"Super People" in today's NY Times

Parents Forum
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<p>More than just college grads are underemployed. I don’t think those kinds of jobs (barista, personal trainer, security guard) are unusual for young people just out of college who don’t have specific degrees. In this economy, any kind of job is a job. It’s not uncommon to take those kinds of jobs while you figure out your next step. </p>

<p>It took me several years to get the job I have now (community college instructor), and in those years I had to work as an adjunct instructor at three different colleges. That was with a Master’s degree, and I was in my 30s (that was not a disadvantage BTW). I felt very lucky back then to get my full-time job. Right now a 22-year-old with a Master’s degree would have almost zero chance to get a job like mine, even an adjunct position, as we have laid off almost all the adjuncts during the continual budget crises of the last few years. The recent grads I know of either have a Master’s degree or are getting one. While deciding what to do, they have definitely struggled. </p>

<p>Things could be worse. Just been listening to a story about Greece on NPR. Youth unemployment is over 40%. The tension between older workers and unemployed youth could get very ugly. Times are tough indeed. This is why I watch “Seinfeld” reruns every night instead of the news.</p>

42

<p>@GFG. I have two nephews who graduated from LACs in June. The first (an IR major) got a job in high tech earning in the low $60s. The second (an art history major) recently converted an unpaid internship into a job earning mid $40s.</p>

43

<p>TheGFG, I think your observations are pretty typical, and I think it’s largely true across the spectrum of good colleges. The main difference I see with Harvard grads vs. the rest is that when they go to grad school, those grad schools are top ranked. It’s difficult to know how much of that is attributable to the fact that the H grads are uniformly strong test-takers.</p>

<p>If we’re talking about law and business schools, TOTALLY different story. The top and middle of the rankings might as well be occupying alternate universes.</p>