When I speak with young people, especially those in college, I often warn them about that first year (or longer) after they graduate. You go from being a college student, who may or may not be working part-time, to an adult who is supposed to be doing “adult-work.” Sure, some students majored in a subject where employers actually are looking to hire, but that usually isn’t the situation.
The fears of “what am I going to do with my life” are not just for college graduates. Those who don’t want to go on to college, people re-entering the workforce, individuals who lost their jobs from downsizing, are examples of others who feel they should be doing something important/they like/add your own adjective.
When I talk with young people about this because I don’t want them to get discouraged. I don’t want them to feel something is wrong with them or get depressed. What I do want them to do is understand that whatever work they do, whether it is related to their major or not, is going to help them down the road. They can’t even begin to imagine why that job at Starbucks is going to help them beyond making a car payment. Whether it’s learning to work with the public, manage inventory, different management styles – all these things help mold and shape us and give us insight that helps us grow in ways we don’t usually recognize at first.
I’m always amused when something in my current life makes me reflect on my younger life and I can connect the dots. If only I had known back then that things would work out and those jobs I hated, even while in high school, would help me be successful today. We never know what skills we will acquire that can be transfered to jobs and life in the future.
Please read this article, Your First Job Doesn’t (Really) Matter by Jodi Glickman and pass it along to the young people you know. She does an excellent job explaining why learning, earning, and contributing are the three areas that will do you best to get ahead and what you want out of life. I’ve already passed it on to many.
If you are a student, what fears do you have? If you are older, what do you advise young people who may struggle after leaving school?
The Sacramento Bee has a short article about a report saying that there was a 44% increase in employment in teens nationwide in June compared to June 2010. This report came from an outplacement firm in Chicago – Challenger, Gray & Christmas, but I can’t find the report on their website.
That’s a huge increase. I’d like to find the report to get more information.
When you read job descriptions, can you tell it the job is meant for a man or a woman? A study just published shows that subtle wording differences for the same job will influence whether a man or a woman applies. They conclude that these word biases are probably unintentional and may explain some of the reasons why women don’t apply for traditionally male-dominated jobs, such as some in science and technology. You can read more about the study here.
According to CollegeBoard.com, the unemployment rate in 2009 for those with a four-year degree was 5.1 percentage points lower than those with only a high school education, 4.6% to 9.7% respectively.
Take those figures and combine that knowledge with the information just released from census data, which also shows that women are now outnumbering men in holding advanced degrees. Women with bachelor’s degrees have exceeded the number of men for about 30 years, so this isn’t really a surprise. But what does that mean for men in future economic hard times? And, why has this trend developed?
I’d like to see data on other categories of education and training besides a four-year degree. There are many good-paying jobs that require certifications and other types of education outside of a traditional degree. Let’s encourage all of our students, boys and girls, to get the post-high school education and training that will keep them employed with satisfying careers.
Look into DVDs, assessments, books and posters for college planning. There are also many products, such as DVDs for non-traditional students and books for careers without a college degree. Many resources are out there to help young people plan their future.
With the change in demographics and so many men unemployed, I wonder if there are more dads helping out in schools and in the classrooms?
