Roughly half of graduates are underemployed 10 years after college, study finds

For many Americans, a college degree is seen as the key to professional success and economic mobility. However, a new study shows that promise does not hold for some graduates. Vanessa Fuhrmans, deputy chief for the Wall Street Journal's careers and workplace bureau, joins CBS News to discuss the high percentage of post-grad underemployment.
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[@bjh.8036]

Im sorry, but lack of internships is not the reason people can't find jobs. I really wish they would stop with the lies. If you have been looking for a job, you are probably aware that employers are asking for up to 6 years of experience for entry-level positions. Add to that Tech industry layoffs. I really wish they would stop with the lies!

[@PraveenSriram]

Exactly true and well said

[@lucialuciferion6720]

It's MSM, 99% of what they spout is lies.

[@vectoralphaAI]

True.

[@simonmaduxx6777]

But if you got rid of the lies you would have to Get rid of half of the country. Don't start looking cuz the more you dig into how this country operates the more depressing it is. Just keep your head up, keep smiling, keep a great spirit and everything will work out one day even if that day is after your death. 😢😮

[@Ashyboy170]

My point exactly

[@henryzhao4622]

Colleges are for profit now. Time to regulate tuition for once . Bachelors degrees are HS degrees now. It’s not a luxury anymore

[@andieb3632]

15 years 10 additional gen ed courses seemed necessary but now all those filler classes u can learn online

[@thedude5040]

Depends on the degree. In engineering you won't make it past 1st semester if you do not have an old fashioned real high school diploma. If you cannot start in Calculus day one of your degree then you are already behind and there isn't much sympathy. There are many free tools to help yourself at a university. It's okay to repeate a course if you are not ready for it. I did this. I enrolled in engineering without knowing a thing about it other than their pay scales. If you whine and complain then we will cheer you on as you transfer to a buisness degree.

[@TC-cd5sm]

Don't need to regulate tuition. The only thing that needs to happen is for the US federal government to completely exit the student loan market and stop offering them immediately. Once done, students won't have access to easy loan money, and attendance will drop like crazy. This will then force colleges to lower tuition costs because they will need to compete.

[@fredfolson5355]

I agree with you to this extent. All the "General Education" coursework needs to be moved down to the high school level. And the students who decide to attend college/university, should be studying two years for that Bachelors degree. High school age kids should be able to attend a vocational school and come away from that with carpentery, basic computer networking/repair, electrician, plumbing, smartphone/electronic repair skills. Modern skills from which they can get a job and even be on a glideslope to start their own business in one of those fields.

[@thedude5040]

@fredfolson5355 many stem degrees cannot be consolidated to two years even if you remove all the gen ed requirements.

[@noazucar519]

10 years ago I was considered overachieving for working part-time, working an internship, and taking a full-time set of classes. Now that’s the norm! Y’all are crazy. There’s not enough internships to go around if every college student wants one!

[@camerongage1237]

In hindsight to me, internships are worthless.

[@rickyayy]

Internships also known as FREE labor

[@slimboyd]

Cap

[@MountainTopher]

10 years ago that was the norm to get into med school

[@daileythompson5232]

Also many people cannot afford to do unpaid labor. I worked 2 jobs, went to school, and gave my extra time to volunteer work and scholarship mandates. I feel for this next generation 😢

[@catherga]

Stop. Businesses expect you to graduate college with 4 years of experience, 2 unpaid internships, and a major that you hate but will make you more “marketable”. Don’t blame colleges or college students for not meeting increasingly unrealistic expectations. Blame businesses for not investing in training new graduates.

[@smrk2452]

Heck, some are not even paying enough taxes to fund the public school system, which will be their workforce in 20 years. Many have been avoiding taxes since the 1970s and now complain about a worker shortage.

[@BreezyBoyBoy]

I couldn’t agree with you more on this. The companies are picky about who they hire and won’t invest in anyone who doesn’t have any sort of experience which is unfair. We all gotta start from somewhere.

[@CM-dw2xr]

Don't ever consider a major that you hate, just to be marketable. There are always jobs in any field, but some are harder to get, and the hard-to-get jobs can be selective and hire only the best people. So the real secret is to pick a major that you love, that you really want to do for your career, and then become one of the best people in that field! You'll always be able to find a job that way.

[@catherga]

@@CM-dw2xr As an English major who found a lot of success after college despite the doubts of my friends and family, I thoroughly agree with this advice. Too many people shoot for a degree that doesn’t suit their skills or long term interests because they are pressured to treat college like an expensive job training program.

[@adammcman3365]

Internships now are usually paid!

[@tjr4459]

Too many employers are using internships as free labor and many college students nowadays can’t afford to work for free. The internships don’t help much in getting a position with the company as it used to.

[@thedude5040]

I graduated in 2018 with a bachalors without an internship. I now make $90k.

[@juannevindez6969]

⁠@@thedude5040ok random internet guy. What ever you say.

[@thedude5040]

@juannevindez6969 I see my truth runs against your perspective.

[@minxili3317]

Employers these days are the ones causing the most problems resulting in a lot of people not having jobs but they sure love to blame us.

[@NeilHoward-kp2gc]

⁠​⁠@@juannevindez6969How dare you doubt @thedude5040? I can attest to his post because I too graduated college in 2018. I now make 300k, drive a lambo, live in a mansion, married a supermodel, have a winter home in Maui, own not two but three actual works by Picasso, and recently purchased a very nice seiko watch from Walmart. Stop doubting what someone says on KZbin.

[@breezluize3282]

Colleges/universities don't exist to give their graduates jobs. They exist to make money off of tuitions. Students are on their own when it comes to jobs and careers. Period.

[@CC-br9qg]

That shouldn't be the case. The schools should be financially invested in their students just like the students financially invest in them. Disgusting

[@b.b.s7545]

Gotta make those connections instead of partying with student loan money

[@thereallegend4lyfe]

Harsh Truth

[@thereallegend4lyfe]

Sometimes the connections are at the parties@@b.b.s7545

[@Prodigious1One]

True, the university may have career services, which helps with resumes, cover letters, interview skills, searching for jobs and business clothes for interviews. However, the individual student has to make use of those tools and use them.

[@nathanielcarreon5634]

Finishing college DOESNT guarantee anything.

[@Terrillthegreat79]

It’s who you know and what you know. It’s always been that way. This is why it’s a huge gamble for poor people.

[@c.guibbs1238]

Actually, yes : being stuck in a financial debt for the rest of your life !

[@Chasityolaf]

Doesn’t it concern you that the billionaires rather have slaves than educated individuals

[@shzarmai]

Yeah ikr, I recently finished university and i can attest to this being true

[@jasonsmith530]

@@rwdchannel2901oh wow a trainer! 😂

[@CJinMono]

Useless piece. Focusing on the lack of internships is yet another example of how the media blames individuals for systemic shortcomings. Many internships are unpaid, which means those who are from wealthy families are more likely to be able to participate, excluding poorer students. Furthermore, more and more job descriptions nowadays explicitly state that internships will not be considered as part of past experience. These "news" outlets really need to get with the times.

[@TheJamonm93]

I love critical thinkers

[@johnpurdum8127]

Unpaid internships are a feature of degrees with very poor job prospects, most internships in in demand fields are paid

[@NatoShinobi]

@@TheJamonm93me too ❤

[@nickthereaderandwanderer]

@@TheJamonm93 Same! What’s really funny is that people overly criticize the humanities undergraduate programs, but the truth is you spend so much time acquiring THAT very skill which is so heavily needed in today’s world. That, along with communication, active listening, effective writing, reading, and analysis. So, yeah, to those who reject a humanities degree, I kindly and humbly challenge your view. (P.S. I’ll be graduating this May from college with a humanities degree).

[@TheJamonm93]

@@nickthereaderandwanderer good luck 🔥

[@benjaminsanders3073]

So glad people are starting to realize that networking is the new buzz word and basically means nepotism!

[@georgeanthony3800]

yup, the amount of people that i know that got jobs straight after graduation because of their parents connections...

[@smrk2452]

Nothing new about it! It was also the word 40 years ago.

[@smrk2452]

@@georgeanthony3800tale as old as time

[@Thanzin1]

Nepotism is how it has always worked but it seems that Americans as a people don’t accept the idea that the system is unfair. Most of the people that got internships are not the smartest people. They are the most well connected people.

[@eugenefirebird8938]

They can "network" all they want. There are still only so many jobs that require a degree, and even most of those jobs really don't need a degree to do the work.

[@learningearning8385]

People have STEM degrees (especially tech degrees) and are not getting job offers or unemployed for long periods or working fast food, warehouse, call center. Underemployment is rampant.

