Under-employment

[mochi]

I was wondering how many of you had to ever take a job to make ends meet, despite your qualifications? I'm pretty much in the hole about 600 dollars for grad school, but finding a job has been coming up short, even though I have a Bachelor's degree. Considering I want to work as soon as possible to be able to have enough by August, I am considering working with my friend who directs cars in a Parking lot. I've decided just to suck it up and do it, but I can't help but feel disappointed that that my degree couldn't find me a simple desk job. Thoughts, opinions?

 

[Jungian Trip]

https://www.facebook.com/#!/NPR/posts/10150265929896756

Unless you have facebook you can oly read the first 75 comments or so, but if you do have facebook then you can see that there were obver 4,000 responses. While not going through ALL of them, the trend (90 percent or more) is such that people are taking jobs wherever they can find them and few have a job or career related to their respective degree.

I have witnessed this trend within classmates of mine (undergraduate and graduate schools). We are in a tough predicament and the paradigm of post-WWII economy may never return. But I think the resilience of humanity will find a way to adapt and pave a new path.

 

[~jet]

Indeed; such is the nature of a hollowed-out economy, and multinational 'globalized' business owners are loving it because it ensures you'll work for as little as possible AND pit you against someone, for that job, whom you might otherwise band together with to stand up for your rights.

Doesn't matter what country you are, you need your jobs to be at home. Your community needs to address itself, have its own services, make its own products, trade widely but only for things it can't do itself, et cetera. Instead, we're headed toward serfdom where the kings are giant corporations instead of a democracy consisting of millions of ma-and-pa main street shops.

 

[mochi]

https://www.facebook.com/#!/NPR/posts/10150265929896756

Unless you have facebook you can oly read the first 75 comments or so, but if you do have facebook then you can see that there were obver 4,000 responses. While not going through ALL of them, the trend (90 percent or more) is such that people are taking jobs wherever they can find them and few have a job or career related to their respective degree.

I have witnessed this trend within classmates of mine (undergraduate and graduate schools). We are in a tough predicament and the paradigm of post-WWII economy may never return. But I think the resilience of humanity will find a way to adapt and pave a new path.

I agree, I've been noticing this trend as well. A friend told me she knew someone who also got a Bachelor's, and ended up working at starbucks (not temporarily, permanently). While stories like that are scary, it's when that resilience you mentioned kicks in and I have to remind myself not to give up. I may have to do this for employment just to survive, but I'm considering volunteering for the other job I applied for in order to get the experience I was looking for.

 

[AUM]

Thoughts, opinions?

Yeah, it blows.

I'm not looking forward in graduating this winter and having to work at McDonalds because I need to pay my loans.

*sigh*

 

[Lerxst]

Graduated with a Bachelor's years ago and haven't had a single job that would logically rationalize earning the degree in the first place. And you think a Business degree would get you somewhere at least.

Ended up going into the non-profit world where no one gives a rat's ass about how little they earn since we're all in the same boat.

 

[Lark]

I was wondering how many of you had to ever take a job to make ends meet, despite your qualifications? I'm pretty much in the hole about 600 dollars for grad school, but finding a job has been coming up short, even though I have a Bachelor's degree. Considering I want to work as soon as possible to be able to have enough by August, I am considering working with my friend who directs cars in a Parking lot. I've decided just to suck it up and do it, but I can't help but feel disappointed that that my degree couldn't find me a simple desk job. Thoughts, opinions?

Yeah, I've been there, I even considered not mentioning my qualifications for a while because they could have been a bar to employment, no one wanted to employ someone who would just be waiting their chance to move to another job, but then I realised that I'd have to account for the gaps in my work history. Its a real catch 22.

 

[Chamomile]

I am in that spot right this second. I'm still pursuing my BA (junior currently) so I don't have experience or qualifications from a degree and I can't seem to find ANYTHING. I'm in the awkward position of trying to accommodate an organ disease which causes several limitations and my desperate need for an income and willingness to do whatever I can find. I won't be finished with my MA for 5 years.

I hate the guilt of having limits of what I won't do and the resentment I feel towards my condition when the only jobs I come across are ones I simply couldn't do.

Honestly it goes both ways. I really feel for the people with BAs working at Starbucks and lower level jobs, but with people with BAs going after those jobs, how the heck would I ever be chosen over them for it? Even the 'bad' jobs are taken by overqualified people. I don't even know where to look anymore. I'm waiting on interviews for cleaning houses. That is literally all I can find!

I absolutely see why you feel disappointed. Just remember it isn't YOU. Its the lower level jobs being flooded with over-qualified applicants. I'm starting to believe what my parents always said... 'MA is the new BA. Have it or sell shoes.' =/

 

[AUM]

'MA is the new BA.=/

Which means that a BA is now worth a HS diploma. Now that sucks!

 

[Chamomile]

Which means that a BA is now worth a HS diploma. Now that sucks!

TOTALLY sucks. But I can't help but see it everywhere I go. They want receptionists to have them now!
I think if a BS is the new HS diploma, it should be paid for, too.

 

[Free Mind]

Indeed; such is the nature of a hollowed-out economy, and multinational 'globalized' business owners are loving it because it ensures you'll work for as little as possible AND pit you against someone, for that job, whom you might otherwise band together with to stand up for your rights.

Doesn't matter what country you are, you need your jobs to be at home. Your community needs to address itself, have its own services, make its own products, trade widely but only for things it can't do itself, et cetera. Instead, we're headed toward serfdom where the kings are giant corporations instead of a democracy consisting of millions of ma-and-pa main street shops.

