lol
o.k that was hilarious, but I do agree with a lot of what Kevin is saying.

Why is everyone so mad?
 

I don't really understand why everyone is taking what Kevin has said so personally. I agree with a lot of what he is saying. Here are some options, so I can contribute to this discussion without being told I haven't given any solutions to the problem.

1.) If you are "over-qualified" (because, as someone with an A.A., 2 B.A.s and an M.Ed., I have been told the same thing) maybe you could work on "fixing" your resume to reflect having one down of your actual degree. Meaning, if you have a Masters, maybe your potential employer only needs to know about your Bachelor's degree.

2.) There are some jobs out there that people don't want to take. I get that. Many people are losing out on Civil Service jobs to prior military. Solution: Why not consider checking out the military. As former military, I can tell you that, for the most part, the military is always looking to hire.

3.) You don't have enough education? Maybe you could consider going back to school. For some people, that might suck. I get that, but you have to make a move one way or another to get yourself out of that situation.

When I first moved to NY, I had a job within 2 weeks. I had NO PREVIOUS experience (completely) in that field and I didn't know one person in the city. I sent out 40+ applications in a 2-week span and I got called back for maybe 5-10 interviews. It worked out.

Now, I have gone back to school, again.

I just don't think people need to chew him up and spit him out. It is a harsh reality, but maybe people are choosing you to work for them because your degree isn't very sought after or they are looking for people who went to top schools when maybe you didn't go to that great of a school. Maybe your GPA was bad. I don't know. This is NOT DIRECTED AT ANYONE. I'm just saying that if I lose out on a job to someone who went to a better school than me, I accept that. If I lose out to people with more experience, so be it.

I hope everyone finds a job that they truly enjoy.

Perhaps because many of them actually have personal experience with the topic at hand, and their personal experience has taught them that it just ain't as simple or black-and-white as he makes it out to be.

Exactly.

1) You don't think a background check will bring up the fact that you have more education than your resume states? Even if you do "dumb down" your resume, several employers are looking for either executives or hourly employees. If you're used to being a mid-level employee, you're SOL.

2) That's not always that easy, either. My sister graduated with an amazing GPA and had plans to become an officer in the AF upon graduation. Once she graduated, she was forced to enlist and will only be eligible for officer status after a year or so.

On top of that, a lot of people wouldn't fit in with the military lifestyle. Of course, it's an option, but don't try to act like I can just up and join the military tomorrow if I wanted to.

3) Lack of education isn't really the topic at hand. Most of the time, those are the people getting the jobs (since employers can pay them lower wages). It's the people with education that are having a hard time, as they're constantly being told they're overqualified (for lower level jobs) or not qualified (for executive level jobs). There's not a lot of middle ground anymore.

Again, some folks here are clearly out of touch with reality.

Not Easy...but
 

I don't think it puts you out of touch with reality if you suggest that people look at alternative options. It took me 2 weeks to find a job, only after sending out 40+ resumes. That is what it took. Did I enjoy sending them out, only to hear that I was "over-qualifed" or not qualifed enough? No. That sucked.

Once I graduated college, I took a job as a caseworker. I made about $19,000 a year, once taxes were deducted. Instead of going on Spring Break my senior year of college, I chose to take my week and head over to the State Capitol to take every civil service exam for which I qualifed. It paid off. Sure, I made horrible money. I loved my job, though. Then I went back for my Masters.

As I worked on my Masters, I left my full-time job and worked for about $7.00/ hr. (part-time, so I could attend graduate school full-time) while being talked down to by people with far less education than me (some who had no degree, at all) to make ends meet. That job was horrible. I hated how rude people were and catty some of my co-workers were. I did my job, and I left. No less, no more. I was "over-qualified" for the job, but I was hired to work part-time because I was honest with the employer letting them know that I was going to school full-time.

My employers have been impressed with my resume and all the things I have done because even when I wasn't working, I was doing community service and doing things with my GLO as an Alumna.

I'm not saying it is easy, but I feel like people are really ripping Kevin a part because he thinks some people may not be trying very hard.

To Knight_Shadow, if you couldn't find a job and the only thing being offered was a military position, if you don't take it (and you are qualified for it) then that is your fault for not doing what you need to do in order to make a living. My uncle, a college professor, always told me that he didn't believe people (in this day and age) had ANY excuse for not having a college degree because if they were able-bodied, they could join the military and apply for loans if that is what it took. Do you think I LOVED being in the military? Nope. I did it, though. If you have kids (which I don't, yet) then you have to set aside your pride and take what comes your way.

