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lol @ 'NYC is like an abusive bf they can't seem to leave'. So true. Definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result. I honestly believe the first month I lived in NYC was when I was the most attractive to employers. I was still happy, still in the honeymoon phase of my life in NYC. The whole experience of living there was an experience in getting progressively more and more sick and bitter- that's how I knew I had to get out. I remember asking myself why I was living like a caged animal for some of the highest prices in the country, and feeling like a person released from prison whenever I got out into nature, away from the city. There is no point to living in NYC to me if you aren't pulling in the good cash. Unless you're pulling in at least 50-60K a year, you are better off just going somewhere else. Why people cannot accept this I do not know.
Oh they starting to figure it out....NYC a city of 8.5 million people only gained 1K people in the latest Census..The growth of NYC is slowing down needless to say.
Our country is out of touch with reality. The vast majority of jobs require a degree, but in actuality, none of the degrees have anything to do with the jobs. They are all positions that one can learn in a few days to a couple of weeks, from what I have seen. Who benefits? I'm not sure. The cost of being educated, in America, is such a steep one. There's so much injustice in our system. The recession has magnified these injustices as well...
Excellent Points...I would go even further to say that the only Universal Skill one needs to proficient in, that school still teaches is....EXCEL....whole companies still heavily depend on this one MS tool to get business done.
Everything else is hit or miss whether you need to know it, and will actually use it...because all companies now a days have their own proprietary software and databases things College and Business school can't train you on anyway, and you will have to adapt to the companies culture of getting things done, that again is not something a college teaches.
So unless Big Business and Universities become one i.e. Goldman Sachs U...Experience will always trump Degrees its been made permanent.
for some reason i think professional credentials are the way to go. the more specialized and not-well-known, the better. in my opinion, those "good" jobs that need specialty credentials aren't advertised because they're a closely guarded secret or a gated community of sorts, for lack of a better phrase. i might express this to my 2 nephews who are in their early 20's. however, they'll likely ask for specific examples but i think it's up to them to seek and find. (i can't make it sooo easy for them lol besides, i don't have tons of examples to give them) .. i think jobseekers in my nephews' age group are casting a wide net, but sadly the net comes up with a lot of sea shells, sea debris, and junk. at face value, it seems sensible to cast a wide net, but really, is it? and to make matters worse, becoming aware of good specialty areas comes with age and experience in my opinion.
More great tips...Let me just point how pleasantly surprised I am at how mostly civil and intellectual (except for a few short hiccups) this thread has been thus far. Such a breath of fresh air.
Getting back on topic, yes I will wholeheartedly agree that a bachelor's degree and certifications in specific areas to ones career field is much more promising and direct in an employers eyes, than a bunch of generic degrees that dont specifically go hand n' hand with the job being applied for. This is just my opinion, not trying to derail anyone here, I know we have a few in this discussion who are still in educational status.
I just wanted to advance the discussion even further by bring up that nasty little parasite know to many as "Over Qualified" WTF...Seriously when I started hearing this is another wrench into why people can't get jobs...I seriously thinking the whole jobs thing is about luck these day....You already worry about whether you're under qualified, now you have to worry about being "over" too.
Let's just face it, it all about Networking, and being able to talk a good game and the rest is pure and simple LUCK! I've seen people be turned down for jobs simply because they dont have the personality that fits the department, doesnt matter whether they were perfectly qualified or not. I guess this is just symptom of having to much supply on the market, employers are now narrowing down the selection process to something as trivial as ones personality, "They have to fit in with us" what is this a high school cheerleading squad.
I guess this is just symptom of having to much supply on the market, employers are now narrowing down the selection process to something as trivial as ones personality, "They have to fit in with us" what is this a high school cheerleading squad.
When you have many candidates all equally qualified on paper this is exactly how employers make the decision. That's when all the "soft" skills people learn in college come into play.
I just completed a national job search in my field, and looking back at all my interviews, I think all the technical stuff was just a dog and pony show. My prospective employers were just checking to see if I was "normal" and if I would "fit in" with the other employees.
So, for job seekers out there, don't under estimate those "soft" skills!!! Be positive and upbeat, nobody likes a downer.
