Forum Post: So, what does a college degree get you today?
Posted 11 years ago on Oct. 4, 2012, 7:26 p.m. EST by Shayneh
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Obama boasts about wanting everyone to get a good education, go to college and have a job at graduation - so tell me, how many of you college grads out there have a good paying job for your efforts?
Welcome to mother Russia. Serfs must be educated.
You've got it backwards. The problem isn't that college education is worth something, it's that the Industrial Economy can't provide meaningful employment for educated people.
We don't have an industrial economy. We have a service economy. The biggest problem is that a lot of workers haven't figured that out yet.
Why, then, deos oil and coal still loom large in the social and economic landscape? How about at least two wars related to such?
Everything made today is made from oil - at present there is no substitute and without oil progress would come to a halt.
Who said anything about an "industrial economy"? We are talking about what a college degree can do for you and do you have to do more then that to be successful.
The guy who I was replying to said:
True, the "industrial economy" has slown down quite a bit. You know when Romney was talking about jobs he mentioned one thing that went over everyones heads - building more "Navy Ships" in this country to build up our Navy.
That would create thousands of jobs but there is one problem - there are laws that were passed years ago restricting the building of any floating vessel in this country and that is why all ships are built out of this country -
There have been ships build offshore on floating platforms to bypass those rules -
Other areas that would create jobs are oil refinieries to process our oil and Nuclear Plants.
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/2012/01/stiglitz-depression-201201
That may be true - but things need to change with this government to get businesses growing again. Obama may have created 5 million jobs but 4.5 million jobs were also lost during this time. Never hear any mention of this.
It's the small businesses in this country that grow the economy, provide employment for people, develope new products and inovations -
They are being choked by the government and because of the uncertainty with this Administration they aren't doing much of anything.
Why do you think we "need to get businesses growing again"? Are you talking the Industrial Economy or did you have something else in mind?
They aren't being choked by the government like you say. Try reading up on the pledge of allegience and see if you've upheld the "values of America". If you haven't, you're being "choked" by forces you probably don't understand.
Well let me ask - if "businesses" aren't being choked by the government why aren't there any jobs?
Why aren't they hiring?
Why aren't they giving more benefits to their employees?
And finally how much do you think a business pays in taxes?
There aren't any jobs? For who?
Why aren't they hiring? Are there sufficient, and qualified applicants?
Benefits to employees? Are employees wanting more benefits from their employer?
It doesn't matter how much a business pays in taxes. Business still remains one of the easiest ways to acquire property so that you can secure food and shelter.
First off there are jobs out there - you just have to be qualified for those jobs.
Secondly, a lot of businesses aren't hiring because of the economy and our present Administration. I have talked with a lot of business owners and because of what's going on with uncertainty, they are in the "preserve" mode meaing they are putting money aside for emergencies down the road to keep their business going should Obama get re-elected.
It depends on what the degree is.
You are correct - but lots of folks who go for a degree don't think that once you have the degree in your hand you are always going to have a job.
It isn't true anymore - a degree is the first step - going on for your Masters or Doctrate along with expanding your field of expertise adds to a persons job security -
And I might add that a person who does that is more likely to be successful over their working career.
Another day older and deeper in debt.
Good jobs t are important and a college degree is no guarantee. But I did learn where and how to look for the knowledge one needs to support the choice and will to think for one's self. With a college degree, even if you reject the goals our masters have invented for us and use our minds to invent our own measures of success, we find thinking facilitated.
Of course if you diss education, you can never know what I'm talking about. Not really, can you?
Bragging rights.
My son had a high school education, worked 16 years at Emory Air Freight, was making 45k, got laid off. Went back to school, got an Associate degree in IT, got a job making 35k, got laid off, back to school, Bachelor's degree, got a job making 25k. Now he's going for a Master's degree, I hope he ends up with more than 15k! What's wrong with this picture? This video addresses this issue: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTQ1WOC9RgY Why Don't They Care About That?
so does Romney
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=20209572
they don't talk about college inflation though nor try to do anything about it
When did education become a jobs training program?
Education is something you do your entire life - a college degree is a starting point just as working at a entry level job. Now that is not to say that a college degree is comparable to a "entry level job" but if you compare a young person with a college degree with a seasoned individual who has worked 5, 10, 20 years in the same field there is a big difference.
You have to continue to learn all through your lifetime.
It is natural to continue learning as we age.
Its a shame we label people as flip floppers if they change their opinions on things.
Flip floppers as a rule change opinions for personel gain.Almost never due to a change of heart or new found insight.
What about E Warren? She was a lifelong Republican, and then switched. But she seems pretty honest in her current views of things.
I could care less what views Democrats or Republicans have!
Well most people don't learn anymore then they have to when it comes to job skills. You definitely have to improve your job skills if you want to be successful over time and have wealth.
If wealth means money and success means Position you may be right.
Wealth can mean many things to many people - Quality of life is most important though. So, how do you improve your quality of life? It's by being successful - right?
Yep
TechJunkie beat me too it.
There are plenty of people with good paying jobs and plenty of people with no jobs.
We need plenty of people - no, all people with good paying jobs, not just some.
The issue is if you have a "surplus" of college grads there aren't enough jobs to go around. So, right now having a college degree is like having a high school degree - not to sound condensending - but everyone wants to have a college degree and there just aren't enough jobs out there for everyone right now.
I agree, but you can't just generalize like that.
All college degrees are not created equal. Far from it. Plenty of fields have far from a surplus of grads and have nearly non-existent unemployment rates. None of this information is secret but yet some people still get useless college degrees.
Did you know that China only offers degrees in areas where there will be jobs available for those who graduate - no other degrees are offered.
Now I am not sure if a person can take another degree just to improve their education.
Living in China, I don't think that's exactly right. At the English school where I work, one of the recent hires to the sales staff was a graduate in landscape architecture. She was obviously unable to find a job in her field.
There is a bit of a college bubble developing here. I had one student whose father made a decent living in a trade, and the son wanted to do the same thing, but the parents want to force him to go to college.
Some students graduate college here, then go back to school to study a trade.
That is pretty extreme.
People should be free to study whatever they want. They should just have realistic expectations of what the job market for their degree will be and not be too shocked or upset when their degree in philosophy or video production or ceramics doesn't land them a killer job.
Banks should also be much more selective in who they give loans too. If you want to study something with poor job prospects, common sense would say you would go to a cheaper institution. Common sense should prevail on the part of the student and the banks and a lot of problems can be avoided.
Well, it's China and you know how the government likes to control the people.
As far as people being shocked because of he field they chose - well it's an individual thing - and you are right they shouldn't be upset but a lot of people don't want to be responsible for their actions.
You want a good paying, fun, and rewarding job after you graduate? Get a degree in Engineering:
http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/rick-newman/2012/05/14/where-the-jobs-are-and-the-college-grads-arent
More detail:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/05/15/best-top-most-valuable-college-majors-degrees/
http://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/articles/2012/03/22/youre-an-engineer-youre-hired
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-05-15/major-matters-for-u-dot-s-dot-college-graduates-seeking-jobs
http://www.virginiabusiness.com/index.php/news/article/getting-the-last-laugh/
There you go - if you have the right degree you can get the job but you have to go where the jobs are and a lot of people don't want to do that.
What they do want is someone to hand them a job.
Most folks that expect someone to hand them a job are not the kind that employers typically hire anyway.
A 23 year old I kmow graduated from Colorado School of Mines with a petroleum engineering degree she got a job in North Dakota making $120000/year.
Another friend has a Master in Musical performance and is pretty much itinerant.