Thursday, April 4, 2013

Graduation

As I count down the days until my graduation in May, it dawns on me how troublesome it has been to earn a degree in college. I've seen myself struggle with finances, altercations, and many challenges just to get the degree that  I need to find a job.

After applying to hundreds of jobs all within the past few months, it's become an even bigger challenge to find out what path God wants for me. All I can think about is the mental exhaustion that keeps me job hunting. Prior to January, I never understood how hard it would be to find a job straight out of college.

Choosing my degree was simple; I started to find out the area of interest and passion in which I wanted to give myself back to the world. My passion has always been for human rights, public policy, public relations, and community outreach. Yet, I know that if I had to obtain a Bachelor's degree all over again, I would've picked a different major. A major that would land me a stable job, a degree that would give me the ability to support myself and possibly support a family later on down the road. If I had to do it all over again without the financial burden, I would have chosen a degree in computer technology or an engineering degree that would land me a job fast. Yet, knowing the pay I'd be getting, I don't know if I would ever be happy. It isn't easy to be a person who is passionate about the field that they work in, but what's harder is choosing a field that has no opportunity to make money.

When it comes down to the liberal arts, many students are getting out of college and are forced to pursue a Master's and/or a P.H.D. due to the  demand of experience needed in the workplace. My issue is: how do I find a job that will sustain me until I can afford to go to graduate school? It seems inevitable that I'll ever find anything. I have all the credentials it takes to become a great leader in a business, but I have no experience. It seems that many college students these days are forced to be in service industry jobs just to keep up with their college debt. How did it end up becoming impossible for students like myself to graduate from college, yet not find a job? It's disheartening.

I have become extremely bitter when I hear about the economic situation that is overcoming our country. One, because I know it is affecting me. But two, because I know that hard-working students like myself are being forced to put themselves into more debt just to earn a Master's and P.H.D. to survive in a world that wants a degree and experience. It's like a catch-22; companies want experience from you, but they also want a degree. So how in the world do we gain experience if these places aren't willing to hire? The answer: internships. I slowly learned in my time in college that companies and sectors want students to gain experience through internships. The hard reality is this: many students are willing to do internships, but they are often unpaid. And for a student like me, who has had two jobs for most of my college career, there isn't any time left in my schedule to work an internship with no pay. My end result: I ended college with no internship experience. The pay that was offered was either non-existent or not enough to support my finances during college.

While I may be looking forward to graduating this May with a Bachelor of Arts in Government, I also have little hope that I'll find a decent paying job until I do pursue a Master's. With the economy steadily heading South, it has become more of an issue to find a job. Without ending this post on a bad note, I strive to leave a question posed to those that understand what I and other college students are going through: where exactly do students like myself start?

4 comments:

  1. As trite (and disappointing) as it sounds, the real answer is ... at the bottom.

    But you've got some serious writing and people skills, so that won't be as onerous as it could be.

    For inspiration and ideas, I'd look a wee closer to home. There's someone close to you that has always impressed the devil out of me. No matter how hard nor how many times life has knocked him face-first into the dirt, he's never given up, and he's never let it get the best of him nor sour his spirit.

    The mechanics of the future are always in flux and as vaporous as the plans of men and women can possibly get, but that kind of heart and soul and spirit endures.

    Of course ... it doesn't hurt to be as inherently stubborn as a cross-eyed Missouri mule, either. But you've been gifted with a fair dose of that, and an equal measure of caring and love from both sides, too. So when epiphany strikes, and it shows up staring back at you in the mirror some morning ... you can always just smile and remind yourself ... you came by it honestly. <..:p..>

    Speaking of which, please give both of 'em a hug for me! <..;..>

    And one to Matthew, too. Even if he grumbles about it.

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  2. Wow, I would love to know who this is ^^^ your vocabulary is astounding :D and your take on Matt as well.

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  3. Would it help to say you actually do know me?

    ;-)

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Please feel free to comment on these posts whether you agree or disagree with them. I may remind you however, that this blog is intended to inspire...negative energy is not a part of my intention, nor will it be tolerated.