There is no topic
- Thread starter Mad D
- Start date
As someone who started looking for work during the worst part of the recession, I can tell you that at least things have gotten better. I graduated at the top of my class with two degrees and a recommendation from the former Disney CMO, and I couldn't find anything. Not even an entry level job. When I did find people willing to talk to me they asked if I could work for free. Finally I took a PA job in Reality TV.
Millennials were prepared for a world that doesn't exist. Stand in line, follow directions, trade in your creativity for apparent stability and you'll be rewarded. But those "get paid to show up" jobs are gone.
I graduated in 2008 and no one has ever asked for my degree. With the skyrocketing costs I don't think it's even worth it anymore unless you get into a big name school like Stanford, Harvard, etc. What I took from college was the people I met because those friends are out in the work force and help me with job leads.
On the bright side, if you're creative, there's never been better time.
Millennials were prepared for a world that doesn't exist. Stand in line, follow directions, trade in your creativity for apparent stability and you'll be rewarded. But those "get paid to show up" jobs are gone.
I graduated in 2008 and no one has ever asked for my degree. With the skyrocketing costs I don't think it's even worth it anymore unless you get into a big name school like Stanford, Harvard, etc. What I took from college was the people I met because those friends are out in the work force and help me with job leads.
On the bright side, if you're creative, there's never been better time.
As a fairly recent college graduate myself, I can identify with the struggles associated with the job-hunt post-graduation.
While I largely agree with Ryan that creative people will succeed in the current job climate, I still believe there is credence to the whole "Get a degree, avoid starving on the streets" screed that has largely been backed by years of statistics. While earning a degree may not provide you with specific training for an exact career (Unless you're putting the long hours in for a degree as an engineer, medical, programming, etc.), it is still an indication to potential employers that you are a guy who "sticks things out" for the long haul, something that still has worth as the millennial generation has somehow accumulated the image of being the "lazy" generation. But, on the flip side, more and more people are going to university and pumping out those 4-year degrees, meaning that it's getting harder and harder to stand out from the pack in the job market.
That said, going to university isn't for everyone. I have plenty of friends from high school who skipped the academic path and found fulfilling careers in one trade for another.
The key is to make yourself marketable to employers. That means putting in the long hours at whatever it is you do (part-time work, community service, your blog, etc.). It's like being a sea anemone. The thing can't move from the rock to which its anchored but it sure as hell can put thousands of tentacles out there to grab dinner.
Me, personally, I did both the work right off the bat and go to university options, getting my degree in four years while working in the food service industry part-time, something that was radically different from my field of study (got a B.S in Smarmy Internet Smartass-ology). The most important thing about this decision? It gave me a fallback if I couldn't find a job with my college degree as it's a foregone conclusion that people need to eat to survive. In other words, give yourself options. Become as skilled as possible in as many things as possible. Versatility is an important trait in this day and age, not matter of much people will tell you otherwise.
Sorry for rambling on a bit here. My views on the job market are a little skewed. Overall, if Ryan's claim is that creative people succeed, mine is that hard-workers will find the most success. Degree or no degree, special trade or not, if you are someone who puts their head down and gets their job done, there'll be a place for you in the marketplace yet.
EDIT:
I guess it would help if I said what I currently do for a living. I'm an English teacher in Japan.
I know it's not really an optimal option for a lot of people but there are plenty of teaching jobs overseas, many of them paying a bit more than you would earn with an entry level job. Definitely an option if you can't find something locally and need to earn some money while figuring out your next course of action. BTDubbs, international experience looks FANTASTIC on your resume.
While I largely agree with Ryan that creative people will succeed in the current job climate, I still believe there is credence to the whole "Get a degree, avoid starving on the streets" screed that has largely been backed by years of statistics. While earning a degree may not provide you with specific training for an exact career (Unless you're putting the long hours in for a degree as an engineer, medical, programming, etc.), it is still an indication to potential employers that you are a guy who "sticks things out" for the long haul, something that still has worth as the millennial generation has somehow accumulated the image of being the "lazy" generation. But, on the flip side, more and more people are going to university and pumping out those 4-year degrees, meaning that it's getting harder and harder to stand out from the pack in the job market.
That said, going to university isn't for everyone. I have plenty of friends from high school who skipped the academic path and found fulfilling careers in one trade for another.
The key is to make yourself marketable to employers. That means putting in the long hours at whatever it is you do (part-time work, community service, your blog, etc.). It's like being a sea anemone. The thing can't move from the rock to which its anchored but it sure as hell can put thousands of tentacles out there to grab dinner.
