What's the point of going to College if it doesn't guarantee you a "Job"? (graduated, internships)

[scend57]

Originally Posted by DorianRo

Even a lousy call center job, you're doing your self a disservice for having to settle for that with a college education. . I don't see how people dont see this as a major PROBLEM in this country. What people don't care that everyone goes underemployed forever? You want your kids living at home with you forever and never becoming adults??

Makes no sense.


The problem with this, "well get a marketable degree, STEMs STEMs STEMS." STEMS are getting flooded. There are only so many jobs out there in a STEM field. And there will be even LESS the more and more people that get degrees in it. So would will you have, "Companies that know they can have the pick of the litter, and everyone else take the lousy temp job with no bennies". Its not a sustainable system. Thats not to mention so many of these jobs have already been outsourced.


Theres only so many nursing positions available. (On a side note, I don't know how people can be around death and sickness all day every day but thats besides the point). Theres only so many engineering jobs etc. Then job requirements become so narrow, NO ONE has every little freaking experience in every little function of a STEM Job which the companies are asking for. And they REFUSE to train. Because you know.... People are incapable of learning something new for college... I guess.

People should be completely outraged over this. Any time someone has to "settle" thats never good. No one should have to settle in a place like America or most modernized non third-world countries.

People are going to get these so called, "Marketable degrees" and in a few years NONE of them will be marketable.

^ This post is surprisingly good and on-point. I would encourage followers of this thread to re-read it

You're 100% right @ DorianRo, this is a HUGE problem that *no one* talks about (either in real life or on the internet), or when the topic does get brought up - it's in a dismissive "blame the victim" manner that offers no solutions

When will the American general public "take notice" of this hidden wide-spread problem? What's it gonna take parents/older folks of America?? The kids living at home til they're 35? Til they're 40?? Maybe 45?

[MongooseHugger]

Originally Posted by pappjohn

Welcome to the Facebook, Google era where greedy giants discriminate against American workers. Sad indeed, then colleges raise their tuitions 4x the rate of inflation.

The colleges are IN on the scandal:

These support both Amnesty bills (either the Gang of Eight or the Dream Act) and also push for more foreign STEM workers, citing the phony STEM shortage:

Arkansas

Dr. Joel Anderson
Chancellor, University of Arkansas – Little Rock

Dr. Paul B. Beran
Chancellor, University of Arkansas – Fort Smith

Dr. Sally Carder
President, National Park Community College

Dr. Steve Cole
Chancellor, Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas

Dr. Glen Fenter
President, Mid-South Community College

Dr. Margaret Ellibee
President, Pulaski Technical College

Dr. Jack Lassiter
Chancellor, University of Arkansas – Monticello

Skip Rutherford
Dean, University of Arkansas Clinton School for Public Service

Source: http://www.renewoureconomy.org/wp-co.../ar-letter.pdf

Colorado

Tony Frank, President, Colorado State University
Michael Martin, Chancellor, Colorado State University System
Kay Norton, President, University of Northern Colorado
Bill Scoggins, President, Colorado School of Mines
David Svaldi, President, Adams State University
Jill Tiefenthaler, President, Colorado College

Source: http://www.renewoureconomy.org/wp-co.../co-letter.pdf

Florida

William T. Abare, Jr.
President, Flagler College

Roslyn Artis
President, Florida Memorial University

Linda Bevilacqua
President, Barry University

Frank Casale
President, St. Thomas University

Anthony James Catanese
President, Florida Institute of Technology

Donald Eastman
President, Eckerd College

Judy Genshaft
President, University of South Florida

David Greenlaw
President, Adventist University of Health Sciences

John Johnson
President, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Arthur F. Kirk, Jr.
President, Saint Leo University

