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Old 07-07-2009, 12:27 PM
 
Location: Camberville
15,792 posts, read 21,305,567 times
Reputation: 28014

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rei View Post
I'm hoping to be doing MPP w/ Civil Infrastructure specialization part time next year, in hopes to become a policy analyst or gov't consultant or UN type of work, or the likes...
This is sort of along the lines of what I'm planning on doing right out of undergrad, except with a more economic and political focus versus engineering.

In any case, I can't comment on my own career future as I have a year left of school. I will graduate with a BA in the spring with majors in international environmental policy, Latin American studies, and political science. I was able to shift my IR specialization from poverty and inequality (which is just as much health and environmental policy as anything) to environmental last minute. However, I started off college expecting to work in the nonprofit world and perhaps get a law degree in immigration law. I'm trying to stay focused yet have a diverse array of experiences and skills so that if for whatever reason grad school doesn't work out, I am qualified for basic positions in government immigration organizations.

I'll also be taking to foreign service exam in the spring.
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Old 07-07-2009, 03:07 PM
 
Location: Central Ohio
10,805 posts, read 14,867,338 times
Reputation: 16461
Quote:
Originally Posted by whydoucare? View Post
I graduated with my B.S. in Chemistry in 2006, got a good paying job after graduation. Just graduated with my Masters in Microbiology and I am doing just fine. I cannot emphasize enough, you have to do your research before choosing a major. I make an excellent salary. But alot of my friends who majored in teaching are especially having it hard. I know a few out of work registered nurses.
And don't go off after the same thing everyone else is going after.

Like pharmacy techs which seems to be all the rage right now but in three years, after the tech schools have pumped out tens of thousands of registered pharmacy techs, there will be a glut.

Then you got the bitter young lady I know (not a relative) who graduated with a BA in dramatic arts 5 years ago and $130,000 in student loan debt. For the last five years she's worked at a Starbucks. Not kidding, an actual Starbucks.

She was obviously thinking college would last a life time and the loan would never have to be paid back.

And some people, in the dawn of this new age, will have to do backbreaking, hard work to survive. To say it will suck for many is an understatement but remember when Ross Perot in 1992 when he said "giant sucking sound" in conjunction with jobs and NAFTA? It is what it is, we have heard the giant sucking sound.
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Old 07-07-2009, 04:21 PM
 
Location: Danville, Ca
314 posts, read 933,626 times
Reputation: 192
Quote:
Originally Posted by nicet4 View Post
And don't go off after the same thing everyone else is going after.

Like pharmacy techs which seems to be all the rage right now but in three years, after the tech schools have pumped out tens of thousands of registered pharmacy techs, there will be a glut.

Then you got the bitter young lady I know (not a relative) who graduated with a BA in dramatic arts 5 years ago and $130,000 in student loan debt. For the last five years she's worked at a Starbucks. Not kidding, an actual Starbucks.

She was obviously thinking college would last a life time and the loan would never have to be paid back.

And some people, in the dawn of this new age, will have to do backbreaking, hard work to survive. To say it will suck for many is an understatement but remember when Ross Perot in 1992 when he said "giant sucking sound" in conjunction with jobs and NAFTA? It is what it is, we have heard the giant sucking sound.
I agree about the glut of some majors like Nursing. In the bay area it is so hard to get into the nursing schools. They are turning away 4.0 GPA's because they simply dont have the room. My friend who is a counselor at SFSU said last year they had 1200 applicants for 85 spots. Now there are alot of new grads that cannot find jobs right now. Because there are so many graduating every semester.
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Old 07-08-2009, 02:43 PM
 
3,393 posts, read 5,256,635 times
Reputation: 3031
Quote:
Originally Posted by bluebelt1234 View Post
Let me guess....you have a degree in elementary education. I am out of work teacher myself. I find the elementary job market TOUGH. I have even interviewed with charter schools that have 60 applications per position. To make matters worse it seems like baby boomers are now working until they are at least 70.

I think it really depends on what your degree is in. There are some who will be fortunate enough to find a job right after college.
People who have degrees geared toward the hard sciences and math--engineering, math, biology, chemistry, medicine--tend to do better in the job market because not everybody's brain is wired to handle that type of work. Those people are in the minority, therefore, they face less job competition and have more employment opportunities.
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Old 07-08-2009, 03:58 PM
 
Location: Jax, FL
90 posts, read 329,063 times
Reputation: 55
Default Out of work Teacher

Out of work teacher here.

I graduated from college 2006...found a job right out of college (half way through the school year I might add). Then lost the job due to a new school opening and the one I was employed at split then downsized.

I then spent all summer searching, desperately for a new job and lucked out. I was hire to teach two days before school started. Then that school split and I haven't been able to find a teaching job since.

I live in an area that one can teach in three different counties if they so wish and there's still no jobs available. Those random ones that pop up from time to time are bombarred by 400+ applicants from all over. It's hard to stand out in a crowd like that. Even with three certifications.