[@AJ-pg6rg]

Can’t even trust the process anymore, especially if you have bills to pay.

[@thedude5040]

@AJ-pg6rg then get rid of the bills. Sell your dogs, car, cut up your credit cards, cancel all streaming plans and replace with a library car. Next cut down your home internet, you don't need more than 20mbps. Next down grade your cell phone to a prepaid plan. If you owe money on your cell phone then sell it aswell. There I just saved you like $600/mo

[@DarkerSideOfDawn]

Our country started going down hill when education became an industry .

[@learningearning8385]

@@thedude5040 these work but even at $18 an hour or less it’s not enough for housing and food. Bare essentials. Something needs to be done to change this economy.

[@jbar_85]

Biden says the economy is amazing

[@catherga]

Are these internships paid? Are businesses really asking college students to support themselves while performing valuable labor for free just to be more competitive after the graduate?

[@brisbreathing]

Usually not. Yep, they are 😅

[@dangfd551]

My college forbid paid internships in return for credit. Even if you found an employer who was willing to hire you for a paid internship, you could not be approved for credit. To receive 1 credit it was required that you do 42 hours unpaid work. That means, unless your tuition happened to be free you were literally paying the university to work if you want credit. A more miserable proposition than unpaid work is paying to work. 🙏

[@veronicavids]

I only applied to paid internships

[@chillwill5080]

Any internship that is worth a crap should offer a small stipend such as minimum wage, they shouldn't even be able to get away with less.

[@caridadrevilla2439]

Most internships are paid these days.

[@jorgecruz1235]

I have a masters degree and a cashier at a fast food place makes more money than me. College was a joke

[@jamesmitch9792]

what was your major? also it is not college's job to get you a job.

[@bibby3027]

idk it’s one thing to get a bachelors and this happens but how do u spend 6 years in college and not know that there’s no good jobs for the degree your working towards?

[@ericfromeng]

@@bibby3027They could be a teacher, to be fair. In California, AVERAGE teacher makes $26/hr, while they just approved a law requiring fast food workers make $21/hr.

[@Cyndogg085]

Same except I got a bachelor's. I was trying to be a nurse back in the day when the program was really full so they wouldn't let me in because of 1 C grade (the class started out with 50 people and ended with 8). The counselor told me to just be a Human Development major and I listened to her since I was the first in my family to go to college. The degree so far has been worthless! Also, they had us reading full books written by communists.

[@ppen8359]

@@Cyndogg085You picked a wrong major and also your time was different. Today, that C would not stop you from getting the nursing degree.

[@kjb739]

The problem is also money. My daughter had a paid internship, and the plan was to stay on at the company since applying for the internship required an interview and the whole onboarding process. She was of course part-time due to school requirements. However, when she graduated they didn't want to increase her hourly pay, she would just move from part time to full time. It's like all the work she put in, and the degree meant nothing to them.

[@smrk2452]

Companies take advantage of people and look for every reason to not pay them. I’m sorry that happened to her but it’s happening to everyone.

[@chillwill5080]

@@smrk2452 That's what happens when you get a degree that everyone else can get too. You have to be above average to get above average pay.

[@sunahamanagai9039]

Getting a degree doesn't entitle you to anything. At least they liked her enough to hire her, she's already ahead of the game. Good on her, but it's only the starting point. Company needs people to make money for them. Yes, they are 'for profit' in case anyone didn't know. You do the best job you can, make money for the company and then money 'will follow' and boy it will.

[@eddielacrosse2]

Your daughter has a job so that’s good. I heard something around the way that the quickest way to get a raise is to get another job. I was loyal to my previous job for probably 2 more years than I should have been, and I could have left to make more money before the current job market / layoffs. She’s becoming more valuable by the minute she works in there and leaving in good terms to a higher paying job seems like the best route

[@chillwill5080]

@@sunahamanagai9039 Of course people in government don't understand that concept, since everything is free when taxpayers pay the bills.

[@DLFfitness1]

Most people are chasing fantasy. The student loan program should be discontinued. A free 2 year college degree should be offered to high school graduates. Employers should pay for additional training.

[@fredfolson5355]

I agree with this 100%.

[@yosemite735]

My biggest growth was at Community College. Upper division was just major focused, but that big change happened for cheap.

[@lI0OIl00OO00llII]

Loans arent offered to help people, they are there so they can make money off of you....why would they offer college for free when they can trick young people into paying 7% forever?? There is no such thing as free, someone is paying, always...

[@mindfullymellow2323]

There are states that offer free community college in some form. Can easily find them in a web search.

[@TheJamonm93]

Why would you discontinue student loans?

[@princesskaitlinhazelwood4703]

Man this is depressing. College is a complete joke

[@thedude5040]

College worked very well for me. Graduated 2018. Now debt free. No student loans, no car loans, no medical, no personal, and no credit cards

[@njpme]

​@@MikeDonaldson-eh2ruhe got an electrical engineering degree so he's good. Yeah people are choosing stupid degrees and wondering why they're unemployed.

[@copyprint-fz2hb]

college is for the Slow Kids who can't make it after grade 12

[@Jojo.255]

Man. We need to lock salaried careers to college grads only. Rest of the population can Sec 8

[@thedude5040]

@Jojo.255 ... what? No. I have oil field worker friends who make way more than I do, and they rightfully deserve it.

[@AmakaHubner-fn5fu]

Yet they claim we need to hire H1 B talent?? Our country is getting bamboozled by corporatism

[@pamp3657]

Skill issue

[@eugenefirebird8938]

They hire them to lower wages.

[@ingGS]

@@eugenefirebird8938Not necessarily true, at least not in the companies I have worked at. Pay parity is mandatory regardless of H1B status, or gender, etc.

[@Brenda-ny1gw]

@@pamp3657 All the H1Bs I know had to be trained on the job

[@ElleGen]

The greed doesn't end.

[@JohnSmith-nm4zd]

The worst thing is working at a job that doesn't require your college degree

[@GotoHere]

I know my DEI woman’s degree, didn’t allow me to work with the woke democrats on the swamp. They all hire each others family members.

[@TheJamonm93]

Let me fix the title: roughly half of college graduates are not being assimlated into the working class

[@RM-nm3xn]

Your fix needs fixing.

[@jacobl5488]

Yes.. because that's how society works.. you're not an innovative thinker. If you think you can just sit around and do nothing all day and that's okay.. well it's not okay because you are still EXISTING in society, and USING our resources without paying INTO it. Someone else is subsidizing YOUR non-contributing existence.

[@al1665]

More like half of majors are totally useless and a trade school would have been better

[@jamesmitch9792]

the working class is codeword for poor.

[@bunnywavyxx9524]

Because there IS no working class anymore. Only the 1% and the 99%. Middle class America is GONE. That's the problem. The American dream told you to work hard so you could settle down and support a family. But then you opened your eyes because its not the 70s anymore. 6 figures used to be rich, now it's just survivable.

[@Knight-xp3to]

The truth is that companies do not want to hire fresh college graduates because they are still likely to be very young and inexperienced not just for the job, but for life and work. America needs to stop telling people that going to college guarantees you a solid job. It's not the truth. Every single person I went to college with is struggling.

[@gyroscopejones9217]

So how do young and inexperienced people get experience? You people are crazy 😅

[@CandiceMMartinez]

​@@gyroscopejones9217 Figure it out like the rest of us

[@marcusinfinity9386]

And woke

[@Knight-xp3to]

@@gyroscopejones9217 It's hard. Someone's gotta give these kids a chance. Just wonder if these kids didn't have all these "mental health problems." There would be riots.

[@gyroscopejones9217]

@@Knight-xp3to There will probably be riots as it gets worse and institutions decline. Unfortunately, I think it's more of a culture problem and less about capabilities and credentials. We can't expect this chicken and egg scenario to not degenerate into something like Haiti in 10 years. We have to invest.

[@Native722]

Some graduates never recovered from 2008.

[@RoRo-gm7ee]

This!! I graduated college in 2008. I did get a job in a completely different field

[@rachelm9350]

~waves hand ~

[@rezterralico4369]

Stuck in a technician position since 2008. In my field but trying to break the cycle. I better see change in the next year. Trying my damdest to break out of the axiety that it has caused in my life. Now I just get a dumb smile on my face when I'm doing some jobs that count towards my much needed experience.

[@Jedi12789]

Most never recovered. I graduated in 2008 but it set us all back. Bad time to graduate college.

[@Jedi12789]

@@rezterralico4369 sorry you went through that. It was tough time for all. I think post 2008 highlighted the need for only STEM, business, and healthcare degrees. All of the others are worthless.

