How many of us have Higher Learning, and still mop floors

by Quarterback 53 Replies latest jw friends

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  Band on the Run

  Midget-Sasquatch,

  Unless you started college at a later age than the norm, you have so much time to find your passion. Well, a passion that pays. I took some time off between college and law school. The economy was in a deep recession (not as bad as now) and I was overqualified. The counselors took my resume and demoted my credentials. I had to admin work similar to the type I did in high school. Everyday I cried in the ladies' room). A large chunk of my salary was spent working my way back to my goals. There is no way I could have taken the LSATS while in college for personal reasons. I had almost no math so I taught myself from preinternet workbooks. All the time I was devastated. I can't articulate how bad I felt.

  I could not see it then but I was taking the right steps. Also,, I was shouldering the blame. The college gave a special workshop for people who could not find jobs. The auditorium was packed. My classmates were not blaming themselves. One woman stood up and told the college ad people what she thought. She received a standing ovation!

  It is very easy to relate a story from success and time. You are at a single point in time. Your journey should be evaluated over a lifetime. I recall nasty people. When I moved on, I sent them personal notes b/c I knew it would push their buttons. Not nice. Maybe.
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  shamus100

  You have to have drive to make it. Education helps, but not in all cases. To make things black and white is nearly impossible - but drive is really crucial.

  I do much better than engineers in high profile oil companies (make about double what they make) - skilled blue collar worker here. And I worked my ass off for it too. Nothing was given to me.
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  mrsjones5

  Test
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  talesin

  I've had my sight on returning to school to finish my education, so I took an intensive program last spring with an agency (Canada-wide) that helped me look at what career direction I could take, based on my previous experience, education and aptitudes. There was lots of homework and tests, and hours spent with a career counsellor. I was lucky to get into it for free.

  They also helped me research (through the gov't and other websites) to see what careers are predicted to have jobs available for the next decade or so. Ultimately, the field that I was already interested in proved to be the one that the testing and counsellor felt would be the best. I can either attend a Community College (2 years) or obtain a BFA (4-5 years), but with my experience and considering the field, I would be best served to take the CC. The difference in cost is incredible. CC = about $12K and 2 years,, Uni = about $100K and 4/5 years, with the earning potential about the same.

  One of the things they said was precisely what QB is talking about. Here in Canada, at least, many people with degrees are working at fast food and retail at this time, because there just aren't enough jobs out there. The trades are expected to be the best place to find a job in the near future (electrician, plumber, etc.), because even now, there is a shortage of workers.

  Anyone choosing university needs to choose carefully, and look at predictors for future job opportunities. Even though, the future is not guaranteed. For decades, Canada has had a 'brain drain' to the USA. Many of our best and brightest are moving south of the border, because of the greater job opportunities (makes sense, as we are about 1/10th the population). It's not supposed to get any better.

  One thing to look at, is taking a degree that requires a semester working as an intern. If you are excelling, chances are you may get hired at the firm where you do your work practicuum (sp?). Social work is one of the few fields that is expected to expand. And Engineering is always a field that is promising.

  The 80s are over. Jobs have been on a steady decline for over 20 years now, and to repeat, many ppl with higher education cannot find work in their fields, simply because of job scarcity.

  Here's an example: The telephone company (here in my province) used to employ over 4,000 people when I worked in their legal dept. Now, they have less than 1,500. Outsourcing of service jobs (technical and administrative) means less management, which means less jobs for college grads.

  The federal and provincial governments have and are still scaling way back on their employees, and that door of opportunity has been slowly drawing shut for quite some time now.

  I would be a professional student for the rest of my life if that were feasible, just saying --- I love to learn! and value education for the love of learning.

  The choice between university and trades must be weighed carefully in this economic/political climate. There are no longer any guarantees of a job, anywhere.

  just my 2

  tal
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  Band on the Run

  I know from draft counseling during the Viet Nam war that certain highly skilled and rare professions, such as clock makers and violin makers, earn a fortune. Technology may have changed the actual jobs. The government would exempt such workers from the draft b/c their craft was so essential to the country. The drawback is that many of these fields are restricted to family. The apprenticeships are long and grueling.

  I don't see it as trade school, community college, or university. A mixture of skills is good. Many fields absolutely require a four year degree. The New York Times keeps writing about law schools and the present legal market. I met a recent grad from Stanford Law with a law review background. It took him two years of a full time search to obtain a government job. Thousands of firms would have wanted his acumen in the past. The most prestigious firm have instituted two tracks: 1. a small potential partner track with mediocre pay. 2. a nonpartner track with poor pay compared to the past. There is no business but they need lawyers on tap when the economy picks up. They are paying a fraction of a normal salary so that recent grads can spend time in public interest firms to acquire skills. If I explained the ambience and compensation before the downturn, you would be shocked.

  I just used law as an example. Very bad law schools are charging record setting tuition for an education that will yield no results. The market has not adjusted. My nephew is interested in law. He believes a phone call from his midlevel engineer father will garner him a top spot. I encourage him but tell him to be realistic. Be flexible. Don't just major in Political Science or History. Learn some practical so when the economy improves, you can combine it with law. No, he knows better. He blocks out all evidence to the contrary. His parents also block out everything. The kid is not stupid but he is not top notch, either.

  NPR had some program about Thoreau that explained that people who lived around the Civil War period were Renasissance people. Few people had one source of income. People learned as many trades as they could.

  Different strokes for different folks. Universities have a strong place. It depends on your interest. Community college would have killed me. I long for the Viet Nam war days when men became professional students. The ivory tower is better than the jungle.

  The cost of career assessment done properly must be astronomical. The United States has a CareerLink system with resources for free. It sounds so inviting on the website. The have 1/2 hour resume clinics, 2 hour Word and Excel courses. The office resembles a welfare office. The only method they teach is using a computerized job board.
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  talesin

  The cost of career assessment done properly must be astronomical.

  True true, BOTR. The career assessment service I received, which was quite extensive, would have cost approximately $2K+ through regular avenues.

  tal
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  Midget-Sasquatch

  @Band on the Run: Thank You for your encouraging words.

  @Talesin: I look through the workingincanada.gc.ca website and a section there on wages and outlooks on different jobs. The resources you found sound vastly better, but I thought I'd toss out that link to any other Canadian whose reading this thread and wants to follow a similar strategy.
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  talesin

  @ Midget-Sasquatch -- Job Junction helped me out - 4 month program. It's a Canada-wide non-profit. And yes, that is one website that I used.

  tal
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  Midget-Sasquatch

  @Talesin: Thank you for posting that program lead. True non-profits are wonderful.

  edit: As are most of the posters on this board.
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  Bella15

  LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT ... "Higher learning shouldn't just be about making money. It should be about making a real difference, IMO."

  This is what I talk to my children about when it comes to higher education ... how can they impact the world, humanity, how can they make the world a better place, how they can use their talents and skills on behalf of others ...

  We should love one another ... and the person who "mop floors" - maybe moping the floors at a hospital where a doctor is saving the life of a precious child, the person washing dishes at a restaurant, maybe washing the dish for a scientist looking for a cure for any disease, for a bunch of engineers working on projects to better the life of millions around the world ..... no job is too small or dimishing when you put it into the right perspective ... part of loving one another now for me is just LOVE all aspects of a human being, including what they do for a living, in the end it is a circle and we all benefit from each other's jobs no matter what color the collar may be :)