At this point I'm not teaching, but I have a job. I am fortunate though, that there is a position that I'm in the running for at a private school. Keep your fingers crossed.
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Old 07-08-2009, 06:58 PM
 
Location: Los Angeles, Ca
2,883 posts, read 5,869,580 times
Reputation: 2762
Quote:
Originally Posted by user_id View Post
It seems that a lot of younger (say 20~30) people I know (directly or indirectly) are not doing particularly well after college. So, for those of you that have graduated in the last 5 years or so how are you doing?

The job market has been weak almost this entire decade, in fact we are almost to the point where a big fat 0 jobs have been created over the last 10 years. To make matters worse the baby boomers seem to be delaying retirement.
I think on the whole, 20-30 people have gotten a terrible deal. Exponentially worst than what any boomer would have faced at 20-30.

-Terrible k-12
-Bloated/wildly inflated college costs (hard to make gains after student loans or graduate school).
-Entered into a terrible, post bubble economy.

Then compound it with this era of fear/confusion from 2000/2001. And lack of international perspective. Seems like chinese engineers and indian IT programmers are going to leave us in the dust. And our future engineers, or programmers are stuck with $80 k in debt working at starbucks.

Or could have been engineers. There's too much wasted potential, and too much uncertainty about the future. I don't know...it seems like everyone else is entering into a brighter future, and we've entered into this dark cloud that may only get worst and more expensive (debts soaring, dollar crashing, more business uncertainty).
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Old 07-08-2009, 08:21 PM
 
Location: Middle America
37,409 posts, read 53,290,191 times
Reputation: 53066
Quote:
Originally Posted by user_id View Post
People that graduated 10+ years ago seem to be doing better. The job market seems to have gotten worse and worse as the decade progressed.
Right, but I'm not in the same job I was in in 1999. I searched for and began my most recent job in 2008. Still had no issue getting it, economy be damned. Even in the tougher job market, the degree has definitely paid off and then some.
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Old 07-08-2009, 08:40 PM
 
Location: Conejo Valley, CA
12,460 posts, read 20,000,686 times
Reputation: 4365
Quote:
Originally Posted by TabulaRasa View Post
Right, but I'm not in the same job I was in in 1999. I searched for and began my most recent job in 2008. Still had no issue getting it, economy be damned. Even in the tougher job market, the degree has definitely paid off and then some.
In 2008 you had 9 years of work experience, this is not comparable to a fresh graduate looking for work in 2008.
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Old 07-09-2009, 12:30 AM
 
Location: Middle America
37,409 posts, read 53,290,191 times
Reputation: 53066
Ah, but none in the field I began working in (outside of student teaching nine years previous). Putting me in the exact same boat as recent grads, experientially, for the field.

Much as you seem to want to try to discredit getting what you deem to be useless degrees, pointless and fruitless pursuits, etc. post after post and thread after thread, your assertions don't really hold up. Sorry 'bout that.

I really just don't see any reason to discourage people who choose to go after work that's meaningful to them, when success, even in the current market, is definitely achievable. You seem to be hell-bent on naysaying, and so I'll continue to paint the less gloomy picture to balance that out a bit for the recent grads who may be reading. Your posts in response to mine overall seem to imply that my experiences are somehow the exception to the rule...that x approach to a professional life really doesn't work, blah, blah, blah. I don't really believe that to be accurate.
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Old 07-09-2009, 12:48 AM
 
Location: Conejo Valley, CA
12,460 posts, read 20,000,686 times
Reputation: 4365
Quote:
Originally Posted by TabulaRasa View Post
Ah, but none in the field I began working in (outside of student teaching nine years previous). Putting me in the exact same boat as recent grads, experientially, for the field.
Still not the same, but regardless obviously not every single recent grad is having trouble. But it seems that grads are having more trouble now then they did 10+ years ago. Also, I'm talking about grads getting decent jobs, not just so-so jobs. Most people I know have found work, but many are not doing particularly well financially in comparison to previous generations when they were of similar age.

Quote:
Originally Posted by TabulaRasa View Post
Much as you seem to want to try to discredit getting what you deem to be useless degrees, pointless and fruitless pursuits, etc.....
I've said nothing about particular degrees in this thread, that was not the point. I know, you just had to add your "My English degree has done me well..." but I'm interested to hear how recent grads are doing regardless of degree.

Quote:
Originally Posted by TabulaRasa View Post
when success, even in the current market, is definitely achievable.
What is in principle achievable and what is most probable are two different things.

Quote:
Originally Posted by TabulaRasa View Post
Your posts in response to mine overall seem to imply that my experiences are somehow the exception to the rule..
Your experiences are your experiences and you can't extrapolate from your experiences to the more general picture. In terms of your experience though, it does not seem you're doing particularly well in terms of income (Not suggesting you're poor, just that you don't have a high income). You may be happy with your income level, but others may not. This among other things is why degree choice is about more than "majoring in what you like".
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