Enjoy applying for entry level positions that require 3-5 years of experience.
And that 3-5 years experience is needed in technology that came out 1.5 years ago!
I mentioned to a recruiter once that it wasn’t possible to have “10+ years in Figma” since it only came out in 2015 and that was the last I heard lol.
I wonder who writes these requirements.
HR drones
Same response when I remind them that job postings in my state require a salary range
These days, just asking the recruiter what company they are recruiting for is enough. I don't fucking get it tbh... these recruiters will spend weeks hounding you about this crazy opportunity in LinkedIn and across three different emails and on Instagram and occasionally Snapchat, and then just ghost you the second you ask them the most obvious fucking question. "Where do you want me to apply?"
I applied for an internship in 2009 and got turned down because I had no experience.
Ok, it's true college isn't what it used to be.
A college degree used to be rare, meaning you could get any degree and do any job.
Obviously, it's not like that anymore. Everyone has a degree. You need to get a degree that means something.
If you have rich parents that will support you, great, you can fuck around and graduate after 8 years with an English degree, and you'll be alright.
If your parents aren't rich and can't support you indefinitely, you need a degree in something that is hiring or will be hiring when you graduate. Preferably, with a large paycheck, so paying back the loans is reasonable.
Or, ya know, just don't go to college. Learn to weld or install sattelite dishes, or even better, be a general contractor. You can make a goddamn fortune as a general contractor.
Or, do what Mark Twain did, and mary into wealth. Love is fake anyway!
But, ya know, being 18 and impressionable to romantic ideas, it's tempting to think you don't have to follow this guidance and get an art degree and you'll be fine. Don't fall into that. Be smart.
being 18 and impressionable to romantic ideas, it’s tempting to think you don’t have to follow this guidance and get an art degree and you’ll be fine
The bigger trap IMO is going into a field you aren't passionate about. I have a computer science degree, my program had many students who didn't really like it but were there for the money. While I'm sure some succeeded a lot of people who were just there for the money failed out, or performed so mediocre that they could only get less desirable jobs, which don't pay as well and are also shit working conditions (which since these folks don't like the career means they tend to burn out super quick).
There is a compromise to be had, you need to find something that you at least mostly find enjoyable, but has a viable career to go into, their are plenty of arts careers out there that pay alright, and if you specialize into them early instead of pursuing eye in the sky careers then you'll find yourself ahead of the pack. Of course you must also look outside school to see what these careers value (paid coops are a great opportunity if your school has them) I have a few friends with social work degrees who are doing pretty good for instance.
That said, Tuition is somewhat subsidized where I am (my tuition was 15K USD a year and one of the more expensive schools and programs, an arts degree would be more like 10K USD) so YMMV compared with the USA where I hear tuition can commonly be well over 100K a year.
The bigger trap IMO is going into a field you aren't passionate about.
I went to an art school for a degree in audio engineering and I encountered seniors in their final year who had no idea what the fuck they were doing because they didn't seek out any opportunities outside of classes. I interned at a recording studio for about two years while I was in school and that prepared me better than any class I took. This is an industry where you need to be passionate about what you're doing because work is rare in the beginning and the pay is pretty shit. There were several kids in my advanced practicums who didn't even know how to properly wrap cables or mount microphones onto stands. I couldn't help but think to myself "why the fuck are you even here". You really have to go out of your way and fight for every opportunity you can get in this industry. I'm fortunate to be able to make a living in it but somehow some of the people I graduated with came out with less knowledge than what I learned in my freshman year.
It just baffles me that people get degrees in these highly competitive industries without any sort of drive to actually make a career. Interesting to hear that this happens in STEM fields as well.
Going to university means you have a better chance than average at getting a good paying job*, not that you will get one.
*assuming you didn’t degree in some low-pay field or something.
The big difference is the type of job you can get.
If you want to work retail you can make decent money, but you are standing all day, dealing with entitled people and work hours that make it difficult to have a life. If you want a 9-5 better get a degree.
In what world does retail pay a living wage?
Retail management I assume.
I was making over $60k a year managing a small retail store.
It isn't too hard to break into management of boutique retail shops, but you are basically a rep who doesn't get overtime and has a few additional responsibilities. A part time job at a big corporation won't be a living wage, but it's possible to make a living in retail.
The job really sucks though.
