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Does Information Systems mean you can program? In what languages?
At IBM they didn't even tell us how a von Neumann machine worked.
Read The Screwing of the Average Man by David Hapgood for some perspective.
No, IS means a person can search the internet great, and assemble some basic webpages together (html, xml). Not a bad minor to have because it is fun since you have to take 120 credits of something anyway, but it is not even close to what someone would call programming.
I do not disagree, but either way, if a business requires it though it is not needed to actually do the job, then unless society somehow convinces the business otherwise, a degree will be needed to enter the job.
The poster I was responding to made a blanket statement, I disagree with the blanket statement part as there are many jobs the require or need a degree, and a person will never be in those jobs without a degree.
That is why I got my MBA, even though i knew everything about the position I wanted, minimum education requirement was an MBA or similar advanced degree in business. So unless the company changed its policy, I would never get the position I am i now without getting my MBA no matter how much job experience I had.
I will be turning 23 in December, but I don't feel like I have much to celebrate. I really felt like I would have far more at this stage, but I don't. I am proud to state that I'm college educated (**B.A. in Marketing and Information Systems**) and I have 2 years of information management/social media internship experience, but for some reason I am having a difficult time landing full time employment in my field. I have sent out countless resumes, called employers, attended job fairs, and contacted my school's career services and alumni division, but haven't had had any successful leads, so far.
I am now working part-time w/ a friend designing websites. I enjoy the work but the money is inconsistent and I do not have any benefits or any type of stability at this point. I have noticed that it is extremely difficult for black millennial's in particular to land a good solid position out of school.
My mom doesn't seem to understand. She is demanding $400 per month in rent, but I don't have the funds at this time to pay her. Sadly, she is now threatening to kick me out of the only home that I've ever lived in. The pressure is driving me crazy so I usually just stay in my room with the door closed, when she's home from work. Last night she left an invoice under my door for August rent and all of the unpaid back rent, but I ripped it up. I wish that she'd just get off my back about money that I clearly don't have.
I am an only child but I feel like my mom hates me, because she's kicking me while I'm down.
I feel like such a loser for not having my own place, but I am trying very hard. I want nothing more than to proudly show my mom that I don't need to depend on her for shelter and food, I have the ability to take care of myself.
What can I do to increase my odds? I am desperately trying to relocate and land my dream job working in social media and marketing at full screen, but they don't seem to really hire black recent college grads. I contacted 10 HR people from full screen but I haven't heard back from any of them.
I want to work in this office, but for some reason, these type of companies are not hiring people like me.
What can I do to become more marketable to gain inroads into a job like the guy in the video? I dress preppy and prefer to date white women. I believe I can fit in well in that type of work culture.
First, I'd like to say, congrats on your B.A. degree...you are already ahead of like 50%+ of the world's population, so you have nothing to worry about. At 23, you have accomplished more in your life than what some 40 year olds have. So, please don't think that you should have "more". Now, you have to get tougher, smarter, faster, stronger. What I mean by this is, you have to cut ties with any and everyone that is not helping you to accomplish your goal(s)....even if it is a family member....and yes....even your own parents. I am also a minority with a B.A. in Business, and I can tell, the industry is NOT looking for that degree in this recession. There is nothing wrong with you or your skills, it is the "times" we are living in. There are only two fields left: Healthcare and Computers. At 23, you are still just starting out, so you still need that support from your family....and if they are not giving it to you...I need for you to throw up the "peace" sign, wish them well, and move on.
At $400 a month, you can afford a room/studio for half the price without being in your parent's home (and without the stress too). You are not able to afford a full one bedroom apartment on your own yet....that is okay. You are just starting out and 23 is still a baby. I will suggest a plan for you:
1. Get out of your mother's house- I do not care if you have to rent a room in someone's house or have 5 roomates or live in a cheap shabby studio.....your peace of mind is very important when it comes to thinking clearly.
2. Get a healthcare job- you may or may not like it, but some income beat no income. Employers are always hiring caregivers, C.N.A.'s, home health aides. A lot of agencies will take people off the street and train them to become a caregiver. Pay is not that great, but the work is steady and you will have health insurance. If you work with the mentally disabled, or at the VA hospital, you can get paid a little above average and have unlimited access to overtime. You can do this while pursuing a nursing degree...most LVN programs are less than a year and very affordable.
