Graduates enter failed market
Ashley Lawson
The escalating cost of higher education is causing many to question the value of continuing education beyond high school. As the job market continues to contract, the incentive for students going to college for their bachelor’s or master’s degrees is also declining as they struggle to find jobs realted to their education.
Post-graduate life is already an adjustment, but with the added burden of student loan debt and the lack of job opportunities, many find life after college overwhelming.
Students getting ready to graduate are facing a much tougher job market than graduates even five years ago.
After spending four or five years in college, graduates still are having difficulty entering the workforce. Many are forced to turn to low paying, non-degree specific jobs, whether it be bartending, retail or administrative assistant positions.
“I currently work at Best Buy and have been for the last couple of years,” said former ASU student Jon Castillo.
“I graduated from ASU with a bachlors degree in Psychology, and I am still in the process of finding a job with that degree.”
Other graduates turn immediately to graduate school, knowing they can’t pursue their career with an undergraduate degree.
University of San Diego Graduate, James Isham is now attending law school in hopes of delaying his career search until the market is better.
“The mere idea of attempting to find employment on the verge of the economy’s collapse was so daunting, so terrifying, that I decided to go to law school instead,” Isham said.
Dann Lenon graduated in the spring of this year with a Political Science degree from Arizona State University and has struggled with his degree specific job search.
“Right now I am interning at a recruitment firm and I have a job in the financial services industry,” Lenon said.
Following graduation, Lenon had plans of going to law school, but has turned to keeping his college job for now.
Five years ago, students were batting jobs offers away with a stick, now students are lucky if they can keep their hostess job at T.G.I. Fridays.
While it is clear that investing in a college degree will be beneficial in the long run, once this recession has passed, ASU student Amy Hindenlang would prefer to just stay in school, rather than graduate in May.
Asher Roth said it best at the end of his most popular song “Do I really have to graduate or can I just stay here forever?