I always wonder what people got their degree in that set the expectation of a high paying job.
Also some people go to school for 16 years to be donkey smart.
Engineering and CS, IME
I don't understand people who go study for a profession that's hard work and low wage, and then complain that it's hard work and low wage.
A lot of people, myself included, grow up thinking that a person's job is the most important aspect of their life, and often hear the phrase "Do what you love and you'll never work a day if your life." So, they find a job they would like - something that fits with their identity - because that's how the world had been explained to them.
I spent 8 years working toward my "dream job," and realized I hated it within 6 months of getting my first position in the field. Then I quit, and spent 6 months wallowing on my own self pity for having lost the cornerstone of my identity.
Once I got back on my feet, I got a boring white collar job in a field I wasn't interested in, rebuilt my identity with things I was actually interested in, and realized that working is just a thing I have to do to survive, not some life calling that's supposed to define who I am as a person.
the real mistake is going to school for the job you want (with exceptions like being a doctor).
I went to literal clown school, I'm considered top of my game in the corporate world and have been head hunted for my last 3 jobs.
Going to a good university and getting a degree in STEM means you get a good paying job.
Goes to expensive university and gets a worthless degree
Surprised when it doesn't pay that well
I graduated college in 2022 with an electrical engineering degree and $0 in debt as I worked through it.
I applaud you, I really do. You've shown an awareness of the world as it is that many young people don't seem to have; even as they've been inundated with information that might inform them that THIS IS A TRAP!
I don't fault them, though, because much of that inundation also tells them that if they just 'apply here for $$' they'll be fine and as a kid I know which truth I'd like to believe. My own husband, who is frighteningly bright at all matters other than finance, fell for those same lies.
The truth is that a parent needs to help their kids navigate the "D&D full of monsters dungeon" to take advantage of the build that makes one successful... and while it can be done it's just 'nightmare difficulty'. If you can play through this, the rest of life gets a hell of a lot easier.
If you can't, you're gonna have to rely on politicians to 'make things right'. What's the likelihood of that in this day and age?
@Gingeybook I'd like to posit that you could profit from educating others. Just throwing that out there.
You experiencing the exception to the rule doesn't mean the rule doesn't apply to most everyone else.
It’s not a rule though, it’s working through the degree and being smart about your choices. My parents funded none of my college except meals because I ate at home
We can't all be doctors, lawyers, engineers, and programmers. And if we all got those degrees companies would start lowering their wages because of the increased competition.
We need people to teach English, manage the environment, contribute to the arts, etc. Makes us a more well-rounded society.
Going to University means you have a chance at a good paying job. Depending on the job, likely a better chance then someone who didnt go. I make decent money and did not go, however I am incredibly lucky and am not betting on that for any children i have. Trades or University/College is a must.
That being said, how about the Government reduces the cost of post-secondary education, instead of allowing banks to earn off billions of school loans each year. Here, they do reduce it for citizens, however not nearly enough. Additionally, many graduates end up moving to other countries because the pay is lower here.
Depends on what you go for.
University is in the end what you make out of it.
Talk to people, make some connections - this is what might end up landing you a job, not necessarily what they teach you or the diploma you might or might not get.
It also teaches you things like time management and organization and generally how to be an independent adult. Of course, it's not the only way to learn these things, just like it's not the only way to learn math or computer science. But it's holistically a culture which is structured around these things, and is a massively helpful stepping stone for a lot of people.
Your wrong little Billy. It can help in getting you a we'll paying job, it it depends on both your degree and perception.
That's pretty much a question of culture and the field.
In Germany, it's pretty much impossible to get into some jobs without a degree. In others, you get a higher salary for having a degree, to the point where some companies will not take you for a position because your degree makes you too expensive. In the public sector, your highest degree determines your salary scale (and most importantly where it caps out).
Not saying the system is good like that, but it is currently that way, so at the very least here, degree often corresponds to higher salary.
Did you use your time at university to network and make lasting connections with people who will likely be more successful than you? Because that practically guarantees a job. If you kept your head down and did nothing of note except get a diploma, you wasted your time.
I barely scrapped through high school and now 20 odd years later I'm in an office job on a 6 figure salary. One of the lucky ones I guess?
Good thing your job doesn't require you to be able to spell
No you misunderstand, he attended the school of hard knocks
That's so Raven!