3. If you don't want to get into the healthcare industry, look for jobs with insurance agencies or in education. My friend also has a degree in Business, and he couldn't find a decent paying job. One day, I suggested he apply to insurance companies like, 'Progressive'.....he is now working as a Marketing Analyst for 'Bluecross' making $40,000 a year. As far as education jobs; look for tutoring positions in learning centers or tutoring companies. They will take anyone who has a Bachelors degree
Good luck to you, and please update us on how everything is going. I can relate to your story
Go down to recruiting office and see the 1)Coast Guard, 2) The Air Force, or 3) the Navy. Take you transcript and tell them you want to be a ______________ officer (you fill in the blanks). There is INCREDIBLE demand for black officers in the services since blacks are way under-represented in the officer corps. And it is not the services fault. You are holding some great cards, play them wisely.
I retired as a Naval Officer in 1994. Sure the pension is great, but the health care FOR LIFE is the best. Hard to believe, but next year, I will have more time out of navy than in navy. Yikes.
Gravitate toward a field where you can find civilian employment after you retire.
I will tell you one thing. In 20+ years as a commissioned officer, I do not know of ONE TIME that I was lied to by another officer. I was stunned at the rampant lying and cheating when I joined the civilian sector.
Ok, thank me later, I have just laid out the next 20+ years of your life. Wait until you are a division officer with 40 folks, most older than you, under your guidance. You will not be unemployed at that point. I am certain.
Good Luck.
I could not agree with you more. Although I was just an enlisted peon 50 years ago I was directionless, and only joined up because I knew I would eventually be drafted and this was prior to the Vietnam war. Fortunately my enlistment ended just prior to it really getting heated up and I was out in 5/65. But I was still drifting and eventually went on to college where I spent more time partying than I did studying. But I eventually made it through and the college did play a part in the qualifications needed for the final job I had. But it was pure happenstance that it happened and an older lady I worked with at my first civilian job out of the service encouraged me to do this. I wish she were alive today so I could give her a big hug for helping me out of my rut of going nowhere fast.
I thought about this last night and I was reminded on one General Tommy Franks. He was the highest line officer, (4 stars) as he directed the Iraq war and later retired. However, before he got into the officer corps he started out as a lowly E1 and got his baptism of fire in Vietnam and went onto OCS where he got on his way up the line. He wrote a book about his early days where he was drifting with no real goals in life. Going from E1 to Commander, U.S. Central Command (CDRUSCENTCOM), 2002–2003 is no small feat. I believe officers are paid fairly well and are highly respected for the most part. It's a career worth considering.
If the military doesn't appeal to the individual I would look to the medical profession. As the aging population requires more and more medical care it will require nurses, physician assistants and nurse practitioners. Those don't require the extended education of regular MD's. And I would imagine they pay rather well.
Bottom line, I would not wait for the world to come knocking at one's door. Getting a job can be fairly easy if the product (one's skills or ability) fit the employer's needs. But assuming a college degree is something that guarantees a good job is whistling in the wind these days.
If one wants to look elsewhere and has good health, then why not North Dakota and the oil fields. As I understand hamburger flippers at McDonalds are paid about double what they are paid elsewhere. And the oil field workers probably pull down in excess of $100K per year.
There are alternatives. One just has to know where to go.
The writer of this thread has two huge advantages he may not even be aware he has. He is young and presumably healthy. That is worth its weight in gold. So even if one starts off without the proverbial pot it doesn't mean he or she can't go places. There is time and eventually the truth will win out. People will see the world as it is; not as they have been taught to believe it is.
And you are sure right about the back stabbing duplicity of the private sector. I've pulled more knives out of my back than I care to count. Can't say that I ever experienced that during my short time in the military. And it will sure shape a person's mind out of feeling sorry for himself in a big hurry. That was my experience at least.
Older people tend to state that social media is fluffy. Whether you want to acknowledge it or not, social media is our current and future communication platform, it is not a mere trend. I agree that facebook and twitter will become obsolete, but when that happens, social media will not go away, other emerging forms of social media will just take facebook and twitter's place.
I have expanded my job search to include a variety of different companies and government. My mom works in state government. Since she has spent nearly 2 decades on the same job, she has no clue about how difficult it is to land a good position in this economy. I have applied to countless positions each week, with local business, private corporations, government, hospitals etc., but I haven't heard back.
A while ago I read that if a name sounds identifiably black, employers may be less likely to call you back for an interview. My first name is Tyrone. I have thought about changing it, but I was named after my deceased father, so I have decided to just leave it as is, at least for now. Lately though, I've been using the first initial of my name and full middle name, in the hopes of not coming across as identifiably black. Now I use 'T. Anthony Last Name,' but sadly, this hasn't improved my chances of hearing back from employers.