[@carolinireland1684]

I refused to attend college at 18 being tired and bored with education. At 23 I realised that nursing degrees lead to good jobs so I started my university studies. Thinking of a future job that appealed is a better approach for 17 year olds rather than “I like history so that’s what I’ll study”.

[@rickyayy]

Bingo!!!

[@razorswc]

Be sure to speak with nurses in your area about the work conditions if you want to stay to work in that area. Where I live many nurses are leaving the big hospitals because of the poor working conditions.

[@ScreamTatumRiley]

@@razorswcthat’s so true but it’s better than being broke and homeless I’m in nursing and yes it’s stressful and crazy but so is everything else

[@chocovanille5809]

@@ScreamTatumRileyand meaningful career to be honest.

[@moomoo5841]

This comment really resonates with me & I think you were very smart!! I attended college because it was the norm & a goal of mine since I was a child. It was what I was taught to do. I also worked really hard during school and felt immense stress (I didn't know it at the time & it took years to recognize this.) I had a passion for architecture & majored in it in high school & majored in it in college for 5 years. I realized after graduating that I was burnt out and didn't enjoy those 5 years. I still love the field, but now I feel the need to take a break & I regret not giving myself that break earlier. I imagine that if I joined college later & majored in it, I would've loved the field even more. You were very smart in your decision & bold for not letting societal pressure get to you!

[@niko4628]

I have a B.S. and couldn't get a job paying better than $15/hr at part-time. I went to Walmart and got promoted to team lead at $19/hr, which was decent, but I hate the company. Now I'm back at a community college to become a paramedic lmao. What a waste of time.

[@toomuchmouf]

I might be going back to school with you or doing an apprenticeship college really was bitchin me

[@kensmith2796]

@niko4628 Sounds like you pursuing something you are interested in. But another option for folks in your situation would be to get a masters degree in accounting. Find a one-year program and you graduate as a CPA candidate. This will usually yield multiple job offers starting 60k/year minimum and it quickly works its way up to 90k+ after 2 years. A couple of years after that, you are usually well beyond the 120k/year range.

[@Dansk55]

Go work at a factory or manufacturing. Brother makes 32 at Honda

[@Paiadakine]

What degree did you get?

[@lenaprice6239]

@Niko4628, Since you have an interest in the medical profession, you should have considered going back to school to become a physician assistant. Starting PA salaries are six figures.

[@MrGdbsti05]

your better off learning a trade first at this point

[@copyprint-fz2hb]

college is for the Slow Kids who can't make it after grade 12

[@zach4832]

@@copyprint-fz2hb-someone who didn’t go to college.

[@brodriguez11000]

Trades have their own issues. There's no magic bullet to success.

[@shanesprecher8290]

@@brodriguez11000You’re absolutely right. The issue I see with the trades is college grads not finding jobs in their majors then flooding the trades. It should start to push the wages down in the trades. I can see a day when even Engineer and Physicist types are fighting for their survival against AI, what do you do then? Is everyone going to be in the trades working for peanuts?

[@mahfujkadir8973]

@@shanesprecher8290 Pretty much, under this economic models all jobs are going to get saturated where they go from riches to peanuts

[@liselotte6384]

Even if you eventually *do* get "adequately employed" after being under-employed for years, you're so far behind in life that it takes years to undo the damage -- from medical conditions, family situations, mental health, etc. Problems compound one another when you can't do anything about them for a long time.

[@adbc1f72]

Your the only one speaking truth to the whole situation!! This 👈🏾 👏🏾 👏🏾👏🏾

[@cristianmartin1099]

100 % agree

[@rezterralico4369]

I had the medical axiety side of things. Only decent thing was getting a house when I was 28 years old and using bonus checks to go on the priciple payments. Behind on the cash front in a technician position when I should be in an intermidiate civil engineering position by my carrer timeline. Can't change the past only the future.

[@thepassionfruitdiariessuzi6978]

The term, networking, keeps coming up. So, is it what you know or who you know? It’s no wonder young people nowadays are deciding to not pursue further education

[@Zero11_ss]

networking = nepotism.

[@TheJamonm93]

Yo I'm so proud of this comment people actually do get it 🙏🔥🔥

[@selohcin]

@@Zero11_ss Right, but that's how the ruling class does EVERYTHING. It's the only strategy that actually works unless you have brilliant skills in an industry.

[@aequitas8749]

We all know "networking" has become a euphemism for "nepotism".

[@AdeleiTeillana]

​@@selohcinIt's not just the "ruling class", it's basically any type of job. Even regular old entry level office jobs often favor someone who's been recommended to them by another employee over random strangers.

[@Primetime94]

I majored in business administration. I had to interview for internships. It was just like a job interview. After the interviews, I got letters that said they weren't interested in me. The questions were the exact same questions I got in later interviews for real jobs. One was, "What is your greatest weakness?" Another was, "What is your greatest accomplishment?" So, now you know why many students don't do internships. For years after leaving college, I was underemployed. But I taught myself various IT skills and programming. Today, I hold a job that technically requires a college degree in computer science, which I don't have, but was given the job anyway. I work with people who have master's degrees in computer science and I teach them many things every day. It's ironic given the people who interviewed me when I was in college didn't even want me to work for free for them. But now I make more than them.

[@starz2020]

you are right...u need skills rather a degree... therefore, it is better to take programmes that teaches you in demand skills rather than a general degree

[@kensmith2796]

I paid my way through college working in claims at an insurance company. They hired college graduates in at the highest level of claims and I had to train them and help them with their jobs. I was at the lowest level of claims because I didn't have my degree yet. It was a miserable few years. I finally graduated and make more than insurance would have paid me. But it felt miserable to know more and have more experience in something than people fresh out of college that were hired in at a higher level and higher pay.

[@th3azscorpio]

I was contemplating going back to school to get a degree in business administration, but I'm so happy I passed on that decision. Kudos to you for taking the initiative, and eventually landing that position in IT. I wish you much continued success.

[@royprovins7037]

I never understood what a degree in business administration qualifies you to do

[@Primetime94]

@@th3azscorpioThanks!

[@misstrice84]

I've worked in higher ed for 10+ years and have been frustrated with the system to the point where I'm ready to leave. Most of the degrees that colleges offer are impractical; they lack common skill development that's needed for students and/or graduates to be successful in a career. Oh...and the state commissions are the ones approving these programs. 🤦🏾‍♀️ The whole system needs to be revised.

[@rickyayy]

Never going to happen

[@fairywingsonroses]

I agree. I went into education. I wanted to take classes that would get me more certifications and make me more hirable. Instead, I had to spend all of my time and money on credits to fill requirements in fine arts, math, science, and a number of other "useless" credits. The few teaching classes I took really didn't prepare me for the job. I would have loved to have had more of those job-specific classes and less of the subjects I could have just googled if I wanted to know more about them.

[@kensmith2796]

The university where I received my masters degree did a huge revamping where they discontinued a lot of liberal arts and arts programs/degrees to focus more on in demand degrees such as computers, education and accounting. The students and faculty were livid and went to the media to say the sky was falling.

[@Cyndogg085]

💯

[@rachelm9350]

It won't be revised because the teachers hold power. If they didn't it could be fixed.

[@jon6309]

I graduated in 2015. Nine years later I am an admin for a bank’s trust department. I don’t think my degree was necessary to get this job and if I could go back in time I would have never pursued a degree and just worked. My boss is a VP and she dropped out of school but then again she is a boomer and opportunities were much easier for her generation.

[@kensmith2796]

That's so foreign to me. I work as a tax accountant and it required 5 years of college just to start at the bottom as a tax intern or tax staff.

[@selohcin]

Is it worth it? The answer is NO! It's not "murky"; it's a *VERY CLEAR "NO"* . 38% of people who start college in the United States do not graduate, and even among those who do graduate, as you see here, only 55% of them end up USING the degree they sacrificed so much for. You only have *a 34% chance* of graduating and finding work in your chosen major, and you're betting some $50,000 on those odds!

[@njpme]

The answer is it depends. People need to stop getting useless degrees and then wonder why the market doesn't have a demand for it.

[@somelolplayer6199]

It can be worth it, but it is not a very clear YES like it was in prior generations. Degrees cost much more than they used to and there are a lot of worthless degrees out there that won’t make you much more hireable and will only put you deep into debt. Some degrees like STEM degrees can be worth it since they can triple your earning potential, but it also does depend on the state of the economy and job market. If you graduate in a hiring slump you might be SOL, or if you graduate into a hiring boom you might have an abundance of options. I got a lot of value from my CS degree in 2015, I would get less value today but eventually hiring will pick back up. If I got a philosophy or art history degree at any point in the last 10 years, I would have gotten no value from it though.

