Aided by nicotine, sugar, caffeine and other stimulants, the college student some how finds a way to get through finals week. They stay up through the night, they study hard, but the question you should ask them is: Are you studying to learn or are you studying for a piece of paper with the governor’s signature on it?
Cs get degrees, but anyone will tell you that simply having a degree won’t get you a job — especially in the current economic situation. The unemployment rate has “edged up to 9.8 percent this November,” according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And that’s not even reflective of our age group. Things are worse. There is a daunting 14.8 percent unemployment rate for Americans aged 20-24.
“For the class of 2010, it will be one of the worst years to graduate high school or college since at least 1983 and possibly the worst since the end of World War II,” wrote authors of an Economic Policy Institute report earlier this year.
No, that piece of paper you’ll pay upwards of $20,000 for means nothing, unless of course you look beyond that piece of paper. Look for an internship, volunteer and — most importantly — don’t regurgitate what you are taught. Earn the degree you’re paying for by aiming for a deep understanding of the information you are taught. Trust us, it’ll make you a better person and it might get you an internship, or even a job!
What’s even worse is that — now more than ever — simply earning a bachelor’s degree doesn’t guarantee a competitive edge. Older Americans are out of jobs — their unemployment is relatively high as well — and that means they’ll be out there right next to you waiting to be interviewed. You need experience, but what kind of experience could a 23-year-old have when compared to 35 or 45-year-old?
To add to this quagmire, older Americans are just not retiring, said Alicia Munnel, director of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.
“Older workers need to replenish their 401(k) plans, so those who have jobs are clinging to them rather than retiring,” Munnell said to online news website, California Watch.
The problems just keep adding up for us, don’t they?
Look, we’re not trying to discourage you, we just don’t want you to think that it’s smooth sailing after graduation. You have to work hard. You’ve always had to work hard. It’s just now you have to work even harder.
It’s essentially survival of the fittest — or better yet, survival of the most diligent. It isn’t about being the applicant with a degree and a polished resume; it’s about being persistent and being dedicated to putting yourself out there. Having the drive and ambition to take risks and apply for internships or jobs you might have otherwise never considered may result in your achieving employment, a very rare accomplishment in this day and age.
So, if it’s not too late for you this semester. Put the coffee aside, the cigarettes away, find you’re ambition and crack the textbooks open early.
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