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I'm talking *specifically* about highly educated/degree holder people "stuck" working low-paying jobs that are completely unrelated to their field of study. This has been a trend for a while now, although 08' obviously made it worse.
I'm noticing it is starting to happen to even the "good" degrees such as engineering, nursing, and law. Is it simply a matter of not enough good jobs to go around?
One of the most interesting (and potentially impactful long-term) inter-generational changes in the labor force is that the gap between both the household incomes and net worth of younger and older Americans has been growing over the past three plus decades. It’s not just that older workers are hanging onto their jobs longer before passing them on. It’s that the jobs being passed on are being degraded in the process of that transition. Younger professionals, quite simply, are on life-long paths of crappier jobs and less financial wealth relative to their older counterparts. The social consequences of that are unstable yet also unpredictable.
If you're "stuck", then get yourself unstuck. No one is forcing you to stay in a crappy position. Are you expecting someone to come along and save you 'cause they feel bad for you?
In engineering, it's competition from overseas. As long as foreigners can get work permits, US college graduates are competing with the entire world. Aliens don't speak English, but they sure work for cheap.
Back in the 1890's, Ambrose Bierce commented about "Germany, where every adult male has a university degree and the fields are tilled by women." If everybody goes to college, there certainly won't be enough good jobs for them. It's oversupply, not a lack of demand.
So why are aliens being imported when US grads can't find work? My guess is bargain-counter mentality, where employers go for whomever takes the lowest salary. Do US universities actually teach job skills? I don't think so. Not even the vo-tech ones.
My brother used to manage an automation company in Dallas. He would complain about hiring computer science PhD's from China, who thought that surfing the Internet was doing their job. The company eventually ran out of customers and was taken over by Siemens.
My favorite donut company, Entemann's, was traded back and forth and was, most recently, bought by a Mexican company, Bimbo Bakeries. So the donuts are now made by Bimbos.
I'm talking *specifically* about highly educated/degree holder people "stuck" working low-paying jobs that are completely unrelated to their field of study. This has been a trend for a while now, although 08' obviously made it worse.
I'm noticing it is starting to happen to even the "good" degrees such as engineering, nursing, and law. Is it simply a matter of not enough good jobs to go around?
Thoughts?
There are shortages of specialized nurses and specialized engineers in various parts of the country. What has to be done is that the people with those degrees need to be willing to relocate, not look within a 10 mile radius of where they live.
There has been a glut of lawyers for quite some time, so I don't know why people keep thinking law school is a track to making a lot of money.
And those with degrees have to stop expecting they'll find a fabulous position straight out of school unless they've done some internships or will work for very low pay at first--they should do internships during college--not a term abroad. They have to pay their dues like everyone else. If you won't go where the jobs are, you are really limiting yourself. It has pretty much always been that way.
"...Reasons employers can't fill engineering jobs: lack of experience, lack of applicants, lack of hard/technical skills, salary demands too high, lack of soft skills/workplace competencies..."
My husband is a Mechanical Engineer and has been with the same company 17 years. They are always looking for a qualified engineer for their company as it is growing rapidly, but the people who apply are anything BUT qualified! Furthermore, he is consistently being recruited by competitors companies.
Honestly, I think there are plenty of jobs out there if you're qualified and you're in the right location. We're in the Chicagoland area. I don't know anyone who has had a hard time getting a job in their field. It I also who you know and network with. People need to let everyone they know and associate with that they are looking for a job. That is how doors open.
If everybody goes to college, there certainly won't be enough good jobs for them.
And if no one went to college, they still won't get jobs either
what's your point about blaming college for not enough jobs? They have no correlation to each other
go to college with a defined plan if you want to use college as a way to get into a career
go to college without a plan if you want to "enjoy" life, but don't cry about not having a career since that wasn't the original goal
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