Me, personally, I did both the work right off the bat and go to university options, getting my degree in four years while working in the food service industry part-time, something that was radically different from my field of study (got a B.S in Smarmy Internet Smartass-ology). The most important thing about this decision? It gave me a fallback if I couldn't find a job with my college degree as it's a foregone conclusion that people need to eat to survive. In other words, give yourself options. Become as skilled as possible in as many things as possible. Versatility is an important trait in this day and age, not matter of much people will tell you otherwise.
Sorry for rambling on a bit here. My views on the job market are a little skewed. Overall, if Ryan's claim is that creative people succeed, mine is that hard-workers will find the most success. Degree or no degree, special trade or not, if you are someone who puts their head down and gets their job done, there'll be a place for you in the marketplace yet.
EDIT:
I guess it would help if I said what I currently do for a living. I'm an English teacher in Japan.
I know it's not really an optimal option for a lot of people but there are plenty of teaching jobs overseas, many of them paying a bit more than you would earn with an entry level job. Definitely an option if you can't find something locally and need to earn some money while figuring out your next course of action. BTDubbs, international experience looks FANTASTIC on your resume.
Last edited:
Since you haven't said what your degree is in, it might be tough for some to give really applicable advice. In general, however, going into the armed services can provide an opportunity to learn skills that can be useful in the job market.
Bottom line, though? I shouldn't have jumped in. I'll be honest. I felt your response to Slim was somewhat demeaning to the Navy and I responded. My bad.
Bottom line, though? I shouldn't have jumped in. I'll be honest. I felt your response to Slim was somewhat demeaning to the Navy and I responded. My bad.
I'll second this one. Right after graduation I looked into getting my masters at UCLA and that's what they said they looked for. They wanted to see people well rounded in the community.
My biggest regret is putting in my time "paying my dues" in a job that I didn't to lead to anything. I did that in Reality TV production and moved up pretty quickly, but I never intended to make a career in Reality. Now I have to start all over again in scripted commercials, and at this point I'm exhausted. IMHO, you have a small window when you're young to bust your ass and make no money in hopes it will lead to something. Chances are it will.
P.S. I have degrees in PR/Advertising and Film Production.
My biggest regret is putting in my time "paying my dues" in a job that I didn't to lead to anything. I did that in Reality TV production and moved up pretty quickly, but I never intended to make a career in Reality. Now I have to start all over again in scripted commercials, and at this point I'm exhausted. IMHO, you have a small window when you're young to bust your ass and make no money in hopes it will lead to something. Chances are it will.
P.S. I have degrees in PR/Advertising and Film Production.
Well here is my story, I graduated two years ago in IT for only an Associates. I didn't pursue my Bachelor's because the school I attended was a private school and you would overpay for your four year term there. Second, I was starting to lose interest close to graduating. That didn't help things. In the mean time, I've been wasting time and just trying to figure out what I actually want to do with my life (career wise). I always wager whether I should go for the money and where the job market is high or go for something that I love to do. So I'm at an impasse at the moment trying to figure out which way to go. Navy/Marines is not an option for me and I don't really have any skills/trades. I mean the most I know about is sports, if you sit me down and talk to me about Sports I can talk your ear off, but everything else is just going in and out the other side of the ear.
Alrighty so here's what you could try to do in the sports realm:
1. Apply for internships with various sports franchises of your choosing. Most positions (okay- all of them) don't pay but they certainly do help you get your foot into the door of the sports world, be it the administrative side of things, the marketing side of things, or even the IT side of things (considering how much analytics and number crunching goes on in the modern sports world, there are definitely places in the sports world for people who can keep the computers and technology up and running)
2. Get into writing/talking/pontificating about sports. I know, not exactly a lucrative career (even for the most successful) but if talking about sports is what you love doing, there are certainly ways to make enough money doing it to survive (I mean, Aaron Bruski has a job, doesn't he?). Once again, this is a job that won't exactly pay you to start off with but (and this is a BIG but) if you build up enough of an audience that enjoys what you have to say about Team A, B, and C, or simply likes you as a personality, you can find a role some place or another.
The key here is to polish up your communicating skills: write game threads (my schedule doesn't exactly allow for me to write about every single game at this point- hint hint, nudge nudge), start a podcast (something that someone brought up in a thread a while back), start breaking down game film like Draftexpress, get active on social media. Hell, I don't know if you're based in Sacramento or not, but I've long thought that there's enough of a niche in the sports market in the Central Valley for an exclusively digital sports media site about sports in the region (not just limited to the Kings but Republic F.C., the River Cats, UCD/CSUS, prep sports, your mom's roller derby league, Uncle Larry's Pie Eating Contest, and so on and so forth). Hell, before I moved out to Japan for my job, I was halfway to actually opening a site like that up (being unemployed for half a year left me with A LOT of free time).