[@Blackjack09721]

Plus, even if you do get a job, the layoffs are ridiculous in a lot of industries. Honestly, the job market is just terrible overall for many.

[@juannevindez6969]

You can thank the last 40 years of globalization. Jobs sent overseas and immigrants brought in to decrease wages.

[@Lumpia_In_Texas]

Lol Biden voters

[@sciencelover3339]

Exactly. I have a year of experience in my field and I still can't get a job. I did an internship when I was in school and worked and entry level job after graduation, but I was laid off before I managed to get the 3-5+ years of experience 90%+ of employers want from entry level applicants now.

[@davidcarvajal5739]

America is turning itself into Venezuela

[@handleyobusiness]

That’s why I have a business. Depending on a job in today’s world ain’t gonna cut it.

[@Lucysil1970]

How depressing! This world is a mess!

[@BreezyBoyBoy]

Very much. I graduated in 2020 with a business degree and still can’t land a job in my field. Felt like I was lied to by society. I’m now going to get my CDL and go into the trucking business. It’s booming!

[@ruleaus7664]

@@BreezyBoyBoy You can make good money trucking, but be careful out there on the road. It's also statistically one of the more dangerous jobs.

[@rarediamond9603]

I have been job-searching since I graduated with a STEM degree, a few years ago. Employers want Master's degree AND work experience! 💯 Well how do I get work experience if nobody is willing to employ me with a Bachelor's degree???

[@toomuchmouf]

Say it louder for the people in the back. I graduated in 2023 have been applying for jobs outside my field and in my field . Most jobs in my field require a masters degree to break into the field. Even jobs tasks I have experience in my degree path and in internships I can’t get into cause I have a bachelors not a masters. Education is monopolizing the job market in some cases where it shouldn’t be an end all be all for some jobs.

[@brendaechols5929]

That's been going on since the 90s. I had a friend that had a bachelor's in sociology. She wanted to be a counselor . They told her she needed to have experience. Work for free. But no one would give her the time, plus she needed to work to pay bills. So she went for her master's. She ended up doing non- profit.

[@eugenefirebird8938]

Thank H1B

[@uaman11]

bro my life lol

[@robertmckay621]

Harvard has an endowment of 50 billion dollars 💸 Yale 40 billion dollars 💸 Stanford 36.4 billion dollars 💸 Princeton 43 billion dollars 💸 Meanwhile the price of college keeps increasing, let that sink in

[@handleyobusiness]

And yet, the students from those schools have the lowest amount of student debt after graduation.

[@angiewinters]

u funny lmao 💸

[@zyszzuwu]

you don't pay for any tuition at harvard if your family makes under 100k

[@sasha28957]

Yep. I got a fancy college degree but I’m unemployed right now. Seems to me that a college degree doesn’t necessarily guarantee you a good job or any job, but without a college degree, the employers won’t even consider you. So unfortunately you still need a college degree, but it doesn’t get you as far as you would expect.

[@checory]

Bachelor's degrees are the new high school diploma. It's the minimal level of entry. And the more people have it, the less its worth. What they'll do next is get rid of degree requirements and open up immigration. Then they'll get the cheapest labour to do the job.

[@alicialewis5066]

@Sasha you are exactly correct!

[@CandiceMMartinez]

I don't check for degrees when I hire. I don't care if candidates went to college

[@user-bm6xz6pq5z]

Entry level positions demand years of experience with multiple specialized fields, something that by definition no entry level jobseeker has. 🤷‍♀️

[@christhescienceguy6285]

Yep Biology major. 10 years later still no jobs for STEM Biology graduates.

[@1MinuteFlipDoc]

bachelor's in biology isn't enough. there are no job job adds for 'biology degree'. get an RN degree, lab science degree, dental degree, medical degree, etc ...

[@robtangent4664]

"College -level job holder median income is $60,000 per year." You may be surprised to know that San Francisco's affordable housing guideline stated: A one person household making $80,000 per year is considered low income; and $60,000 is considered very low income.

[@thedude5040]

Then don't live in the cess pool called San Francisco

[@daileythompson5232]

If the job is in San Francisco, then they don’t have a choice. Maybe tell the company to pay their employees a living wage based on the area that they operate in.

[@daileythompson5232]

@@nomadmgtow by extension of what you’re saying..if no one can afford to work at the job, which causes the employees to leave, the company will have to raise the wage anyway. Cut the crap and just raise the pay 🤷‍♀️

[@maddiechristine3966]

Companies typically pay higher salaries in metro areas with a higher cost of living. Nurses for example typically make over 100k in San Francisco Bay Area. To contrast that, I am a nurse working in Denver and I make about 75k a year. This is because cost of living is cheaper here (as well as the fact there aren’t as many nursing unions in Colorado but I digress). I agree overall people should be paid more, but I also wanted to point out that it’s not as easy as making a blanket statement about who can afford to live where. It just depends on a lot of factors.

[@jprevatt]

My household is 3 peeps living on ONE person's $20k disability income....you wanna talk to me about who's poor???? Try THAT on for size 😂

[@oj1914]

I graduated with a Bio degree without an internship and struggled forEVER to find anything; no one would hire me without experience. I had to go back to school and take a major that gave me a 6 month internship rotating through different hospitals before I had the chance to get a job - and even with the job I got, I still had to know someone there because they graduated with me to get a foot in the door. It was very frustrating. I can understand how recent grads feel and this was back in 2006 so I know it's even worse now. I started at 38k/yr and I consider myself lucky...

[@UmmYeahOk]

Also, how do you expect to get a job right out of college if companies literally can have a continuous flow of unpaid interns? They aren’t ever going to hire those interns.

[@Novastar.SaberCombat]

Exactly. No consequences and no regulations means just what it states on the label. If I was a wealthy CEO and it was legal for me to grab up endless streams of free labor ($lav3r¥), then what's my incentive to actually, properly PAY for it?! 😂

[@TheJamonm93]

​@@Novastar.SaberCombat right or at least cheaper and you don't have to give health insurance benefits. It's the grift of the century

[@ruleaus7664]

Constantly training people costs money, too.

[@UmmYeahOk]

⁠@@ruleaus7664that’s why you only hire qualified/experienced interns. Internships aren’t apprenticeships. You aren’t there to learn on the job. You get free labor, and in return, they get to add you to their resume, which will make them stand out above other potential candidates.

[@JSmithRecords]

Im glad gen z is not buying this "you need to go to college" bullshlt. Im 32 and I can confidently say 90% of people my age didn't really wanna go to college, but we're pressured by parents and society. Ohhh but they're not the ones on the hook for these student loan payments! How fcking typical. We were scammed and taken advantage of point blank period. If i could do it all over again, would've never went. Any young person reading this, if your parents are pressuring you to go to college, tell them youll only go if they pay for it. If not, fck em. Do what YOU want in life, not what THEY want.

[@averagechickchronicles]

Totally agree!

[@lilylife4426]

Yes, my friend's mom told him to move out if he wasn't going to start college, but she wasn't going to help him pay for it either, so I told him to move out, get a roommate, and get a job doing what he wants, rather than get loans to please his mama. That was 4 years ago. He is now a successful photographer with his own business. No degree was needed after all!

[@dukekenny9340]

You’re a millennial not gen Z

[@fosthedoll]

I did this! 😂😂🙌

[@Cocolicious08758]

College is no longer needed! Don't waste your money kids

[@seismic6435]

Depends on career path

[@pennycat8]

Go work for Elon

[@khayon4364]

College doubled my yearly income within 2 years of graduation. Worth it for me.

[@EmeraldGamingNewz]

It’s much more complicated than that. Not everyone can just switch to “trades” now, not everyone can be an entrepreneur, cost of living is so high, someone can’t just work at a cafe and pay their bills. It’s about to get real dark

[@ivyvanderwall]

@@khayon4364Yeah sure it did 🧐

[@smrk2452]

Internships are unequal. STEM majors get paid to do an internship, while everyone else has to pay the school for college credits so they can work somewhere for free. That’s why people are not doing it!!

[@siyuanthesuper1]

When I was in college 2015-2019, companies that hire interns wanted 2 years of work experience. How the fk am I supposed to get experience for an internship, when the whole point of internship was to give you experience????