^ Agreed.

Times are changing.

 

[~jet]

^ Agreed.

Times are changing.

Aye; something needs to be done about it. People need to be a little more self-motivated, well-educated, skilled... they need to trade amongst each other, value one another, etc. Hell, if the guy making your table, your clothes, etc, lives in town, he or she's also going to be more motivated to make a quality product, since you can walk right up to their front door and critique them if they don't... and sure, a well made product may cost more, but then again, the person making it EARNS more and can thus afford the more costly 'native-made' products which, in turn, employs more people who can suddenly afford more 'native-made' products and so on and so forth. Further, a well made product tends to last longer, so a person is spending less over time than if they're constantly replacing cheap garbage.

We're in a downward spiral... however, a spiral is also an ideal method of gaining altitude as well... bit by bit, arc by arc, circle by circle.

 

[Detective Conan]

This seems like a very common trend in the current economic climate. The worst you can do is be picky about the jobs available and stay unemployed. I know too many unemployed people that are holding out for that job they got their degree for. I'd say public service jobs are the way to go, but even today I don't feel comfortable saying that. Unfortunately, with everything like it is today, I don't think the job market will be as strong as it was about 12 years ago any time soon.

I actually still wish I had my old job in the fields. $10 an hour, $15 for overtime, and frequent overtime opportunities. It wasn't a bad gig for what it was.

 

[mochi]

I am in that spot right this second. I'm still pursuing my BA (junior currently) so I don't have experience or qualifications from a degree and I can't seem to find ANYTHING. I'm in the awkward position of trying to accommodate an organ disease which causes several limitations and my desperate need for an income and willingness to do whatever I can find. I won't be finished with my MA for 5 years.

I hate the guilt of having limits of what I won't do and the resentment I feel towards my condition when the only jobs I come across are ones I simply couldn't do.

Honestly it goes both ways. I really feel for the people with BAs working at Starbucks and lower level jobs, but with people with BAs going after those jobs, how the heck would I ever be chosen over them for it? Even the 'bad' jobs are taken by overqualified people. I don't even know where to look anymore. I'm waiting on interviews for cleaning houses. That is literally all I can find!

I absolutely see why you feel disappointed. Just remember it isn't YOU. Its the lower level jobs being flooded with over-qualified applicants. I'm starting to believe what my parents always said... 'MA is the new BA. Have it or sell shoes.' =/

I'm sorry to hear that Chamomile. It must be difficult to find a job on top of that as well, my thoughts are with you. But don't give up... Even if we have to work crappy jobs for now, we'll find something waaaay better once we are done :3 (at least that's what I keep telling myself, d'oh >w<). Thanks for the advice, I was starting to feel that way seriously >w<. I guess it's just happening to everyone, especially it now being the summer, everyone is in need of a job.

It's funny, but I think the only way I had the possibility of a job was through connections (ie my friend). Maybe I should work on my networking skills? XD

 

[mochi]

I actually still wish I had my old job in the fields. $10 an hour, $15 for overtime, and frequent overtime opportunities. It wasn't a bad gig for what it was.

What was your job, out of curiosity? :3

 

[Detective Conan]

What was your job, out of curiosity? :3

Just working the fields, doing whatever was on the daily agenda. Picking crops, planting seeds, pollinating popcorn corn (not fun, that stuff really burns), et cetera. More or less a lot of farming duties. I only worked during the summer, since I was in school during the fall working season, so I got the full force of the scareball... I mean sun within my first week of work.

 

[mochi]

Just working the fields, doing whatever was on the daily agenda. Picking crops, planting seeds, pollinating popcorn corn (not fun, that stuff really burns), et cetera. More or less a lot of farming duties. I only worked during the summer, since I was in school during the fall working season, so I got the full force of the scareball... I mean sun within my first week of work.

Wow, that sounds really interesting! Hard, but interesting still. I was about to comment on how fun the popcorn thing sounded... You read my mind. X3

 

[Detective Conan]

Wow, that sounds really interesting! Hard, but interesting still. I was about to comment on how fun the popcorn thing sounded... You read my mind. X3

Yeah, everyone seems to think pollinating popcorn would be fun. I did too, at first. That's how I know to tell others ahead of time that it's not all that fun. And the work was hard, but I felt like I did something by the day's end. However, at my last few jobs, I've really wondered what I actually accomplished other than being a cog in the machine. Oh well, I do what I need to do to pay my bills so I can survive.

 

[donkeybals]

I agree. It sucks. Right now I'm dissastified with my employment. And currently searching for new opportunities. Sucks sucks sucks.

The solution seems relatively obvious. BOYCOTT big corporations. I'm just really pissed at the government, times like this I wish the corporate world was non existent. The more I think about it, the more living in an archaic period would be comforting. No worrying about 10,000 things. Live off the land. All you would need is food, shelter, water, and not die. Look at how badly the economy sucks. They have me talking like an idiot going back to caveman times. God. Hey government, stop being freaking dumb.

 

[kita]

About half of the people I know with a BA or BS are working in retail right now. I have no problem temporarily working a job I'm overqualified for if I needed the money. The alternative (not being able to pay bills or tuition) seems so much worse to me. It sounds like this is something you'd only be doing for a couple of months, and you could keep looking for something better or quit parking cars once you have the money you need for school.