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Reading in the Work&Employment and Education forums, I am growing increasingly DISCOURAGED by all of the negativity surrounding what people should major in or what jobs they should go for.
It seems like there aren't any safe choices anymore besides some engineering fields and some medical fields. Is this really all that we should choose from? It is pointless to even get a degree anymore if they're all so worthless?
I suppose I'm also this frustrated because the two fields that I am most interested - Education and Architecture - are talked about so often as being ones that have no job openings.
So what do you guys think? Should people my age (19) even bother with a degree? Will it even help us in the long run? Or just set us up for more debt and the same crappy jobs we held during college? Does everyone need to go for the jobs/majors that are being recommended to them to secure any kind of future or should we take chances and do what we love? What happens when these "safe" job markets are flooded in four years when we graduate?
I'm just looking for some hope and positivity or stories from other frustrated people. Thanks
If you only see your job as something that gives you a decent paycheck every two weeks, then yes there are probably decent opportunities for you just by going through a 2 year vocational ed program at your local CC. However, the ceiling in which one can grow in their career is MUCH lower than if you have a bachelor's degree or higher. I know this sounds like some cheesy ad put out by a university, but for most people it ends up being the truth.
If you only see your job as something that gives you a decent paycheck every two weeks, then yes there are probably decent opportunities for you just by going through a 2 year vocational ed program at your local CC. However, the ceiling in which one can grow in their career is MUCH lower than if you have a bachelor's degree or higher. I know this sounds like some cheesy ad put out by a university, but for most people it ends up being the truth.
I want my career to be something that I'm passionate about. All of the jobs that I've had over the past six years, since I began working, have been solely for the paycheck. I've never really looked forward to going to work, and I don't feel that I'm being as productive as I could be. I do want to do something that requires skills sand critical thinking and is more than just repeating the same actions over and over like a trained monkey.
I'm just worried about going through all of this for nothing. My optimistic side is telling me to do what I love; I know that I have the capacity to work harder than other people and find a job when I graduate, etc, but then my rational side is telling me that if people with years of experience AND degrees can't find jobs that there's no point.
I'm so frustrated and stuck
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pappy&Me
I'd hold off a couple yr.s and see what happens . Some of my grandkids are in college and they don't have many opportuities in near future .
Good luck with whatever you decide .
I'm sorry to hear that Good luck to your grandchildren, I hope that they succeed in finding positions that they enjoy.
I've thought about holding off on college, but I've already dropped out a couple of times. This is the first full time semester that I'll finish and I'd really, really hate to give up on it when I'm finally making significant progress. But at the same time, I need to be realistic.
And if I drop out, I'll still only be qualified for these crappy customer service positions. Having a degree might open more doors but it might also just put me more in debt with the same amount of options as before. On one hand I want to take somewhat of a risk and get a degree in a field of interest, but when the news, coworkers, parents, discussion boards, etc are all saying the same things about the lack of jobs...I don't know, I don't want to ignore practicality for a dream that has no chance of becoming a reality. But I also don't want to be stuck working customer service until I die!
Damned if I do, damned if I don't There have to be more people who feel this way...or am I just crazy and over analyzing?
mchelle--I can very much sympathize with your conundrum. I finished a master's degree last month and am unemployed (my degree area is very much focused around the federal government, so it's partly their long and drawn out hiring process and partly just supply exceeding demand in terms of applicants). Firstly, I'd recommend that you not let the talk from the news, internet, friends, etc. get to you. Yes, there are many people at all levels who are laid off and can't find a job, but that doesn't mean there's no hope for you. What a company wants from a recent graduate is not necessarily the same as what they want from someone with 10 years of experience. I'd personally recommend that you major in something that gives you a good quantitative and statistical foundation. This could be engineering, computer science, or mathematics, but could also be fields like economics, accounting, and finance (preferably some combination of those fields if possible). Best of luck.
mchelle--I can very much sympathize with your conundrum. I finished a master's degree last month and am unemployed (my degree area is very much focused around the federal government, so it's partly their long and drawn out hiring process and partly just supply exceeding demand in terms of applicants). Firstly, I'd recommend that you not let the talk from the news, internet, friends, etc. get to you. Yes, there are many people at all levels who are laid off and can't find a job, but that doesn't mean there's no hope for you. What a company wants from a recent graduate is not necessarily the same as what they want from someone with 10 years of experience. I'd personally recommend that you major in something that gives you a good quantitative and statistical foundation. This could be engineering, computer science, or mathematics, but could also be fields like economics, accounting, and finance (preferably some combination of those fields if possible). Best of luck.
Congrats on getting a master's! I have a lot of respect for people who continue to receive higher education. Good luck with your job situation, I hope that you find something soon
Thank you for the great suggestions and positive attitude. I've thought about majoring in Economics or Finance. Maybe I'll look more into that. I wish that I was more mathematically inclinced, then I could look into fields like Engineering and Computer Science. I'm just not very skilled in those areas and would probably get too frustrated with the content to be successful. Although perhaps it would be worth the challenge.
The most successful people I know went to Dirtwater Liberal Arts College or State U. Some have quantitative majors, others do not. They all have one thing in common - they work really hard and know their industry inside and out. You say that you are 19 and have been working for six years. This says a lot and tells me you have the capacity to be successful. While you were working, how much time did your friends spend watching TV or playing video games? I see a lot of entry level resumes. Even in this economy, 90% of them are garbage. Absolutely pursue a degree - the poster who noted that your ceiling will be much higher if you have one is right. But also absolutely take money into account when you're doing it, because it matters, and twice the tuition bill doesn't translate into twice the education.
There is no such thing as safe any more, so if you're looking for security, you probably won't find it. Target an industry that really interests you, and then go for it. Luck will play a roll in where you end up, but you can do a lot to tip the odds in your favor.
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Good luck to your grandchildren, I hope that they succeed in finding positions that they enjoy.
There have to be more people who feel this way...or am I just crazy and over analyzing?