[@keithkoh9981]

What all students need is to get the right experience that drives market value up. Not all work/ Internship experience are valuable. You can go for 20 internships and you will still not get hired if all you are doing is power point slides or minor projects during your internships. It is also better to find a company that can give you valuable internship experience and do it for free, rather than getting a paid internship for a company who would only limit the work scope of the intern. Also don't think that if you do not have the 'relevant' experience, then a company wont hire you. Companies are looking for people who can solve and deliver market solutions. If you can do that, your chances of getting hired will be much hire than those who cannot demonstrate this. You can achieve this in many ways and in any form, in school or out of school. You need to build up your skills to deliver market solutions (not academic skills). You need a business 'toolbox' , not a paper degree. For instance, for those who cant find internships at all, or cannot find the right internships, you can easily redesign the website of existing companies. This is the easiest way to demonstrate market mastery and you can do it at home. I do it myself. I reimagine the business and showcase it. I can get meetings with key stakeholders, without even showing my CV. In addition, you can even get reverse interviews (Stakeholders will call for a meeting even though they might not be hiring). Be market smart. Schools don't teach you this.

[@joelclingempeel1512]

How would someone even get 2 yoe before an internship? (I suppose I could see this for research internships aimed at grad students where research done in school counts, but for undergrad I can't think of any way this would make sense.)

[@joeanderson8839]

Too many industries have been monopolized.

[@chinastartedcovid]

that's the hole point of a industry to make money

[@zach4832]

@@chinastartedcovidfirst, it’s spelled whole* and second, that doesn’t change the simple fact that that point is exactly the problem. Profit over people will be this country’s downfall.

[@chillwill5080]

However the freedom to start your own competitive business remains.

[@tetrabromobisphenol]

@@chillwill5080 That might have been true 50 years ago. Nowadays, the regulatory environment has been made to all but exclude small businesses, and that is not by accident. The capital requirements to start any sort of competitive business in most sectors is now well over $1M. That's why the VAST majority of small businesses are the same thing: landscaping/restaurants/pressure washing/tree trimming. This country does NOT want innovative, competitive capitalism, it wants crony capitalism and increasingly, it's moving into technofascism.

[@chillwill5080]

@@tetrabromobisphenol The cost is the same that everyone else would also have to pay, because that is the cost, that doesn't make it unfair or corrupt. It is true that government is too large, bloated, and ineffective, but again it's something that every business must deal with. The vast majority of labor intensive small businesses are started and owned by people who are more comfortable with those types of work, but believe me if they know their worth they are getting paid quite well.

[@ziggymo88]

My undergrad (urban planning, class of 2012), had an internship requirement, and I thought that alone could shield me from the mass underemployment that many in my field were experiencing during the Great Recession. I was wrong. Virtually every employer I talked to required a master's degree and 5+ years of experience for a $45k/year entry-level job. I had to make multiple career pivots to escape the underemployment trap, and issues like credit cards and student loans were always lurking in the background. I am happy to say that I am now enjoying a successful IT career, but it came at a significant cost. I pity the future generations who will be saddled with debt and a Congress that will likely never address the underlying issues.

[@mechamicro]

Nice

[@mechamicro]

Currently pivoting to more type of IT works after learning how my engineering degrees starts not looking good

[@ms_cartographer]

I'm hoping to go into IT as well. GIS isn't paying well.

[@redgrant4897]

Me too. Trying to move in to IT but so is half of India.

[@jamsng]

@@ms_cartographerreally? G.I.S. Geographic Information Systems is not paying money? Where? and Why?

[@robertrootes]

I graduated in 2014 with a BA. Last year I cleared 20k. My student loan will outlive me

[@kaseyh.1021]

With all due respect howwwwww

[@smrk2452]

People are living with debt that is bigger and older and yes, it could follow you to the grave.

[@njpme]

Sounds like a you problem. A BA doesn't inspire confidence either

[@mr.smart75]

😐

[@bellaangel4422]

😂 yeah me too and I still have 60k in loans for my BS earned in 2014. It’s whatever!

[@SC-pe9ir]

People have discovered that college degrees cost far more than they are worth. The most successful people I know started working in the trades at 16 and now own their own construction companies in their 20s

[@hecterharrison2062]

With how expensive everything is now, college is just no longer worth it. The system has long been failing and we're now seeing the outcome of it all.

[@rickyayy]

Every tradesperson I know is well off. I have multiple friends who have masters and they don't make that much.

[@yosemite735]

Everyone in my block with a big house has graduate or professional degrees. Most high-end neighborhoods are the same.

[@rickmaurer8726]

​​@@yosemite735you say that now but wait until you are pushing 50 years old. The long hours, lack of sleep, and no work life balance catches up to you. Ever wonder why the numbers of alzheimers and other diseases are skyrocking....because people are working themselves to death!

[@kensmith2796]

The most successful people I know are doctors, followed by tax accountants and pilots. College was a requirement for their fields. The people I know who didn't finish college, most of them ended up struggling. I have one family member without a degree who "made it", but it was a long struggle to climb the ladder.

[@philalethistry7937]

I work retail and most of my coworkers are college graduates. They work part-time and can't find anything better. So, I'm not going to college. If no one is paying fairly, then I'll just rent a room and save money from the job I already have, and maybe move to a different country because this one isn't working out.

[@newtrollaccount384]

I assume you're young. I worked retail as well and food service when I was younger. There's only so long a person can walk across concrete floors before you start feeling it in your back. There are numerous draw backs to the service industry. Without a hire education it's hard to do anything different.

[@djm2189]

Learn what are useless degrees. Your coworkers got em or are very weak in soft skills. I got an engineering degree now I'm 29, earn $120k, no debt, and work from home. Retail and service jobs are low pay, low benefits, and will leave you working forever as retirement isn't there. Uni can definitely be worth it or do a trade or military.

[@philalethistry7937]

@@djm2189That's great for you bud. I have a learning disability specifically in math. I literally cannot do numbers. That cuts out most trade jobs and most jobs that pay well, barring careers in like, psychology. It also means that college is out of reach for me. But yeah, I'm so so stupid for working retail. (And I am never supporting the military.)

[@djm2189]

@@philalethistry7937 congratulations you could have mentioned this super important detail in your initial comment.... Plenty of useful degrees or high paying jobs but it seems your content in blaming your disability. News bud, most people have issues to overcome and fyi I'm also extremely terrible at math.... As for military, typical you benefit from a safe country and don't respect it. Bet you're a liberal. Have fun with the Karen's 🤌

[@philalethistry7937]

@@djm2189Ah, that's why you're ableist. Good to know.

[@eugenefirebird8938]

Too many college grads = underemployed college grads. Sad.

[@CC-br9qg]

It's not the kids fault. the kids are not alright

[@rachelm9350]

this is also part of it.

[@plau2007]

It depends! In Math related subjects underemployment is around 25%. The worst is Biochemistry with 35%. The most underemployed majors are: Criminal justice (73%) , Performing arts (63%), Leisure and hospitality (59%), Liberal arts (59%), Business management (58%).

[@deathtouchltd]

It’s kinda hard to get a job in tech(I’m a programmer) without experience. They want you to have 15 years experience coming right out of college. It took me three years after I graduated to land my first full time job. I freelanced and worked on contract for a while but it’s not the same. No one wants to give you a chance unless you are insanely good or you work for free basically. I’m well above average in terms of skills, and it took a lot of freelancing and contract work to get me a full time position. I was lucky enough to have a supportive wife along my journey. But a lot of people can’t do what I did. Plus with all the tech layoffs, who wants to bet on a field that might not exist in the next 20 years?

[@celestial_s]

I'm in the same position as you and now I'm just probably going to give up and go into trades. I'm considering becoming an electrician

[@deathtouchltd]

@@celestial_s It sucks that this is the state of things, but honestly you would probably make more, be way less stressed and live a better life.

[@liasmith696]

My daughter, a senior at UCF -ONLY applied for paid internships. She’s had to work all throughout college and wasn’t going to go unpaid for her skills. She realized that basically only her wealthy peers can afford an unpaid internship. She was just offered a job at said internship starting at 90k a year.

[@CC-br9qg]

I applied to 300 internships attending a major city school and got interview invites for 0. Never had a resume gap. I graduated with a 3.95 GPA. Your daughter hit the lottery

[@jamsng]

what's her major?

[@jamsng]

@@CC-br9qgwow!

[@jondoh599]

Gender studies.

[@aolvaar8792]

??? my school had required summer sessions. No one worked,

[@holycrapitsjake_]

Your degree is just a piece of paper. This is true even for STEM majors. Your 4-5 years in undergrad are a countdown for the time you have to network and gain real work experience.

[@seismic6435]

This

[@randallnguyen7405]

It depends. If you have a degree in medicine, you're a medical doctor. This only applies for most undergraduate degrees. A degree essentially tells the employer you have the ability to learn, listen, follow directions, and don't mess things up in the company.