Older people may think social media is all fluff, but older people are the ones who are going to hire you. You studied marketing yet are clueless about how to market yourself and your skills. I suggest you get to work on that, and drop the racial whining while you are at it. Its sickening (and I am a black, older person). Everyone has handicaps, real or perceived.
I do not disagree, but either way, if a business requires it though it is not needed to actually do the job, then unless society somehow convinces the business otherwise, a degree will be needed to enter the job.
The poster I was responding to made a blanket statement, I disagree with the blanket statement part as there are many jobs the require or need a degree, and a person will never be in those jobs without a degree.
That is why I got my MBA, even though i knew everything about the position I wanted, minimum education requirement was an MBA or similar advanced degree in business. So unless the company changed its policy, I would never get the position I am i now without getting my MBA no matter how much job experience I had.
And what the poster was saying is that for what college is supposed to bring you based on what the media, politicians, educators, the universities and high school guidance counselors. Try and listen to an Obama speech about education and see how many times he mentions college being the gateway into the middle class or some line like that. I bet you he does it at least one time in every education or job speech he gives. It might have worked in the past to goto college for anything but those days of the catchall have gone. Now instead you have to have a specific major (engineering, medicine, accounting, ect.) to actually have a chance to get hired iff you have the right connections and experience. Otherwise, you'll end up as a statistic of those who are recent college graduates that are unemployed or underemployed.
I do think college is not worth it, if you don't have the right major and/or a connection to a good paying job. Otherwise, it is nothing but a glorified wall ornament that was your first mortgage because of the loans you needed for it.
No one should have to take ANY job when just coming out of college. If someone graduated college in May of 2013, they should not be rushing to accept a job cleaning bathrooms when they just spent 4 years in college.
You don't HAVE to take a job cleaning bathrooms, but historically many of us have done just about anything to get your foot in the door.
Once you're inside, even in a lowly position, you can show them what you can do. If they assign you clean the bathroom, it should be the most amazing, sparkling cleaning job anyone has ever seen.
That's worth umpteen times anything on your resume.
Have you tried looking for a full-time job that pays well during this current economic downturn? It's a bit condescending for those who are currently employed, to make judgments about a recent graduate who is trying to solidify stable and worthwhile employment. I did not attend college to work a dead-end job.
It's unrealistic for my mother to ask for $400/month in rent, because I do not have the means to pay her. After I land a decent entry level position in my field, I will gladly move out and pay any and all of my own expenses.
Well, guess what...neither did I. I went to college and went broke while waiting for a job in my field and now I am working as a shipping clerk while looking for something better. I didn't have mom or dad to bail me out. I had to be a big girl and take what was available or have bill collectors call me and go hungry.
I have plenty of time to job hunt and I work full-time. You could always take a job waiting tables or bartending which would beat retail and fast food. Waiting tables can pay decent depending on where you work. Some people can even bring in $200 a night in tips. Even if you just waited tables on the weekends, you would have a whole week to go to job interviews or whatever. Plus, you mentioned that you are relocating, which probably means you need money, which you get by working.
Well, guess what...neither did I. I went to college and went broke while waiting for a job in my field and now I am working as a shipping clerk while looking for something better. I didn't have mom or dad to bail me out. I had to be a big girl and take what was available or have bill collectors call me and go hungry.
I have plenty of time to job hunt and I work full-time. You could always take a job waiting tables or bartending which would beat retail and fast food. Waiting tables can pay decent depending on where you work. Some people can even bring in $200 a night in tips. Even if you just waited tables on the weekends, you would have a whole week to go to job interviews or whatever. Plus, you mentioned that you are relocating, which probably means you need money, which you get by working.
This many time. Just because you are working X job to get by doesn't mean you give up on the dream career, the better career. You can still look for work on days off, off from work etc... Again everybody wants to hit that good job right out of college and some do at the same time however there are those who don't get the dream job but have to take something else in the interim. Just because you take the job at UPS, CVS, Target etc... does not mean you give up, its just a temporary stop
It is true that fresh out of college you don't have to apply to the fast food right away but you have to ask yourself how long can I go unemployed (and yes I understand you will be looking for work that entire time) before it starts to look bad on the resume? 1-3 month alright that should be understandable, but what about when you hit a year and nothing- that will probably look bad to the employer no matter how hard you where looking for work.
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. I will suggest a plan for you:
