Taking responsibility for your own lack of job options
EDMONTON (CUP) — University: a
scary and exciting word for anyone exploring
the possibility of a higher education.
For most of us, that has been the goal after 13 years of school. But what if it's not all it is cracked up to be?
In today's society, more than ever, graduates are not finding jobs in their fields. Businesses and large corporations are not hiring — especially not green, straight-out-ofschool, 20-something-year-olds.
Many students are working at jobs they are overqualified for, such as service industry positions. There is nothing wrong with being a server, but is it necessary to have a Bachelor of Science to do so? And does the bartender at the local pub with a business degree need the education he has to give a decent performance at the workplace?
What does this say about the validity of post-secondary education? If I am going to work at a restaurant for the rest of my life, why did I stress for four years in lecture halls and computer labs, and spend thousands of dollars to become a "scholar"?
So whose fault is it? Is it the insitutions for not providing a useful education? Or is it the student's fault? We are the ones who pay, attend the classes and hand in the papers. Are we to blame for not finding jobs that use our skills acquired in the post-secondary environment?
I assert that we the students should take ownership for our career issues after we graduate.
We chose our degree and major. Should we not look to see if our desired future employers are hiring? Now, we cannot exactly predict how the job market will be in four years, but we must have some idea of what we are getting ourselves into.
As with why we choose what we study, we also choose what jobs we apply for. For example, if I have a business degree and am looking for a job in my field, I'm going to look for a company that has the exact job that I want. I might not think to look at a job or employer that is in my field, but not in my interest. In today's society, we are told we can be whatever we want.
If I do not want to work for a construction company, I am not even going to look at them — even if there is potential for me to start a successful career in that field.
There is too much hope in our naïve brains that we will get what we want right out of school without having to work for it. We get discouraged and go back to the familiar jobs we worked before and during university.
We need to recognize that the skills we gained during our education will get us in the door of the job market that utilizes those skills, but sometimes we might have to knock at a few different doors than the one we're focused on.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
For most of us, that has been the goal after 13 years of school. But what if it's not all it is cracked up to be?
In today's society, more than ever, graduates are not finding jobs in their fields. Businesses and large corporations are not hiring — especially not green, straight-out-ofschool, 20-something-year-olds.
Many students are working at jobs they are overqualified for, such as service industry positions. There is nothing wrong with being a server, but is it necessary to have a Bachelor of Science to do so? And does the bartender at the local pub with a business degree need the education he has to give a decent performance at the workplace?
What does this say about the validity of post-secondary education? If I am going to work at a restaurant for the rest of my life, why did I stress for four years in lecture halls and computer labs, and spend thousands of dollars to become a "scholar"?
So whose fault is it? Is it the insitutions for not providing a useful education? Or is it the student's fault? We are the ones who pay, attend the classes and hand in the papers. Are we to blame for not finding jobs that use our skills acquired in the post-secondary environment?
I assert that we the students should take ownership for our career issues after we graduate.
We chose our degree and major. Should we not look to see if our desired future employers are hiring? Now, we cannot exactly predict how the job market will be in four years, but we must have some idea of what we are getting ourselves into.
As with why we choose what we study, we also choose what jobs we apply for. For example, if I have a business degree and am looking for a job in my field, I'm going to look for a company that has the exact job that I want. I might not think to look at a job or employer that is in my field, but not in my interest. In today's society, we are told we can be whatever we want.
If I do not want to work for a construction company, I am not even going to look at them — even if there is potential for me to start a successful career in that field.
There is too much hope in our naïve brains that we will get what we want right out of school without having to work for it. We get discouraged and go back to the familiar jobs we worked before and during university.
We need to recognize that the skills we gained during our education will get us in the door of the job market that utilizes those skills, but sometimes we might have to knock at a few different doors than the one we're focused on.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
