Imagine ...
You've spent tens of thousands of dollars on your college education over the last four years. Then, in your "Senior Year" you visit your college's Career Center website to plan how to convert your degree into a career. You're greeted by an article entitled: "Transitioning from College to the Workplace."(footnote 1, 2, 3)
To your shock, as you scan down the article, the second section catches your eye:
"2. College Has Not Prepared You for Everything."
Wait a minute! My high school said college was "the Key" for a great career.
This little gem makes statements like the following:
Many recent college graduates are UNPREPARED for the emphasis placed on teamwork skills in the professional world, the importance of dealing with all different types of people, balancing work demands with personal life, and personal finance issues.
The Student thinks: "What happened to the "advantage" of a college degree? They're not preparing me for those things?"
It gets worse.
All new hires are basically on equal standing. Focus less on why employers should be so impressed with your credentials and more on how you can use your talent and skills to make a contribution to the employer's bottom line or the department’s group effort.
The Student thinks: "You've never thought about a company's profit. Why are telling me instead of helping me?"
The next section is preparing you to "EXPECT LESS" from your degree and it's "advantages":
"3. Finding Employment May Not be Easy"
The job market is cyclical and you may be entering the workplace at a time when it is very competitive. One job opening can get hundreds of resumes or applications. The harsh reality is that obtaining a job offer is a very time-consuming task—and it's even harder to obtain the ideal scenario of having multiple job offers.
The Student thinks: "I thought college degree would make things easier."
Section Four ("4. College Graduates Get Entry-Level Jobs") continues the "Expect Less" theme:
Another reality in the transition from collegiate life to working professional is that a large number of the jobs available for college graduates are ENTRY-LEVEL (Editorial Comment: In fact, almost ALL jobs are entry level -- you and I already knew that!). These jobs often require hard work, long hours, and low pay.
The Student thinks: "Okay, I knew I wasn't starting as the Big Boss ... but how "low" might the pay be?"
The next section tells you: "5. Be Prepared for Job Offers and Salary Negotiations."
You should be prepared to negotiate the salary and any compensation or benefit package. Have a clear sense of what you want before the offer arrives or negotiations begin.
The Student thinks: "That's great, but my Major Program NEVER taught me how to negotiate! They never even mentioned anything about salaries of benefits."
Your increasing skeptical eyes wander down toward the end of the document:
"8. Professionalism in the Workplace."
In the workplace, acting unprofessionally can get you fired. Your employers and co-workers will judge evaluate you on your speech, attire, behavior, and motivation. It is up to you to show them that you are intelligent, articulate, and professional.
To succeed, you must be seen as a member of a team that can be relied on. Deadlines are critical, much more so than in college.
The Student thinks: "This merely confirms my suspicion that the college's standards and expectations have been poor preparation for a 'Real Career.'"
Of course, those of us who've been in the workforce aren't surprised by any of these revelations. We might be surprised by the naivete of the college "graduate!"
Students: Now You Know the Gaps
Now you realize you made a huge investment without knowing the "gaps" in your college's Career Prep. And although they could claim they "notified" you via their publications, you (like many students) didn't check these resources until late in your college career.
Some colleges do a better job at Career Preparation than others. Many now offer Career "Assistance" such as informational interviewing and networking. Some offer, host, or promote services like: Networking events, Job Shadowing, and Internships. Many host Hiring Fairs. Few offer current Industry salary, benefit, or contract information. Almost none truly "simulate" the Work World and its exacting standards and intense competition.
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Call to Action
First, your child needs to have realistic career ideas. Then determine if college is required.
College is an expensive way to find out they:
Didn't need the degree
Couldn't finish the degree (with lots of debt; or less retirement for you -- or both)
Can't find a job in their major (wasted degree?)
Hate the career resulting from the degree
Can't succeed because they lack skills or aptitudes not teachable by "classes."
Each of the above "stages" has probabilities, not guarantees! Many high school graduates fail in one of those five critical areas.
Do you want to gamble years of paying their college tuition for a poor career bet?
Outsmart College and the Contribution Project will provide the answers! Stay tuned for the next post.
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If you are interested in REAL career prep for your child, contact me NOW!
References
1. OSU Career Services, Oregon State University, accessed Dec. 20, 2021:2. An (almost) identical version, accessed Dec. 20, 2021, is at: https://arts-sciences.buffalo.edu/content/dam/arts-sciences/geology/people-tab-assets/Transition%20from%20College%20to%20Workforce.pdf (Apparently some college copy the same information.)
3. A source attribution is listed with the above documents: "Acknowledgments: Job-seeker articles by Katharine Hansen and Randall Hansen of Quintessential Careers helped provide content for this write-up. Recruitment and career articles by Calvin Bruce (THE BLACK COLLEGIAN Magazine) also helped outline this material."
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