John F. Klem
President, Clearwater Christian College

Thomas C. Leitzel
President, South Florida State College

Ed Moore
President, Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida

Donald O’Shea
President, New College of Florida

Eduardo Padron
President, Miami Dade College

Mark Rosenberg
President, Florida International University

Kevin Ross
President, Lynn University

Donna E. Shalala
President, University of Miami

Larry Thompson
President, Ringling College of Art and Design

Source: http://www.renewoureconomy.org/wp-co.../fl-letter.pdf

Louisiana

Dr. Walter Kimbrough
President
Dillard University

Dr. Ronald Mason, Jr.
President
Southern University System

Father Kevin Wildes
President
Loyola University

Source: http://www.renewoureconomy.org/wp-co.../la-letter.pdf

New Jersey

Aaron Kotler
President
Beth Medrash Govoha

Susan A. Cole
President
Montclair State University

Dario A. Cortes
President
Berkeley College

Sue Henderson
President
New Jersey City University

Richard A.Levao
President
Bloomfield College

Joel S. Bloom
President
New Jersey Institute of Technology

Nancy H. Blattner
President
Caldwell College

Peter P. Mercer
President
Ramapo College of New Jersey

R. Barbara Gitenstein
President
The College of New Jersey

Herman Saatkamp
President
The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey

Helen J. Streubert
President
College of Saint Elizabeth

Mordechai Rozanski
President
Rider University

Vivian A. Bull
Interim President
Drew University

Ali Houshmand
President
Rowan University

Gale E. Gibson
Interim President
Essex County College

Robert L. Barchi
President
Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey

Sheldon Drucker
President
Fairleigh Dickinson University

Eugene J. Cornacchia
President
Saint Peter’s University

Anne M. Prisco
President
Felician College

Gabriel G. Esteban
President
Seton Hall University

Rosemary E. Jeffries
President
Georgian Court University

Kathleen Waldron
President
William Paterson University

Dawood Farahi
President
Kean University

Source: http://www.renewoureconomy.org/wp-co.../nj-letter.pdf

New York

David J. Skorton
President
Cornell University

Erik J. Bitterbaum
President
SUNY Cortland

David Van Zandt
President,
The New School

Source: http://www.renewoureconomy.org/wp-co.../ny-letter.pdf

Oklahoma

Dr. Stephen Smith
Eastern Oklahoma State University

Dr. Ed Huckeby
Southwestern Christian University

Dr. Kent Smith
Langston University

Randy Beutler
Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Dr. Janet Cunningham
Northwestern Oklahoma State University

Dr. Tom McKeon
Tulsa Community College

Paul Sechrist
Oklahoma City Community College

Dr. Don Betz
University of Central Oklahoma

Robert Henry, JD
Oklahoma City University

David Boren, JD
University of Oklahoma

Dr. Loren Gresham
Southern Nazarene University

Dr. John Feaver,
University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma

Dr. Phil Birdine
Western Oklahoma State College

Source: http://www.renewoureconomy.org/wp-co.../ok-letter.pdf

Utah

David W. Pershing, Ph.D.
President, University of Utah

Brian Levin-Stankevich, Ph.D.
President, Westminster College

Charles A. Wight
President, Weber State University

Rich Kendell
President, Southern Utah University

Scott L. Wyatt
President, Snow College

Stan L. Albrecht
President, Utah State University

Stephen D. Nadauld, Ph.D.
President, Dixie State University

Source: http://www.renewoureconomy.org/wp-co.../ut-letter.pdf

Tennessee

Robert C. Fisher
President
Belmont University

John Smarrelli, Jr.
President
Christian Brothers University

Harvill C. Eaton
President
Cumberland University

Brian Noland
President
East Tennessee State University

Gregory D. Jordan
President
King College

Gary E. Weedman
President
Johnson University

B. James Dawson
President
Lincoln Memorial University

Randy Lowry
President
Lipscomb University

Kenneth L. Schwab
President
Middle Tennessee School for Anesthesia

Bill Greer
President
Milligan College

Gordon Bietz
President
Southern Adventist University

Richard W. Phillips
President
Southern College of Optometry

John Morgan
Chancellor
Tennessee Board of Regents

Philip B. Oldham
President
Tennessee Tech University

Nancy B. Moody
President
Tusculum College

Jimmy G. Cheek
Chancellor
University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Source: http://www.renewoureconomy.org/wp-co.../tn-letter.pdf