[@oldtwinsna8347]

Totally agree. You have to hustle yourself. Get out there and socialize with people in the industry you want to specialize in. Move if you need to move where the action is better aligned to. If you don't have social skills or a poor communicator, go seek counseling to learn that, as those skills are critically underrated on importance to employers.

[@mrbobbilly]

The degree is not just a piece of paper, you're not looking at it deeper. It's also being used to filter out job application resumes, if you do not have a bachelors degree listed on your resume, HR filters out resumes that don't have relevant degrees so your application will be in the very bottom of the list, or even thrown into the abyss of resumes that won't be read.

[@holycrapitsjake_]

@@mrbobbilly that's like saying your driver's license isn't just a piece of plastic with stuff printed on it, because it's also being used to verify your age, citizenship, etc. like yeah, obviously it's a document that'll be used to check off a box from a checklist. my point is that beyond this, nobody with a shred of common sense should be making conclusions about your level of competence or qualification, only based on the fact that you hold this document.

[@lauracanedo1446]

I made the mistake of getting a four year degree. I graduated in 2018 and I got married after that. My husband works as a car technician at a manufacturing plant and he makes 34.00 an hour. If I wanted an entry level job, I would only be paid around 15.00-17.00. My husband didn’t go to college but stayed at his job for 10 years and makes more money than I would!

[@Bluecatwing]

I’m not sue you’re assessing this correctly. I have an old friend that also makes darn good money working on cars, but to say that he makes more than you would, are you assuming what possible income streams you’re capable of? Like, what if you found a way to monetize whatever speciality you majored in by looking at the demands are for your skills. E-commerce is amazing now days because anyone with the right service/skills just needs to match up with where the demands are and 💰 start selling . Of course not all work can be done online, especially auto. but much of it can, I saw a rise in appliance repair that is done over the phone on video .no one would have been able to do that 10 yrs ago., . My point is I think we need to stop depending on big fat inventors who put money into companies to have jobs available for everyone. I think there are so many jobs to be made, people just don’t believe it . Best of luck.

[@cupcake1406]

What did you get your degree in?

[@blakejonathan4505]

Apply to a job in Healthcare. You can get accident and Health license and work selling Medicare advantage plans, or you can get into Medical coding by getting a certificate and make more than $25-40 per hour. Thats what I did, I didn’t have any experience whatsoever and got the accident and health license, my first job was as an outreach representative for an MLTC plan I was making $25 an hour, after 1 year I transitioned to a Medicare representative going to community centers, clinics, etc, I was making 76k per year plus commission and bonus with only an associates degree in business. After I got my bachelors I got another job as a network account manager making more than 100k. I only have 5 years of experience in total and all it took was getting a license and the right opportunities.

[@TheJamonm93]

Guarantee it's not because he didn't get a degree but the fact that theres always been strong unions in the auto industry. As weak as the UAW is today even they got a strong win recently. Most other job sectors don't have strong unions or unions at all. The issue is not with schools really it's with corporations.

[@jjtiojohn12]

I tried applying for internships but the problem is, its ILLEGAL and most companies don't wanna risk being sued for back pay from an intern because its been said Companies are afraid of hiring interns because of misunderstandings about being hired on after it is done. I've had a million reasons why no one would hire me for an internship, oh you don't have enough credits, oh you need to be approve for school credit before we can hire you. And then when you do get the internship its just them needing someone to staple papers, organize files and work the fax machine and deliver hot coffee to the middle management. My first intern ship was nothing but clerical work and dropping pay stubs off at the payroll office.

[@smrk2452]

I did that work after college as an Administrative Assistant. I got pigeonholed and spent the next 20 years (on & off) doing that menial crap bc everything else wanted “experience.”

[@rarejourneys]

I literally had a professor tell me in SP/2023 that they deducted points from my presentation bcz I wasn’t standing. Lady we were on zoom, no one stands during presentations on zoom, #StopIt. I’m three classes away and eager to see if this degree makes a difference 🤷🏽‍♀️

[@yihannajohnson3711]

Wow!

[@mrL9122]

In some states unemployment pays more than working, you get penalized for working (they take away your unemployment). The only reason many people work is for health insurance. More jobs that require a college degree are being outsourced because employees are cheaper.

[@justoneman3916]

The US college problem is more severe in certain careers. One example is in the IT world where college fails miserably. My worst employees were those with computer science degrees who came with useless skills and entitled attitudes. My one masters degree hire turned out to be my worst nightmare.

[@jprevatt]

Well tech people get trained in techie skills, but there needs to be a soft skills component. Sometimes there is & sometimes not.

[@lucialuciferion6720]

I have a BS in CS from some online uni , as far as I'm concerned it's absolutely useless. I have never tried using it, but IMO actual coding learned from projects on my own is 100% more useful. The entitled ones believe the lies told about degrees.

[@timgibney5590]

@@jprevatt No they don't. It is all calculus and theory in school with small coding for tiny homework assignments. HR assumes you learn buzzwords and HTML and mobile app frameworks and complex software tools. A degree means you know how to do homework well with a graphing calculator and use math which is rarely applied in the real world.

[@SoCalBrian]

No it’s not worth it unless you get a law or medical degree.

[@BreezyBoyBoy]

Or STEM

[@kensmith2796]

@@BreezyBoyBoy Or STEAM - I add accounting to that :)

[@oldtwinsna8347]

Law is no different. You just get a piece of paper saying you're eligible to take the bar. You pass the bar just to mean you have the minimum level of knowledge to represent clients. You have zero real-world knowledge of specific areas of law. That you must learn and specialize in which can take many years, even a decade. To which, you won't make much money during that period of time relative to your hours, which will easily hit 60-70 hours/week. And yes, it's necessary because practicing law means practicing against those who have significant knowledge and experience who will destroy you so badly. No law firm will risk that so they keep you where your skills are at. The ones who end up and quit are the same JD holders who work as a server in a restaurant.

[@urbanbeliever8528]

They are a lot of people with law degrees who are struggling too. Just because you graduate from law school doesn't mean you automatically wake up the next morning employed at a top-notch fancy law firm wearing a $5,000 suit and driving a Lamborghini to and from work during the week and driving a Ferrari on the weekends and holidays.

[@theeamazingkrabb5358]

I graduated from Valdosta State University in 2014. Math was my worst subject in high-school averaging C's and D's. But I had the sense to know English lit, philosophy, social science was not going to get me a meaningful job. I knew the money was in STEM. So I majored in the M, mathematics. Those 5 years were hard as hell and I wanted to change major so many times. Had to repeat courses. After graduating, I got job as an engineer in the battery industry thanks to internships. I'm making over 150k a year and doing very well in north Georgia. Choose your major, choose your fate!

[@rezterralico4369]

I have a civiil environmental engineering degree but got pigeon holed in a technician position for far to long after I graduated in 2008.. Axiety due to too much fast food messed with my head. That and being overweight and not enough physical exersice and proper diet (yogurt and fermented food). On the road to fianlly getting my future back on track. I get a dumb little smile on my face anytime I'm getting some geotechnical drilling experience now. Engineering schooling was the worst 4 years of my life. The time limits on those final exams. I can't change my past, only the future. Congrats at beating your math fears.

[@redgrant4897]

How do I get a job reading the news off a monitor and making small talk with guests?

[@yosemite735]

Mass media/communication degree.

[@ladymire]

@@yosemite735nah my dude. the right word you’re looking for is CONNECTIONS to the industry and NEPOTISM.

[@bfaye4276]

nepotism

[@314Jennifer]

It also helps to be pretty. @@bfaye4276

[@kbro1984]

Create your own podcasts

[@mikeviscusi4260]

I’m very lucky that my parents paid for my school. But they did have rules for me… 1) Community College first for all “Mickey Mouse” courses. They refused to pay for any class that could be take at a community college. 2) Allowed me to pick my major if it was reasonable. I selected International Studies. Initially, they were not going to pay for it, but when they learned I wanted focus on Japan and Japanese (a group of people that refuse to speak English), they agreed to it. 3) No private schools. Only state schools. Glad I listened to that. 4) Part-time job during school. All in all, no debt, and I now run two businesses. Thanks Mom and Dad!

[@nataliewantscookies]

That’s nice of them!!

[@bruceballygar4880]

Colleges have really dropped the ball in educating students. Graduates can’t write, critically think, do research, and analyze information. Instead, they focus on meaningless metrics such as freshmen retention rates and 4-year graduation rates. Such emphasis has ruined the quality of the educations they’re supposed to be delivering.

[@PraveenSriram]

College in my opinion is a gross waste of time and money and it is definitely not worth it!!

