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0 pointsbbwharris15y ago0 comments

I recall another story about a girl who attended NYU and has a mountain of debt and can't find work.

At the end of the article it stated her major, and it wasn't something that was marketable in today's economy.

Which sounds slightly arrogant. As a reader, I can see the mistakes made. The reality in any economy is that a womens studies graduate from NYU is going to have more difficulty finding work than say an engineering graduate from a state university.

If the goals for employment are self-actualization, then be prepared for a hunt in the beginning. If the goals are to earn a paycheck - any paycheck, then there is plenty of work out there.

I am afraid that a lot of people in my generation have a very strong sense of entitlement.

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mattm15y ago

I think there is much more pressure on young people today (me being one of them) that you must be doing what your love or working on your passion.

While good advice, some young people don't realise that this is good long-term advice. It's something you should work towards over a number of years. It is a very big mistake to close doors that may not offer the perfect path. I have some friends like this who seem to want the perfect job right away so they pass up other opportunities even though they could lead to it in the future.

commandar15y ago

There is also a lot more pressure on young people today to go amass piles of debt acquiring a college degree that they do not need.

The stigma against trade and vocational educations in this country needs to die, otherwise we're going to just keep starting people off at a bigger disadvantage than they need be for very little good reason.

aliston15y ago

I agree -- and going one step further, WITHIN higher education, there seems to be somewhat of a stigma against training for real-world, hands-on, applications. I was pretty lucky to attend a college that encouraged students to work on projects that could become viable products... but from what I hear from friends, it was the exception.

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bbwharrisOP15y ago

Exactly, long-term is the key. The majority of us are not going to be instantly wealthy (in the sense of money or passion).

zephyrfalcon15y ago

"I think there is much more pressure on young people today (me being one of them) that you must be doing what your love or working on your passion."

That does work, but the key is that you just start doing what you love, possibly in your free time (chances are that when you start out, you're not good enough yet to get paid for it :-). If you keep that up long enough, and you keep enjoying it, chances are that at some point you will be good enough to get a job doing it. Case in point...

What does NOT work is sitting around waiting for a job to come by that you might like (like the guy in the article seems to be doing). Nor is it a good idea to live off of someone else while you wait.

angstrom15y ago

The entitled douche bags may be in the spotlight, but our generation is perfectly prepared. We me be overlooked, but I say without hesitation that no generation has had such a wealth of opportunity before it and the means to make it real. 6 years out of college and the world has yet to blunt my view of the possible.

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