Texas

David E. Daniel, President, University of Texas at Dallas
Ronald DePinho, M.D, President of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Kent Hance, Chancellor of Texas Tech University System
Renu Khator Chancellor of University of Houston System
M. Duane Nellis, Ph.D., President of Texas Tech University
Robert S. Nelsen, PhD., President, University of Texas Pan-America

Source: http://www.renewoureconomy.org/wp-co.../tx-letter.pdf



They LIKE DC nationalizing the student loan process because the means higher demand, so they raise tuition then. And when students can't get hired (because Big Business and Big Education conspired to screw them), those like New York start offering "free" college.

They let this phony skills shortage myth continue so that they can have 13 federal departments plus Big Business run the career paths of future students to meet the needs of businesses and deal with shortages via the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, the Every Student Succeeds Act, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, and the planned Higher Education Act reauthorization.


13 federal departments and Career Pathways: https://s3.amazonaws.com/PCRN/docs/1...-4-22-2016.pdf

More on the phony skills shortage and workforce readiness: https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/trends...0Shortages.pdf

STEM and Career Technical Education alignment: STEM and CTE Alignment - SkillsUSA

CTE, skills shortages, and "workforce preparation": https://www.acteonline.org/general.a...8#.WPgn44grKyI


And since the voucher program is federal money, this "school choice" will be no choice at all. DeVos is pals with pro-Common Core and pro-school choice Business Roundtable and the recent ex-CEO of BR spoke well of her. Also, anti-Common Core people in Michigan said that DeVos fought against them.


This Common Core is supposed to be for "college and career readiness" to meet the needs of businesses and to deal with the "skills shortages".


We've been played by both Obama and the Republican Congress on all of this. (Not that the Democrat Congress was any better)

And loads of the companies and colleges pushing for this Common Core, College and Career Ready stuff were writing for Dream Act, DACA, H1Bs, etc, selling out their own students.


And with the rise of "safe spaces", sanctuary campuses, messes like Berkeley, college is looking less and less attractive anyway.


But, of course, employers are demanding more and more degrees and the exact skill sets, then, when they either cannot find anyone that meets it, or when those that do aren't stupid enough to take their lowball rates, they whine to Congress about a talent shortage and the need for this Common Core College and Career Ready stuff so that they can get a compliant workforce trained up and also data mine the kids up the wazoo while they're at it.

[nja2016]

I've heard that it has something to do with the poor education in public high schools today -- kids aren't taught well like they were 50 or so years ago, so they have to go to college to learn what they should have learned in high school. I don't know if teachers still teach boring but essential skills like diagramming sentences (I think we did that in middle school) and other grammar skills, but they should.

Math has never been my favorite subject, but at least my grade school teachers made damn sure that everyone knew their multiplication tables and how to do basic calculations without a calculator. I see why people around here are willing to live in apartments in a very expensive part of town just to get their kids into one of the city's only good school districts.

A college degree is essential these days, unless you're planning to go into a technical career (may require a 2 year degree). You need connections and the ability to b.s. your way up the ladder, so introverts or socially anxious folks (I'm both, which cancels out my masters, yay) is going to have a harder time getting good jobs even if they are more skilled than extroverts.

[eofelis]

Originally Posted by tonym9428

It always depends on the STEM degree, what type of jobs you're applying to, etc.

If you studied in CS from a good university (top 100) and were proactive while in school, then
you should be doing well, assuming that you have a good resume, references, and aren't applying for jobs which you aren't qualified for.

If you studied biology or went to a for profit school, things will be a lot tougher.

I went to a cheap podunk state college as a non-traditional student. First person in my family to ever go to college.

I got a BS in geology (had published USGS map project as a student), minor in GIS, graduated with honors. I did a student GIS internship with the BLM (federal agency) but couldn't get my foot in the door for a real job there - I tried!