[@kensmith2796]

I learned a lot personally by obtaining my accounting degrees. They obviously led me to a six figure job in tax accounting, but what I gained in my own personal knowledge about money was worth the price of admission alone.

[@afrinaut3094]

Another thing that people aren’t talking about is that so many jobs require “connections”. Yes, you need your portfolio, your degree, but you also require connections to get into your foot in the door. I’m African-American and a lot of these creative industries. A lot of US industries period, are not owned or largely operated by Black people (this is completely ignoring that they were funded and invested in by banks, whose foundational wealth is tied to enslavement of African-American people and blk labor beyond enslavement), which, if it’s this tough for white millennials, zillennials, & gen z to get into the careers, they studied so hard for. Imagine how difficult it must be for people of color, but especially African-Americans who tend to be at the bottom of the racial hierarchy. How can African-American youth and young adults gain connections. I’m not a family member or a best friend or a close enough associate with white communities.

[@rezterralico4369]

Maybe it's easier in Canada. I see people of different races and backgrounds all the time up here. Working in trades or operating comcrete trucks to having engineering degress. Maybe it's not as limiting up here at least what I've been exposed to in Alberta.

[@afrinaut3094]

@@rezterralico4369 i hope so.... but Native Canadians, Afro Canadians & African immigrants often say otherwise

[@beautyandthesimp]

What is the use of education if you can not get a job?

[@mrbobbilly]

So people you know from high school dont look down on you, since they got a college degree it's a no brainer that you have to get one too or else you'll be looked down upon

[@beautyandthesimp]

@@mrbobbilly no one look down on bill gates

[@mrbobbilly]

@@beautyandthesimp you would be surprised to find out they do...

[@beautyandthesimp]

@@mrbobbilly it depends on God whether you are lucky to get a job and keep the job in this difficult time

[@user-ih5el6di3c]

As a guy who's never been to college, 90% of college graduates I've met in the work force never found work with their degree and ended up working for crumbs with a bunch of debt over their head. It's like successful college stories dont exist damn near. I remember in high school though all these counslers were preying on all these kids dang near forcing college down out throats but even back then I knew something wasnt right which is why i never went. Did get my diploma though and havent needed a degree honestly

[@smrk2452]

I grew up in the 80s and 90s and there was a strong expectation that everyone would go to college. I graduated in 2000 into a bad economy that only got worse, and my entire adult life has been a financial struggle.

[@TheJamonm93]

Parents never had to get an internship to get hired. All you needed was a degree. What changed. I'm sure we all heard the stories about how you just walked up to the company with your best suit and shook hands with the boss and said "im a good worker and i need a job" and got hired 😂 56% of underemployed blacks etc will add up. There will be a reckoning soon

[@Angel-ei1ip]

It’s not what you know. It’s who you know.

[@thedude5040]

I didn't know anyone. Never had an internship. Graduated 2018 and I now make more money than I ever dreamed.

[@juannevindez6969]

Globalization and regulation. Jobs sent out immigrants brought in and slow economic growth.

[@dr.peppermintpatty4925]

@@thedude5040what is your profession if I may ask?

[@thedude5040]

@@dr.peppermintpatty4925 electrical utility design engineer.

[@user-rh8fl8qz2z]

The MOST COMMON PROBLEM is that an 18 YEAR OLD FRESHMAN can rarely PREDICT the job market outlook of his chosen MAJOR. They tend to choose majors that INTEREST them - NOT the HIGHEST JOB HIRING POTENTIALS. They're just KIDS!

[@tamsenmillerbaum]

Only so many jobs require degrees. Encouraging too many people to get degrees is a nasty thing to do. Fight for higher wages for the majority of jobs that don't require degrees. All fullctime jobs deserveca LIVING wage!

[@pishi1990]

College in the US was free until the early 1960’s - now its so overpriced its not worth it. You can only have so many accountants, lawyers, economists etc. Waste of money. Also major companies just use interns to not have to pay for employees.

[@kensmith2796]

I'm a tax accountant and there is a huge shortage of professional accountants right now. I graduated 3 years ago and received multiple offers and get emails daily from recruiters trying to get me to jump ship. I've even received offers to interview as a quantitative analyst at investment banks.

[@jvs0306]

yet people say joining military is dumb. There will ALWAYS be people that complain. HOWEVER, majority of those that joined the service say it was worth it. Plus that GI Bill and insurance

[@grocerygoat06]

until they kick you out for not getting a experimental drug in which studies are coming out linking it to heart issues.

[@Dan.50]

The educational industrial complex needs to refund all of their victims.

[@TheJamonm93]

53% Black, 49% Hispanic, 46% white, 39% Asian the statistics they bring up but don't analyze

[@1HeatWalk]

Asian here, my guess it's because most Asians get degrees in STEM.

[@TheJamonm93]

@@1HeatWalk I disagree and if you listen to the segment they state that STEM degrees are not doing that well. biotechnology layoffs were incredibly high recently. The issue I theorize causing this is segregation of labor based on race on the part of the employers as well as lack of access to internships opportunities among black and Hispanic people at the universities they attend. Sure non stem careers could be a part of it but I don't think it's a significant amount since there are not that many high paying stem roles.

[@1HeatWalk]

@@TheJamonm93 you brought up good points, but don't forget Asians only make up around 5% of the US population as well. I believe we are the smallest minority group in the US.

[@Twitter_Posts]

I was taking full-time college classes, full-time work in an entry level job in my tech field, and I finished with a 3.75 GPA. I'm still not considered good enough for more than entry-level work by these companies, even after being promoted and having a few years of experience. My job requires no degree, and I am underemployed.

[@LuisFlores-mc2tc]

Our system is freaked up its hard work and luck if that's not on your side then sorry

[@Twitter_Posts]

@@LuisFlores-mc2tc Yep just doing the numbers game now with meeting with my career advisor, sending out apps, and talking with people in the field. Got to do everything that most people don’t want to do to get as many things on my side as possible

[@Hound45]

I’m sure it’s much more than that. When I got my BA degree nothing changed in my work world. 40 years later not once on any job interview did my degree ever get mentioned.

[@zealot1543]

@@MikeDonaldson-eh2ru​​⁠I think that’s part of the problem too, “BA” degrees need to carry more weight. STEM degrees are always going to be in high demand, but I think more general studies degrees need to start taking a trade-school style approach to set more kids up for employment. Corporations aren’t training grads anymore, but Colleges are failing to pick up that responsibility.

[@danwoods5105]

Another issue is that a lot of college graduates are also applying for their first job of any kind. Growing up in Generation X , most of us had 4 or more part time jobs before applying for their college graduate job. A lot of us served time in the Armed Forces as well. Myself, I finished 6 years in the Army Guard and Reserves as an Army Medic. I also did farm work, worked at a newspaper, worked various fast food jobs, worked at an amusement park, worked Nursing Home as a CNA, and worked as a tutor before my first job as a RN. Soft skills learned in these job situations made it easier when I graduated. This was the normal situation for all of my classmates I graduated with, and this level of work ethic was considered the bare minimum to be a functional adult in any field. A lot of college graduates today are getting their first job experience a decade after us older generations did as well. Made handling the level of professional responsibility as a college graduate a lot easier. Helicopter parenting for “college only path” will probably be purged out by the Generation Z parents who got scammed into a future job market that never existed in the first place.

[@NANA-su5ql]

I disagree slightly, RICH kids can avoid summer work or just get an “internship” at their dad’s company. Poor and middle class kids still work, there’s just less opportunity to so you have to fight for it.

[@dantesinfernopurgatory7826]

Non-STEM Liberal Arts and Studies degrees with a low R.O.I. lead to thousands of dollars in debt and low-paying jobs.

[@johnfoley4023]

Biology. I have a friend with TWO PhD's one in biology. Decades of EXPERIENCE too. After the 2008 crash he had a tough time finding his next job for years because he wouldn't MOVE. Once he opened up to ANY state he instantly got a job.

[@oldtwinsna8347]

This is a good point. You need to be able to relocate to a city center where those specific industries are at. For example, a software career living in St. Louis MO is not going to reap you much opportunities. If you can't move or don't want to move, don't get a degree in an industry that isn't aligned to where you live.

[@johnfoley4023]

@@oldtwinsna8347 Great point about not getting a college degree in a city that has no industry nearby yet expecting to STAY in that same area.

[@PortersGarage]

There is no one size fits all in life. I did not continue schooling after highschool. I hated school, even though I had a high grade point average and got straight A’s my last 2 years in highschool. I decided to start my life early. I bought a house and started a family at 19 yrs old, I’m in my early 30s now and looking back I made the right choice for ME. Maybe I’d be better at grammar and spelling if I went to college, but to me it wasn’t worth the debt. I may not be a word smith, but I can fix anything mechanical or electrical which has been a handy skill to have out here in the real world (both for personal and professional use). Don’t dismiss the trades!