So You would trust your life to somebody who only joined the military because he couldn't get a civilian job? I hate all the people who promote the military as a job that is always hiring. It should be something you are passionate for, not something you are forced into.

Two questions:

1. In what year did you get the job that quickly?

2. Did you have any non-$7/hr experience when you were applying for your positions (outside of military service)?

Right. Same thing needs to be asked of folks that are pushing teaching and healthcare jobs.

If you lose a job making $50,000 a year, a $7-an-hour position isn't going to allow you to continue supporting yourself/your family.

And, again, many employers aren't hiring educated people for these jobs right now because they know that the employee will leave as soon as something better comes along.

Yep. I agree.

Well, I graduated undergrad in 2007. I was hired in June of 2007, after going to interviews before school ended. Remember, that is when I took my civil service exams (Spring Break of 2007). That was my first "real" job where I was paid salary of about $24,000 (which was about $19,000 after taxes). I started graduate school in September of 2007. I left my job as a Caseworker in January of 2008 because I wanted to go from being a part-time graduate student to being a full-time graduate student.

Then, I applied to a job at a Juvenile Detention Facility, which paid about $7/ hour. I worked part-time as I attended graduate school full-time. I was hired around the end of February (I left my job as a caseworker around the middle of January). My boyfriend then got into school in New York and he moved to New York for the fall of 2008 to start school, while I stayed in our hometown to work part-time and finish my Masters until I got to my "thesis" portion of my degree. In January of 2009, I moved to New York (around the end of January), obviously leaving my job at the detention facility. I applied to about 40+ jobs and within 2-3 weeks, I was hired as a Counselor.

I worked as a Counselor until I started school in September 2009. I might go back and work over the summer there. If I don't do that, I'll be happy to flip burgers until school starts up again. Hell, I might decide I don't care for school and go back to working where I was working. We will see, but I don't get worried that I won't be able to find a job.

As far as people who aren't "passionate" about joining the military, I disagree. I wasn't "passionate" about it, but I learned some great skills and met some incredible people. I had the opportunity to build my resume while getting a chance to travel and serve my country. I didn't "LOVE" it, but I didn't mind it. Once again, that is no excuse because you don't have a "passion" for something.

Got it.

FYI -- 2007 =/= late 2008-2010. The country was not in the same state at that point in time.

And salary history makes a difference. Many employers now ask for salary history. Even if you leave off your additional degrees, the amount of money that you've made in the past makes a difference.

I lost my job at a large bank in 2008. I was making about $35,000 PART-TIME and had become accustomed to that lifestyle. When I was unemployed, I cut a lot of things out of my life and tried to get something to make ends meet. I was literally sending out 20-30 resumes a day, and would get only 1-2 callbacks every 2 weeks. At several places, I had connections on the inside, and the most common excuse for not hiring me was that I was overqualified and that senior management couldn't "exploit" me (for lack of a better term).

It wasn't that I wasn't trying. There weren't any places that were willing to take a chance on someone who they knew would leave the minute a better paying job came along.

Thankfully, I've found something since then, but I'm making less than what I was making. Even now, though, when I search for other jobs, they either want someone who has no degree or someone who has 10-15 years of experience.

I'm single with no dependents as well, and if it REALLY came down to it, my parents would take me in too. But this is not the case for the majority of job-seekers out there.

Knight_Shadow, I agree. It can be tough. Keep in mind, though, that I just recently left my job in August 2009 (considering how recent you may consider that). Whether or not the country is in this economic slump, there are people who really don't try as hard as they claim they are trying.

Don't get me wrong, there are people out there doing what they can to find a job, but as a former caseworker and counselor I watched people play the system like some people play X-Box.

I'm glad you found a job. It sucks to be unemployed, but sometimes you have to take what comes your way, ya' know? I have also been working since age 14 (for a summer job, in PA it is legal).

There are other options out there. I remember how fresh out of college, I honestly applied at a Wendy's for a management position. The guy hiring me looked at me like I was crazy as he said, "You graduated from such-and-such school...with such-and-such degrees...and you want to work here? Why?" I explained that I was not above anyone else who was working there because I had bills to pay, just like everyone else. I showed up with a resume and a smile. I did my best at the interview and I was hired on the spot. This was in 2007 (when our economy totally sucked, as well). If you try, you can find SOME job-maybe not the BEST job, but it can be done.