College Education
By summersage
@summersage (10)
United States
February 7, 2007 10:14am CST
I went to college and worked really hard only to find out that I can't find a job. I have gone to job fairs, sent resumes out, and been on tons of interviews and alas, nothing. I have a small bone to pick with college counselors as well. If someone had given me a list of completely useless degrees, I would not have chosen one of them for my future monetary happiness. Also, depending on where you live, some degrees are more useful than others. I am an English major, but where I live only seems to have opportunities for those in Business or Nursing. I doubt that I could have obtained a Business degree because numbers and I are not friends, and Nursing I commend others for, but certainly do not want to partake in myself. I just want to know what the point of me killing myself for this education was, when I met a legal secretary the other day with no college education and who is making $55,000 a year based on all of her experience she was gaining while I was studying!!!!
1 response
@dancinthrulife (75)
• United States
7 Feb 07
So when you pursued you English degree, what did you plan on doing with it? I wouldn't blame that on the counselors, if you didn't research a clear career plan before investing in an education, that falls on you. English is one of those degrees (and there are many, psychology for instance) that it is very interesting to study, but to be very lucrative for most, you need a master's degree. And a degree only gets you in the door, if you have had interviews, it has done it's job, the rest is up to you. In this economy, it is difficult for anyone with any degree to find work right now.
The benefits of an education are not short-term. You won't get instant gratification with a degree. You will still be starting at an entry level position. So yes, a legal secretary with 4 years experience will be making more than you just starting your career. The difference comes 20 years from now, when she is still a legal secretary, making a decent wage, but with no upward mobility, and you are able to, with a lot of effort in addition to a degree, achieve much higher goals (and income).
My husband started out making $22,000 a year with a Master's degree, and felt the same way as you. However, he has more than quadrupled with 10 years of work experience now, and we are just starting to see the benefits of that education.
Good luck on the job hunt, don't give up!
