by DJ Schofield |
Last Updated:June 21, 2016 Lately, I have been pondering the question, “what will I do after college?” Which is a great question… At least it must be for the amount of times I’ve been asked. But, it is a tough question for many people.
Just like many others going into their final year of college, I’m not sure what I want to do upon graduation. With post college life on my mind a lot, it comes natural to talk and ask questions to others.
Throughout the past two weeks I have had the pleasure of meeting/working with three guys that all have a couple things in common.
- They work for large corporations
- They are over 50 years old
- They are employers for the large corporation they work for (or at least a part of their job includes recruiting/hiring)
So you may be thinking… who cares? You probably know plenty of people that fit this criteria. But there is one MAJOR thing each of these gentlemen said that stuck with me. After the first guy brought the topic up I didn’t think much of it. Second guy, made me think a little. Third guy, had my mind racing 100 mph. It hit me… we have a problem. There is a common theme among each of these successful men that needs to be addressed.
This common theme has to do with “young people straight out of college.” Yeah, I know… you hear it all the time. “Millennials are lazy” “Millennials have no work ethic” etc. etc. etc. But I think there is an underlying problem that causes this reputation.
Each of these employers brought up how almost every college student they interview has a sense of entitlement. I was completely blind to it. Maybe at times I am one of these “entitled” students. Do I feel I am owed something? Am I owed a job?
How could we come to a point in society where we feel entitled to a job (or anything else in life?) I mean we aren’t even entitled to tomorrow… there is no guarantee tomorrow is coming for anyone. So why for a job?
I can’t help but to think somewhere down the line there was a huge misunderstanding. We misinterpreted what college, a job, and life really are.
I’ll try to explain…
The first problem is our definition of college. What is college for? I bet 99.99% of us would say “to get a job.” Yes, this should be a goal you want after college. But, it is NOT what college is for. College is for gaining the necessary knowledge, skills, and network needed to get a job. The process is NOT: go to college, complete college, get a job. At least not guaranteed this way.
A degree doesn’t have as much to do with getting a job as you were led to believe. Showing a piece of paper to an employer means nothing. What DOES matter is what you know and what you can do. We need to realize that just because we receive a diploma does not mean we are entitled to a job. On the surface, a diploma is only something that gives us a chance to get in front of the employer.
We need to have social skills, common sense, and problem solving skills just to name a few. We need to know how to market ourself and network with employers.
Something that goes hand in hand that makes our entitlement problem stand out is our lack of hard work. We would rather sit at home and watch Netflix all day. What does this pointless activity do for you? Nothing. It gives a false sense of reality. There are hundreds of examples of this (I could write an entire article on this, I promise.) Get out and do something, anything that will help you get to the job you want.
Coach Mizzell, my head baseball coach, also said a quote that I’ll never forget. “Everyday you either get a little better or a little worse.”
One of the main problems is social media. It only shows the best of people (their successes.) What has been forgot is the WORK it took to get to the success. You don’t wake up one day with a diploma and become the CEO of Apple because you have a piece of paper with your name on it.
Another thing missing is passion. There’s no passion behind the things we do. Wouldn’t the world be an awesome place if everyone worked for the sake of helping others.
When you sold that car… you don’t sell it to get a commission. You sell it to ensure that person to get to and from places for an affordable price.
When you say how are are… you don’t say it because it’s part of the script you’re told to say to get a paycheck. Instead, you say it because you actually care about how a person is doing.
From one student to another I think it’s time for a change. We need to look at college as a time to gain the skills, knowledge, and network needed to secure a job. Not a time to gain a piece of paper. I assure you that piece of paper will not guarantee you a job.