When my young people were finishing their degrees at college, they both came to me during their last semester and expresses disbelief, and some outrage and sadness that many of the people they had known over the last 4 years would be leaving school with no job and in some cases very little direction as to what to do next, let alone the rest of their lives. Many were also leaving with a great deal of debt. My one young person said, “They can’t get a job with their degree, they either don’t know what type of grad school to pursue next or they can’t afford grad school; they just seem to be giving up. What are they going to do?” My young people were having a difficult time understanding why the school did not do more to help guide these students into, if not a career, then at least a job that would pay more than just over minimum wage. One of my young people even went so far to say that the I were lairs. They would tell you anything you wanted to hear, especially,”Yes, there are plenty of jobs in that field.” How sad that something that began with so much promise and hope would end with such disillusionment. It almost seems like a waste of their time and money; many will end up in low paying jobs that they probably could have gotten without a college education. Many will be trapped by the debt that they incurred when they were working and hoping for something better in life. Why does this keep happening? I don’t believe for a second that many young people just go to college for the freedom or experience of it all, some may but I believe most don’t. I think that young people get into trouble when they work very hard and still don’t get into the program of their choice, due to very limited openings. This usually happens 2 years into their 4 years at school. They take all the prerequisites and then due to limited openings they don’t get in. They work hard, they get the grades but there are just not enough openings. Now what do they do? They can’t wait to try again next year. They can’t switch to a new program, because the prerequisites are different, in some cases they may end up having to take an additional year of classes or more to qualify for a new program, it’s like starting all over again, without any guarantees that they would get into a new program. So they go to their advisor who suggests a less popular program option, which usually means less attractive job opportunities and less pay. So they pursue this new area in the hope of still completing their degree and getting a job. My question is why does this continue to happen, why can’t the schools help the students when their career path hits a dead end? Why aren’t they working with the students to have a plan B if plan A doesn’t materialize? Maybe the schools goal for each student should be to help prepare the student to obtain a job that is worthy of their education. One of the problems facing the school in this endeavor may be in the design of their curriculum. They could possible make prerequisites for similar types of programs basically the same, so if a program is only accepting a limited number of applicants each year, a student would have some options, if they did not get their first choice. This would also mean that there would have to be staggered application opportunities. Why do these young people only get one shot at their future? Remember these are young people with limited life experience who need guidance and support. Stupid Things Young People Do and Have To Endure!
#3
What happened to “entry-level positions” and “0n-the-job training”? Back in the day, when I graduated from college, companies, including many big name companies would come to campus and offer “entry-level positions”. An entry-level position was your foot in the door for a potentially solid career. Entry-level positions offered you not only a job, but it also provided you with the opportunity to learn about the company and its various facets and positions from the ground up. It also involved on-the job training where someone who does the the job actually teaches you the in’s and out’s of the job and the company. You were not expected to know everything prior to being hired. The company invested time and training in you. As a result of these experiences the employees became committed and invested in the company doing well. Many of my cohorts are currently in senior level management positions due to their start in an entry-level position. The only position that I believe is currently comparable to an entry-level position today is an “internship”. However internships are limited, usually unpaid and offer only the slightest promise of a permanent position at its end. It seems today that employers want everything from young people with little promise of anything in return. They have to be the top in their class at college to even be offered a position (or an internship) and they have to have state-of-the-art knowledge and demonstrated skills in their field as well as in social media and technology. Where does the on-the-job training come in? It sounds like the company is getting a pretty good package from the start. Recently I read that a trend with employers is to hire employees with more advanced degrees then they have in the past. For example a position that requires a bachelor’s degree in the past would now be required to have a master’s degree; a high school degree position would be required to have a bachelor’s degree and so on. The reason they cited for this trend was the employers desire to ensure they are getting a state-of-the-art- skill set. Once again, I would like to ask what happened to “entry-level positions” and “on-the-job training”? Stupid Things Young People do and Have to Endure!
#2
I noticed that our recycling bin was overflowing, so I mentioned to one of my “young people” that we could get a lot more into the container and it would be easier to move if the boxes were broken down, flat. The response I got was, “I guess it’s my responsibility to take care of the earth, I guess you don’t care”. I’m still trying to understand how this response fit the given situation, but that’s not the issue here. The issue is recycling itself. All of a sudden it’s a “thing” to recycle. When I was growing up we did many of the same things we do today, but it wasn’t a “thing”, there weren’t special bins and special people who picked up your recycling. We re-purposed everything. Glass jars were saved and used to store everything from buttons to string, to nails. How many times have you heard someone who is not a young person look at an empty jar and say, “Now that’s a nice jar, we should save it”? Baby food jars were hot items; you would be surprised what people used to do with baby food jars. Cardboard boxes were reused as storage bins. Shoe boxes were used as drawer organizers long before someone “invented” them and began marketing and selling them. Most houses had a place in the basement for old jars, cans, boxes and newspaper that could be re-purposed into something useful. And this meant that all of the “recycled” items had to to be cleaned and neatly stored. Things were thrown out only when they were beyond use or re-use. I, personally, am very glad that recycling has become a “thing” and everyone is doing it. The recent wave of recycling had made the whole process so much easier. I no longer have to store all of my old items in the basement. I no longer have to hold on to an item until it has a new purpose. I can recycle with the understanding that the recycling center will recycle my item to a new purpose for me and that is a very good feeling. Stupid Things Young People Say and Think They Invented!
#1
Over the weekend I went to a brewery, frequented by “young people”, I had been to this particular brewery in the past and it functioned like a “normal” restaurant. . . you were either seated when you came in or your name was taken and you waited for a table. However upon this visit, it was very crowded and the management appeared to have changed its practice on seating customers and possibly customer service in general. Groups of young people were just standing around by occupied tables, waiting for their turn to take over the table. In some instances there appeared to be 2 and 3 groups waiting for the same table. I walked around and waited to see if this was actually how I could ultimately obtain a table, and I’m sad to report that it was. I looked at the staff; there was a large burly man sitting at the door, just staring off into space, I’m not sure what his purpose was, as he not only did not greet customers, he didn’t appear to care how many customers kept going in and out. Perhaps he acted as a bouncer when arguments broke out over next in line table ownership. There was a “takeout” looking line at a bar window where you could get drinks while you waited. The wait staff appeared to be delivering food to your table; however they all looked as confused as I was. I had no idea how long it would take to get a table and I wasn’t entirely clear how to actually claim my place in line at an occupied table, as the crowd kept shifting, so I left. I went across the street to a restaurant that would either seat me immediately or tell me when I could expect to be seated. They also asked if I would like a drink that they would bring to me, while I waited for my table. I’m having a hard time understanding the business model that this brewery was operating from. Was it to pack in as many people as you can (no one was stopped at the door, everyone was allows in no matter how crowded it became); offer the customer as little service as possible (get your own drinks, they may deliver the food, but I would be surprised if they returned to see how everything was); and therefore make as much money as you can with as little effort or service possible. When I came home and shared my experiences with my “young people” they were surprised that I was offended by all of this. They explained to me, “that’s how popular places operate”. Apparently the more popular your establishment is, the less service you have to provide. Stupid Things Young People Do! And Tolerate.
Stupid Things Young People Do 