I had a decent GIS job for a few years but got laid off and haven't been able to get hired for another job like it since.

[eofelis]

Originally Posted by nja2016

You need connections and the ability to b.s. your way up the ladder, so introverts or socially anxious folks (I'm both, which cancels out my masters, yay) is going to have a harder time getting good jobs even if they are more skilled than extroverts.

My connections may or may not be the best. I'm not good at BSing my way along, and I'm kind of introverted. I just want a project to do, tell me when you want it done, and leave me alone. That doesn't go over so well these days so I guess I fail. Unemployable.

[tonym9428]

Originally Posted by eofelis

I went to a cheap podunk state college as a non-traditional student. First person in my family to ever go to college.

I got a BS in geology (had published USGS map project as a student), minor in GIS, graduated with honors. I did a student GIS internship with the BLM (federal agency) but couldn't get my foot in the door for a real job there - I tried!

I had a decent GIS job for a few years but got laid off and haven't been able to get hired for another job like it since.

You're applying to only jobs in your area?

I majored in economics and statistics. My first job after college was in advertising and totally unrelated to my degree. But I was willing to do whatever I could get. I often find that people who are struggling in the job market have crazy geographic or employment type restrictions that kill their ability to get hired. Be open to anything and everything...not just GIS

[s1alker]

It really helps to either live in or be very close to a major metro area that is doing well. Small towns and rural places have very little jobs for college grads outside of perhaps medical. It is true many lifelong residents of small towns are very much afraid of moving to bigger cities. I was once one of them and I had no choice but to take the plunge if I wanted to do better than minimum wage.

[nja2016]

Originally Posted by eofelis

My connections may or may not be the best. I'm not good at BSing my way along, and I'm kind of introverted. I just want a project to do, tell me when you want it done, and leave me alone. That doesn't go over so well these days so I guess I fail. Unemployable.

Yeah, I'm right there with you. I recently attended my first local meeting and walked out after a few minutes because other people knew each other and I felt so awkward -- probably won't attend any more of them unless I go with someone. Some days I just want to leave and hike the AT.

Technically, I do have a full time job but consider myself a failure since my field of work only requires a high school degree -- some people do have college degrees but I don't know anyone with this job who has a masters degree. It's strange because it's actually very complex, specialized, constantly changing, and difficult to get into. Luckily you can make a pretty good living and a lot of other people seem to enjoy it, probably because they like science.

At least I'm left alone most of the time but it's kind of torture sometimes and not easy for me because I'm using my weakest skills -- mostly science and some math -- instead of my stronger skills like writing, which is easy. Sometimes I feel so confused, like how did I get stuck working in science (I've never liked science) after all of the education I have? More than the science, it's everything I have to remember....so, so, so, so, so, so many things to remember and they change all the time...I just want to scream sometimes. And it's probably 90% women, ugh, mostly narrow-minded middle-aged women who are really into following rules in all aspects of life and bossing everyone around.

Maybe I will hike the AT after all, or the PCT...

[Robert473]

Originally Posted by hitpausebutton2

Weird, i met my wife at a call center... working for sprint matter of fact. Call centers are not that bad if you dont take the job personally. Made good money when i worked at one as help desk, banking 19 a hour back in 2003, till they shut it down in 2007.

Help desk and call center are the same job? No

Are they really that bad?
I would think not it would sure beat McDonald's or working at Jack in the box.

My goal is just not to be working at retail or McDonald's if I get a college degree

[Robert473]

Originally Posted by s1alker

It really helps to either live in or be very close to a major metro area that is doing well. Small towns and rural places have very little jobs for college grads outside of perhaps medical. It is true many lifelong residents of small towns are very much afraid of moving to bigger cities. I was once one of them and I had no choice but to take the plunge if I wanted to do better than minimum wage.

You shouldn't settle for minimum wage.

I seen how people work at McDonald's and retail
As a part time job in college or high school probably fun but would get old really quick with the hours and the sucky pay.

A call center or help desk job would beat those jobs out.