Generation Limbo

This discussion hits pretty close to home. My oldest is starting her senior year in high school and she has little in the way of an idea about what she might do one day. She's a good student -- not Ivy League, but good -- and likely will have her pick among several reasonably up-market places (public and private). Because she's so unsettled, I'm really encouraging her to do the liberal arts route so as to set herself up for graduate school in some specialty. Further, I think she should focus on getting the best value for her (OK, my) buck. Wanna guess how my advice is being received?

 

Same as by almost every teenage girl in history?

 

Something just makes my head explode every time I read that someone majored in "business."

 

Hey, now, don't go talking about my bread-and-butter ...

 

Not only did he major in business but was planning on working as a consultant once he graduated. Consulting on what? No work experience but the prestige of his Ivy League degree was going to get him consulting work?

I think there is a bit of entitlement of some of the people in the article as they feel that because they have an Ivy League degree they should automatically have a great job.

I know this puts me in "GET OFF MY LAWN!!!" territory but I worked some crappy jobs after graduating with an English degree and ended up in my career through my work, not my degree.

I will say that my education makes me better at aspects of my job than some of my colleagues but this career is not something I would have been on track for simply based on my schooling.

 

Or they could try working - actually getting their hands dirty? A lot of white collar jobs are in the tank ... But there are a shitpile of good jobs availible for people who are willing to get their hands dirty - oil and gas drillers and that industry, plumbing, heating and cooling.
And then there's the medical field, which is but isn't blue collar and requires additional schooling.

I was reading an article a few weeks ago about a LOT of six figure jobs and well-paying blue collar jobs people turn down because they seem beneath them. They want to work, they just don't want to do manual labor or get dirty.

 

"WHEN Stephanie Kelly, a 2009 graduate of the University of Florida,..." Florida is in the Ivy League? Palm League, maybe.

The people mentioned had majors of advertising, business, arts and English lit, education without skills. Not to say I don't know recent grads with degrees in Engineering that don't have career jobs.

 

If you pick the right field, you are fine.

Yes, times are tough for artists, journalists, business majors, economic majors, etc.

But when has it ever been easy for artists, journalists and business majors?

The economy isn't helping. But I feel like a lot of these students might be in trouble regardless the job climate. I want to know why these people are in this predicament, and the economy is only part of the story.

Did they intern? Did they make business contacts? Do they have useful, marketable skills? If so, then, sure, I feel bad for them. If not, I could really care less about their failings.

 

It's unreal how brutal it is out there. My wife graduated top of her class in 2009, from arguably the best design school in the nation. In the past there have been 100 or more ad agencies and TV stations and countless other companies on a list of "placement possibilities." I mean, this school produces designers and artists that are in the highest of demand.

When she graduated, there wasn't one company on that list. Depressing as hell.

As for me, I'm one of those dummies that went into sports journalism. I've been very fortunate and have landed some good freelance jobs here and there, and it's only getting better, but I've been killing myself to do it. This isn't to brag. It's just to add on to the conversation, and to say, again, it's unreal how brutal it is out there.

I'm just starting grad school right now in hopes of teaching college courses to supplement the writing stuff. Or to support the writing stuff. Dreams are great, but you can't eat them, wear them, or sleep under them. And you sure as hell can't support a family with them.

 

Harvard is to punk rock bands what Miami was to quarterbacks in the 80s.

 

Two rock & rollers and an artist want-to-be.

These aren't people that want 9 to 5 jobs.

They're Bohemians. They studied English Lit. They're doing what they want.

These folks would be doing the exact same thing whether there was a good economy or not.

We all know people like this. They're happy. Let 'em be.

Why am I supposed to feel bad for them?

 

At least they're learning the suppliers.