Unprepared - From Elite College to Job Market (Response)

While reading Unprepared by Sarah Idzik, I felt a connection with her. In high school, I was always the overachiever. I always did extremely well compared to the average student. I was the Valedictorian of my high school graduating class.  I was involved in numerous extra-curricular activities. I was loved by all the faculty and staff. I had excellent grades and excellent test scores. Now that I am in college, I actually have to study. It is a completely different world at college because I don’t have my parents in my ear constantly reminding me of deadlines and other things. I am an independent adult. College separates those who are intellectual from those who are not. I knew I was ready to dive into the college as soon as I graduated. In my blog post entitled, “Why College?" I go more in depth with this saying that I chose college to become a teacher and to become more intelligent.

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I faced the same dilemma the author faced when I was choosing a college to attend for my Bachelor’s Degree. She chose to take the leap at the University of Chicago. I chose to play it safe and attend school just fifty miles away from home. Jacksonville State University is only fifty miles away from my home. I was originally going to attend the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, but I quickly changed my mind when I found out that I had better scholarship opportunities and I could be much closer to my family  at Jacksonville State University.  

Unlike the author, I feel that my high school did an excellent job of preparing me for post-secondary education. Though I went to a small town high school in the middle of nowhere, our curriculum was rigorous. I just performed better than the average student. I have yet to have a moment where I don’t know what one of my fellow students is talking about. The author used an example in her book where she was embarrassed that she didn’t know what NATO was. I do not want to appear as though I don’t know what the other students already know.

The author of this essay, Sarah Idzik, obtained a degree in Clerical Administration. The demand for jobs in this field are scarce and the unemployment rate for people with these degrees is higher than average. I will probably be facing the same dilemma she faced. I am obtaining my Bachelor’s Degree in Music. There are not many career opportunities, excluding music education, which I can use my degree in music in. I chose to study for music to be my career because it is what I love to do. I know that I can be successful at anything in the music field because I have been immersed in music since a very early age. The author chose what she was good at, but faced the consequences of there not being a high demand for her career choice.

Upon sending her resume and applications to countless employers about jobs, the author finally obtained a job. It was a job that she didn’t really care for considering she did so much more in her days in college. It was a nine-to-five job printing travel documents for rich people. It was lackluster and she was extremely bored with her job. She felt like she could definitely do more. She gained 15 pounds in 6 months. I hope I never face the hardships that many of the authors in this book had to face. I don’t know if I could deal with it. Like I said in my blog post, “Is College Enough?,” I don’t know if college alone can get you your dream job and leave you happy and eager to go to work every day.

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The author wrote that many of her coworkers felt the same way she did and they all lived paycheck to paycheck trying to earn a decent living. This is a scary thought considering she was lucky enough to have a job. Though she hated it, it was still a job. Those are hard to come by these days.

The author has much bigger plans for herself. She wants to leave Chicago and start over. Sometimes that is what people have to do. If I was unhappy with my degree and the lack of career opportunities in my field of expertise, I would probably go back to school for a degree in something that is much more in demand.

The author went from being happy in college to being unhappy as a result of what she chose to study at college. This makes me question why I am truly at college in the first place.

Is College Enough?

Everyone in my family has always pushed me to attend college. I did well in high school so I could go to a university without having to pay as much out of pocket. I was blessed by receiving scholarships that cover my education for the next four years. Is paying all this money worth the degree? With so many people attending college and obtaining the same degree I am, will it be possible to get a job in the field I want to? In fact, according to Students Review: Unemployment By Major Chart, the unemployment rate for people with degrees in music education is down 2.5% which is a much different story than years past. Many of the questions cannot be answered until I receive my degree and look for a job.

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With more people attending college today than ever in history, the job market is becoming much more competitive. At one time, college degrees almost guaranteed employment. This is definitely not the case today. A degree will not necessarily make you competitive in the job market. As Jack Vincent writes in his blog, "Why Your College Degree is Not Enough," "Regardless of your major or the type of position that you are seeking today’s candidates must have more to offer than just academic achievement." 

 

Experience trumps a degree. This needs to be understood in today's society. I have known people to receive a banking job without any sort of degree over someone with a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting. The person without the degree had experience in bookkeeping and had been a treasurer for many years. This person was hired because of their experience in the field of banking. A degree won't always guarantee you a job. 

With everyone attending college, nothing really sets you apart from the rest of the people with a degree other than experience. For example, if I had a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education and had taught music for several years and another person had a Master's Degree but had never taught before, I would probably be hired before the person with less work experience. Though they had a Master's Degree, I had experience. Different employers focus on different attributes of potential employees, but most focus on work experience. CNN said this best in their article, "When a Degree isn't Enough to Get a Job." "Ask employers what they want from graduates and the answers are equally diverse. Depending on the job, you might need a degree and an internship, a degree and work experience, or the right connections to even land an interview."

 

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There are many different uses so a degree, so those who say a college degree has been rendered useless in today's work force are wrong. In order for you to work in any field of healthcare, which is one of the most highly employed fields of work, you need a degree. Every doctor anyone has ever visited has been licensed and equally have a certificate verifying that they attended Medical School and passed through. I don't know about you, but I don't want just anyone operating on me. They must have a medical degree.

The education field is another field where a degree is required. I am one of the many students who are attending Jacksonville State University for a degree in education. I am majoring in Music Education. There is not a high need for music teachers, but I am aware of this. Teaching music is what I want to do with my life, so no matter what, I am going to eventually going to become a music teacher. Some jobs require a college degree. The only reason I really wanted to attend college is because it is required to become a teacher.

A degree is a way for employers to tell if you are serious about new learning experiences and/or if you are serious about a job. College is a test to see if you are serious about learning. College proves that you are willing to go the extra mile when learning to do something. That is why people attend college in the first place. People go to college to learn new things.

Though it is possible to make a decent amount of money without a college degree, it is not likely in today's job market. Most jobs that require a degree offer a better salary than those that don't. In my opinion, people should be considering a degree in Information Technology or Computer Science since the world is now so digital. There is also a high demand for those jobs since there are so many different forms of technology. An article entitled, The Top 10 IT Skills for 2013, from IT Career Finder, there will be a need for people with degrees in computer programming, IT Security, and Networking now and in the future.

 

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If more people considered whether they were meant to go to college, the world would be a much happier place. People could simply go to a trade school or technical school and be much happier than they would be going to college and being in debt for the rest of their lives.

Sometimes I wonder if college is the same in every country. I wonder if every country considers college to be a necessity today.

According to an infographic, College in America, the amount of unemployed college graduates doubled from 2008 to 2009. I find this alarming because these same people who were unemployed then could still be unemployed when I go out into the work force to get a job. Is obtaining a degree really worth the sorrow you are going to face trying to find a nonexistent job?

I believe that college can improve your leadership and communication skills if you stay involved. There have been records of the "quiet kid" in school becoming the president of the Student Government Association. Employers are going to want to hire these leaders and these good leadership and communication skills. However, there is a debate on whether college can teach leadership. This article titled "The Bad Habits You Learn in School" states this. I disagree with this because school has already polished my leadership and communication skills.

So, is college enough? Will a college degree alone ever be enough to live a long, happy, prosperous life? This is debated now and will be debated forever. I personally believe that a college is degree will be what you make of it. It could be your ticket to the best job you have ever had, or it could lead to trials and suffering. You have the make the best of everything and anything.