[@seadragon1456]

Same dude! I married at 19 and became a stay at home mother. Everyone told me that I was leaving the party early and making a bad choice because I should rely on a man. 😶 Hubs is in trades and finally started clearing 100k. We have a handful of kids and learned to live super frugal to make his past incomes work. Last year we were able to get our home paid off so we’re officially debt free in our 30s. It’s not a flashy lifestyle from the outside but it’s BEAUTIFUL and WHOLESOME and that’s all we want.

[@MattHawkOfficial]

Not going to college is one of the smartest things I ever done

[@Fadexd888]

same

[@newtrollaccount384]

During job interviews prospective employers don't even ask about education. They ask stupid questions like "Why are you seeking to leave your current position" and "What do you like about your job"? I don't see the value in those questions.

[@kensmith2796]

Because having an education gets you the interview. The interview is to see if they want to work with you or not and look for any red flags. The asking why you are leaving current position is a great way to look for a red flag. If someone mentions their boss sucks or something negative, that is a clue to the interviewer to pass on the applicant.

[@oldtwinsna8347]

The only time they will ask about your education is what your doctoral dissertation was about and the research behind it, but only for positions requiring such a doctoral degree to begin with. Else, why would they possibly ask about your education at an undergrad level - it's all in your transcripts. They want to avoid hiring a land mine of a Karen or equivalent.

[@juliaprice7220]

Going back to school after my first degree didn't prove useful. I have one more term to go and I've applied to every relevant internship in my city... Which is 6 positions total. There are about a hundred students in my school's program alone, plus other schools in the area, all competing for 6 internships?? Then any job listed as "entry level" requires 3-5 years of experience. Any internship only lasts for 6 months to a year. Where do I get the rest of the experience to become entry level? It makes no sense!

[@nikkistahr7105]

This is true for some Allied Healthcare careers too......Don't let these schools lie to you. I am an Occupational Therapist and the schools and job boards lie...so be cautious ⚠️

[@mississippin4523]

Hi, im 17 and im looking into that career field. Are there alot of people becoming occupational therapist and if so is it hard to find a job?

[@kekef3620]

Goodness. I thought the Healthcare field was the most safe.

[@timgibney5590]

A degree does not give you the dough folks. I am gen X in my 40s. All it does is get you in the door at a fortune 1000 company doing basic work. Internships too help greatly! It takes 10 to 20 years of hard work, continuing education, and solid work performance and not job hopping or getting fired, to start making the big bucks. All college means is that you are trainable and willing to keep learning after highschool. No more no less. Success is a lifelong journey. Not a 4 year program

[@checory]

The mindset is that people study what they want to study in university then figure it out later, whereas employers hire people with specific degree or skillsets that are useful to their business.

[@kerikah]

In college I was given the choice between an internship (that I would have had to somehow find myself) and working on the college magazine. I didn't have transportation, so I did the magazine (which was a joke because the professor didn't care.) The same professor was my advisor, and he really didn't care about that and ended up abruptly leaving the school's employ (with all my files) to be with a married woman on the other side of the country. His best friend, another professor, was left to pick up the slack, but couldn't do much to help. My school's "career center" was an unattended room filled with binders of jobs for which I didn't qualify. What a racket.

[@John-bs5ug]

I always say I learned more any day of high school than I did any given month of college. I too had a professor that was my advisor and she didn't care about doing either job at all. I had teachers that couldn't solve their own test questions correctly and were incorrigible when shown their mistakes, some would lie about how your grade would be calculated, others would tell you the test covers X and it actually covers Y. The highest grade on tests in most classes were almost always an F. I even had a physics teacher that didn't do a single problem the entire semester. It was horrible.

[@geoffh1]

Newsflash. Dont get a degree in a field with low pay or low employment rate. Pay and job stability needs to be a key point in degree choice, but everyone tells kids to "do what you love".

[@luisvilla799]

Yeah true love won’t get you on the bus lol and college is not to get a job it’s to get a education

[@jtw79]

Well that pretty much just leaves you with engineering, computer science, and nursing. Not a very appealing college "experience" with that much restriction. It is not the desire to gain knowledge in other areas that is the issue, it is the system itself. Even biology isn't a good ROI anymore and if you try physics you are overqualified/discouraged from anything that isn't just going back to grad school to suffer. Bad all around.

[@luisvilla799]

@@jtw79 accounting, CIS, AIS, BIS all 3 pretty much the same construction management/scinece

[@DarkerSideOfDawn]

My 34 year old college graduate is employed but she’s not happy .

[@Chad_Max]

Of course she's not. She was told in her teens and twenties that she needed to get an education and career first before settling down. Then she hit 30 and had an existential crisis over the fact that she's not settled down and now faces the prospect of several decades of working to retirement and that reality sucks. This is the life path for young women today....

[@njpme]

What was her degree in? That says more than who your daughter is as person.

[@Bluecatwing]

Employment does not equal happiness. Meaningful time spend equates to happiness.

[@virtuaguyverify]

If you are not happy with what you currently got, then you will never be happy. Good thing is, it's never too late to go find that happiness.

[@wizardofahhhhhhz]

I think that’s the majority of society though lol

[@seensay2132]

Nah I’m a college grad and completed 3 internships and 2 industry related jobs all before I finished my Bachelor’s Degree. The problem is definitely the market we entered started undervaluing college degrees so they could underpay graduates while simply asking the high school grads to do more on most of the same mid level jobs. Yes, if you’re an Engineer, Doctor, lawyer or in high paying Tech or STEM, the competition is much different. But while I see the immediate difference in knowledge, approach and skillset by being blessed to have my education, it definitely feels like Corporate America still enjoys the benefits of college educated workers. But they’re getting away with simply not paying for that contribution by muddying the waters with lower skilled coworkers and not requiring advanced degrees so they can suppress wages.

[@CandiceMMartinez]

The college kids aren't smart these days. That's why corporate America no longer cares if you have a college degree. The non college grads are arguably smarter than the college grads now.

[@Lynxy888]

I feel a little better knowing it's not just me.

[@CC-br9qg]

Me too

[@yihannajohnson3711]

Facts😊

[@evalangley3985]

Human Resources are the problem here. HR raise the bar so high for an entry level job that you cannot get experience. They do that for two reasons. One, because it is way easier to filter applications. And two, because they don`t want to train new employees since they are going to leave during the first 3 years because they know the position is underpaid.

[@Nikotastik]

“Having” to go to college is the biggest lie told to my generation. If you have a career plan that requires it, great! Go, but know your goals and what they will require. It all comes down to networking. Nobody knows this at 18. It’s crazy we expect them to. This is a class thing too. Students who have financial support from their family and don’t have to work can afford to take those increasingly unpaid internships. Those who don’t have to keep working during weekends, between classes, and in the summers. Not everyone can afford to work without pay even if they want to.

[@1237tnb]

An example of math intensive business degree is actuarial science. It only requires a 4 year degree (no masters) to get started.

[@tjtj7161]

I graduated in 2008 during the recession as a graphic designer, now that was tough. It took time freelancing, but I eventually found a part time job at a marketing agency for casinos, after that I hopped to a company that does Multifamily Maintenance. They were then bought out by Lowe's and I'm still there. It was rough journey and took a bunch of time, sometimes it seemed impossible, but now I'm okay and doing design.

[@WeylandLabs]

Well, when businesses can legaly outsource jobs internationally now makes our education systems kind of useless. You can pay them a 1/5 what college graduates would get paid normally, and they work longer hours. Dont believe me research it yourself.

[@CC-br9qg]

This country does not take care of its own citizens

[@grocerygoat06]

@@CC-br9qg , but this country will bend over backward for people coming across our southern border illegally, and they get free taxpayer-subsidized stuff.

[@brennanshrider65]

To be clear, most college degrees dont make you 90% more than HS diploma. Bachelors it's only a 10-15% increase. Masters/Doctoral is 90%. But most people have AA or bachelors

[@CalienteFrijoles]

Cybersecurity major here. Not a single entry lvl job I can do bc they prefer certs. Can’t intern either now bc I already graduated and the internships never worked with my university schedule

[@rnskfamily7672]

Greed. Colleges and employers. What a waste getting an education

[@b_f_d_d]

Harsh Reality

[@bobby-ov9qn]

Should have gone to a trade school.

[@checory]

Or the military

[@tamarcelis8215]

"Tips for escaping underemployment: Secure a job that requires a degree." So in other words, don't be underemployed? Hilarious.