Our country is out of touch with reality. The vast majority of jobs require a degree, but in actuality, none of the degrees have anything to do with the jobs. They are all positions that one can learn in a few days to a couple of weeks, from what I have seen. Who benefits? I'm not sure. The cost of being educated, in America, is such a steep one. There's so much injustice in our system. The recession has magnified these injustices as well...
You are on point....most jobs can be learned on the job. The only professions where higher education is a necessity is medicine, law, engineering etc.
The other problem that causes people to end up in so much education debt (student loans) are the requirements in these schools to take courses that have absolutely nothing to do with the major. For example a business degree could be completed in around 2 years instead of 4 if people only had to take classes specifically related to the business major.
But it is a profit game played by colleges/universities....the more classes a student is forced to take, the longer they will be in school and the more money the college/university makes. This is the problem in this society....when you peel back the layers and really take a look it is all based on money where someone is getting rich while the average Joe is just getting in debt!
You are on point....most jobs can be learned on the job. The only professions where higher education is a necessity is medicine, law, engineering etc.
The other problem that causes people to end up in so much education debt (student loans) are the requirements in these schools to take courses that have absolutely nothing to do with the major. For example a business degree could be completed in around 2 years instead of 4 if people only had to take classes specifically related to the business major.
But it is a profit game played by colleges/universities....the more classes a student is forced to take, the longer they will be in school and the more money the college/university makes. This is the problem in this society....when you peel back the layers and really take a look it is all based on money where someone is getting rich while the average Joe is just getting in debt!
Yep - End of the day, Colleges, Universities, 2yr Bus Schools are all BUSINESSES, just like a Bank, Cable Company, Fast Food Restaurant...
I wouldn't be surprised if soon you see some schools start an IPO on the NYSE...
I have friends who have applied to 200+ positions in NYC and they've been lucky to get a callback. SoCal and NYC are both in pretty rotten condition if you ask me. I wonder why you seemed to have so much luck applying in NYC. That's not heard of too often. What is your profession?
I work in digital marketing. I'm a relatively recent grad (2007) who has been working since my freshman year (internships and paying) with decent companies. I spent 2 years at a top record label and 3 at a Fortune 500 homebuilder and a few more years with local firms. I didn't exactly have stellar grades or any of that, just more experience than average for people in my age group.
I'm not sure why I got so many responses... I will let you in on a secret, though. Monster, Career Builder, Hot Jobs, etc are garbage. It's crawling with recruiters, spammers, and men in the UK who need you to run to Western Union before they can hire you. LinkedIn's job section is where I got the most response. It was great, and I highly recommend it! I think it's so difficult to get through to the employer these days because a lot of them have loyalty to one temp or staffing agency, so regular applicants don't have a fighting chance. LinkedIn's process is about as close to directly applying as you can get- AND you can see if your resume was ever even read. A lot of times it never gets opened, which is why those jobs that we thought we were SO perfect for never get back to us.
Yep - End of the day, Colleges, Universities, 2yr Bus Schools are all BUSINESSES, just like a Bank, Cable Company, Fast Food Restaurant...
I wouldn't be surprised if soon you see some schools start an IPO on the NYSE...
We already have "for profit" colleges and university that are publicly listed. I think one recent article said that these schools only enroll about 10% of all students nationwide, but that 25% of all financial aid goes to students of these for profit institutions. Many will not have the ability to repay their loan upon graduation. It's probably the next major financial crisis just waiting to happen
And on another note, temp and staffing agencies have HIJACKED the application process. My previous company, major corp. based in Los Angeles ONLY hired people through a temp/staffing agency. Unless it was upper management, everybody came through the temp/staffing agency. For a lot of companies, it is virtually IMPOSSIBLE to get your foot in the door unless you know somebody because they've got these contracts with staffing agencies. How does it even make sense for HR to pay a staffing agency out the nose to find someone for them, when they could just DO THEIR JOB and deal with the resumes that come directly to them? They could take that extra money being spent on the recruiter and give the applicant a decent wage. I think eventually something will need to be done about this. Why do we need a middle man to help us find jobs?
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besides, i don't have tons of examples to give them) .. i think jobseekers in my nephews' age group are casting a wide net, but sadly the net comes up with a lot of sea shells, sea debris, and junk. at face value, it seems sensible to cast a wide net, but really, is it? and to make matters worse, becoming aware of good specialty areas comes with age and experience in my opinion.
