( and their parents! ).

I went to college to learn and was far more interested in subjects outside my chosen career path. I finally got hired into a few jobs related to my major, but never made anything with it. I had, by then, already reached my other life goal of getting out of the city and living on my own property. Out here, I struggle making it on one third what I should be paid for my knowledge, knowledge that is now out dated as I would have had to keep going to school to be on top of it.

Yea, I have tons of useless knowledge that no longer serves me, but college was probably the best time in my life. I was also running my own businesses at that time as well as picking up employment when ever I needed too. It was the big city life then, I knew the clubs downtown and all over the eastside, hanging out with the artists, musicians and philosophers. The economy was way better then though, it is way tougher now and living in the woods is not a good career decision unless you're a lumberjack.

Did my years at the University serve my well in my chosen career? No, not really, but that isn't so important now living among the under educated and illiterate. It might even be a handicap for me to survive in my present surroundings. However, I learned many things about many subjects and it helped formed me as the person I am today and that made it worth the money and effort to get my degree, as useless as it it to me at the moment.

reply to post by MichiganSwampBuck


Oh im not trying to take away from the college experience by no means. What im saying is the way we think about it is wrong and the way the curriculum is structured is wrong.

One of the biggest problems with a college degree today is many are a useless sheet of paper. Few students actually learn a trade, skill, or knowledge that will land them a decent job. On top of that, the college loan trap assures most grads will be working the rest of their life to get out of debt.

There are good degrees, i.e. Engineering, Medical, ect.. However most students can't make the cut for the in demands fields of study.

reply to post by onequestion


I completely understand and pretty much agree with your point OneQuestion and I'm not trying to detract from that, just offering my college experience. However, I have no doubt that no matter what avenue you take to reach your goal, if you stick to it and give it all you got, you will get to your goal.

In my case, I felt like a degree was just proof of having a higher education and necessary during the application process for my career choice at that time. I guess I've learned that I can only tolerate about ten years of any job type anyway, regardless of the prospects.

Sure I'd like a good paying creative job that requires deep thought and expertise, but right now I'm a mindless worker slave wage bot. I've got to admit that the political and social dynamic of my current job can be interesting though. Right now I'm making plans to get out by creating a business or two that I think would work out here, nothing I learned in college I might add.