The most important thing is that you have something interesting to say. Give people a reason to pay attention to you. Whether its as the smarmy smartass (Dave Dameshek for NFL.com for instance), a straight up news guy (Cowbell Kingdom when they aren't bemoaning the loss of IT), or as an armchair analyst (draft express, for instance. Hell, Mel Kiper started out his NFL draft scouting as a hobby), find your niche and build yourself into the perfect fit for it.
Opportunities do exist. It's simply a matter of putting in the blood, sweat, and tears to take advantage.
1. Apply for internships with various sports franchises of your choosing. Most positions (okay- all of them) don't pay but they certainly do help you get your foot into the door of the sports world, be it the administrative side of things, the marketing side of things, or even the IT side of things (considering how much analytics and number crunching goes on in the modern sports world, there are definitely places in the sports world for people who can keep the computers and technology up and running)
2. Get into writing/talking/pontificating about sports. I know, not exactly a lucrative career (even for the most successful) but if talking about sports is what you love doing, there are certainly ways to make enough money doing it to survive (I mean, Aaron Bruski has a job, doesn't he?). Once again, this is a job that won't exactly pay you to start off with but (and this is a BIG but) if you build up enough of an audience that enjoys what you have to say about Team A, B, and C, or simply likes you as a personality, you can find a role some place or another.
The key here is to polish up your communicating skills: write game threads (my schedule doesn't exactly allow for me to write about every single game at this point- hint hint, nudge nudge), start a podcast (something that someone brought up in a thread a while back), start breaking down game film like Draftexpress, get active on social media. Hell, I don't know if you're based in Sacramento or not, but I've long thought that there's enough of a niche in the sports market in the Central Valley for an exclusively digital sports media site about sports in the region (not just limited to the Kings but Republic F.C., the River Cats, UCD/CSUS, prep sports, your mom's roller derby league, Uncle Larry's Pie Eating Contest, and so on and so forth). Hell, before I moved out to Japan for my job, I was halfway to actually opening a site like that up (being unemployed for half a year left me with A LOT of free time).
The most important thing is that you have something interesting to say. Give people a reason to pay attention to you. Whether its as the smarmy smartass (Dave Dameshek for NFL.com for instance), a straight up news guy (Cowbell Kingdom when they aren't bemoaning the loss of IT), or as an armchair analyst (draft express, for instance. Hell, Mel Kiper started out his NFL draft scouting as a hobby), find your niche and build yourself into the perfect fit for it.
Opportunities do exist. It's simply a matter of putting in the blood, sweat, and tears to take advantage.
Thank you for the input. It's been helpful. When you say apply for sports franchises as an intern though, aren't they looking for current students and/or students currently pursuing a degree in let's say journalism or anything related to that? What are the odds of actually getting somebody to even look at your resume when you have an IT degree with no certifications and all ready two years post graduation can't find work and don't have much to show for?
As I mentioned, I'm at a crossroads about where I want to go from here. Some days I want to do PTA (Physical Therapist Assistant), some days I want to be an Interpreter. Up to this point however I can't say that I've ever had much liking for coding/programming, yet that is where a lot of employers are looking for work. Application Developers, Java, Web Development, IT Project Management, Security, Software Engineering, Computer Hardware Engineering, etc etc. List goes on but you see where I'm going with this. You do research all the time and then you don't know what to believe and what way to go especially if you don't have that drive because you are afraid to fail and the starting point is the most difficult part.
Apologies about the rant.
As I mentioned, I'm at a crossroads about where I want to go from here. Some days I want to do PTA (Physical Therapist Assistant), some days I want to be an Interpreter. Up to this point however I can't say that I've ever had much liking for coding/programming, yet that is where a lot of employers are looking for work. Application Developers, Java, Web Development, IT Project Management, Security, Software Engineering, Computer Hardware Engineering, etc etc. List goes on but you see where I'm going with this. You do research all the time and then you don't know what to believe and what way to go especially if you don't have that drive because you are afraid to fail and the starting point is the most difficult part.
Apologies about the rant.
You might want to look into that aspect. Get some more training in that regard and find out where your local team (whatever sport) players go for their physical therapy after injuries. Is it with the local hospital? Do they hire their own? You might end up combining the best of two worlds...
Good luck.
Good luck.
I am in Phoenix. However, the Suns Medical staff is known as one of the best in the league. You can imagine the qualifications required to get onto a Professional Sports team with good credentials as they have. It's a thought, like I mentioned. Just depends where the job market is for these type of jobs. I like where I'm at and I don't know if I'm willing to relocate.