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The recession/depression effected most of the baby boomers financially to some degree. There is an employment bubble (more people than jobs..just look at the number of baby boomers still in the job market) and retail is a place to start. Once they start retiring in masses, the employment situation will get better. Until then, get whatever job or jobs you can and learn as much as possible. Continue to learn things by going to school and or getting certifications. Also, volunteer as much as possible. Get out there to network and learn new skills or refine old skills. The bitching is annoying and pathetic.
Absolutely. What 'skill' does a liberal arts degree give you?
Liberal Arts type degrees teach you how to write, think critically, and make reasonable arguments. I use what I learned getting my Political Science degree all the time. Then again, there are some people that it just doesn't take to, or they think everything has to be handed to them on a platter.
As to Gen Yers, I tend to think we will be a generation of incredible entrepreneurship. This is for 3 central reasons.
1. Jobs are scarce and the good jobs boomers and their parents relied on in manufacturing have been crippled by off shoring and union busting.
2. More and more folks are getting job competent with internships in situations where there is likely no job waiting for them. They have the skills just not a traditional employer.
3. The internet if used properly is a great networking and advertising tool, which drastically shortens the amount of time and money required to get your name out there.
Basically, you have people with skills, access to advertising, and a need to pay rent and eat, but no employer willing to hire them. The answer is clear and folks are pretty adaptable.
Last edited by Randomstudent; 08-01-2012 at 11:30 AM..
I think I'd still rather work for a big Fortune company than start my own business.
You may rather, but with the competition are you sure you will get it? Often many of those jobs are as far from meritocracy as is possible in America. The people who get hired are the people who went to prep. school with the CEO's son, have fathers who play golf with the CFO, or date the son/daughter of the chairman of the board. One thing I learned early on is that a key to getting hired is having an "in" with someone. Now some people think that this is exchanging business cards, it's not, from my experience it tends to be a product of longterm friendship, or blood. Of the people I know who got awesome jobs after college, many were related to the right people.
Liberal Arts type degrees teach you how to write, think critically, and make reasonable arguments. I use what I learned getting my Political Science degree all the time. Then again, there are some people that it just doesn't take to, or they think everything has to be handed to them on a platter.
I am sorry, maybe I wasn't clear. I was wondering what a liberal arts degree teaches that a more technical degree does not. You learn all of these things in a technical degree, but you have a tangible skill as well.
[quote]
As to Gen Yers, I tend to think we will be a generation of incredible entrepreneurship. This is for 3 central reasons.
Liberal Arts type degrees teach you how to write, think critically, and make reasonable arguments.
Or you've been learning English since Kindergarten and should already know how to do those things by the time you get to college and not waste an entire degree on it.
I am sorry, maybe I wasn't clear. I was wondering what a liberal arts degree teaches that a more technical degree does not. You learn all of these things in a technical degree, but you have a tangible skill as well.
I don't think technical degrees really don't teach you to critically think or write in the same way humanities degrees do. It is difficult to explain, but if you really take the time to learn the thought process behind it, as I said I think it is highly useful. A lot of my friends have technical degrees and they are quite smart people, but it's just different approach.
You may rather, but with the competition are you sure you will get it? Often many of those jobs are as far from meritocracy as is possible in America. The people who get hired are the people who went to prep. school with the CEO's son, have fathers who play golf with the CFO, or date the son/daughter of the chairman of the board. One thing I learned early on is that a key to getting hired is having an "in" with someone. Now some people think that this is exchanging business cards, it's not, from my experience it tends to be a product of longterm friendship, or blood. Of the people I know who got awesome jobs after college, many were related to the right people.
Oh I know that nepotism and favoritism runs deeper than the Atlantic Ocean in those companies. I still believe that you can get somewhere through good old fashioned hard work though. I know that companies like the Big 4 accounting firms are pretty good about hiring smart graduates. I don't really wanna be a partner at a firm or an executive or VP either, I mean it'd be cool I guess but I really just want to make enough to support a family and live in a good place. I don't need a yacht or helicopters or a BMW 7 series.
Or you've been learning English since Kindergarten and should already know how to do those things by the time you get to college and not waste an entire degree on it.
If you think college writing is the same as Kindergarten or high school writing, I have to say you probably either did not go to college for it, or you went to a god awful college.
This is essentially what I am getting at, what you learn in a humanities degree is, if done properly, very useful, but not easily understood by other folks. Like I said I use what I learned all the time and am very satisfied.
Last edited by Randomstudent; 08-01-2012 at 12:07 PM..
Oh I know that nepotism and favoritism runs deeper than the Atlantic Ocean in those companies. I still believe that you can get somewhere through good old fashioned hard work though. I know that companies like the Big 4 accounting firms are pretty good about hiring smart graduates. I don't really wanna be a partner at a firm or an executive or VP either, I mean it'd be cool I guess but I really just want to make enough to support a family and live in a good place. I don't need a yacht or helicopters or a BMW 7 series.
Maybe it is just my jaded view, but I think they work you down to the nub, and then dispose of you at their pleasure when the next, cheaper, younger, more energetic, hard worker-recent graduate shows up...unless by "hard work" you mean, "can bring in and keep clients," which if you have that skill you are fine regardless.
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