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What They Don’t Tell You in High School

7/1/2010

5 Comments

 
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Life is far from a "High School Musical"
The inflexibility of workforce.

In America, we place a lot of value on our work identities. When you meet new people, the question asked after “where are you from?” is “what do you do?” The ironic thing is that even though work identity is so important here, our society does almost nothing to help you form the identity. In high school, you’re told you can do anything and that the world is your oyster, but there aren’t many opportunities (besides sports, maybe) to explore different talents and interests. Despite the lack of explorative opportunities, you’re expected to know what you want to do for the rest of your life at the ripe old age of 18 when you enter college, as if you won’t be a different person by age 21 when you graduate. The limiting explorative pattern seen in high school is replicated in college as you’re required to choose ONE major (and maybe a minor) and follow ONE program of study in order to get your degree. You can’t take whatever you want in college. Even a “university studies” major requires certain classes. Then, after 17 years of schooling (grade school and college), it’s time to go into the work force. You’re finally done with education. So you think. 

Even though you’ve got a degree, for whatever reason you can’t find a job. Your six-month grace period is over and Sallie Mae is after you for loan repayments. There are no more financial-aid refund checks, and the bills gotta get paid. So you take a job wherever you can find it, even if it has NOTHING to do with your major or doesn’t require a college degree. Some end up working in very “humbling” positions, like in a mall or waiting tables. If you do get a job related to your major, it’s far from the most ideal position or it isn’t what you thought it would be. How else would you know what it was going to be like? It’s not like they prepare you for that at all in school, but that’s another issue. In addition to all of this, you STILL don’t have enough money to pay all your bills and you’re STILL living check-to-check. So after all that hard work, and all the juiced up, fanciful stuff you were told about the power of your degree, you’re unhappy and want out. You then consider going BACK to school, hoping that the 2nd time will be a charm and you’ll end up with the right degree and a better job. Some people come to this decision while still in their 20’s, others later in life. Those who decide this later have an even more difficult time because now they have children and mortgages and have to live on a student’s income (or lack thereof).

And lord forbid you mature or change at all and desire something different one day, because you can’t just up and switch careers when you feel like it. You have to figure out how to transition and how you’re going to sustain WHILE you transition. Not to mention holding your breath and hoping it works out.For a society that focuses so much on work identity, it’s pretty darn inflexible when it comes to that. The workforce (and your bills) doesn’t have patience for any personal changes or growth. 

So what advice do I have for incoming college freshman? Well, the most I can tell you at this point in my life is try your hand, if you can, with different interests that you might have. Multi-task as much as possible. If you have no idea what you’re good at or what your interests are, ask yourself questions like “what kinds of things get my attention?” “If I had no limits or nothing to stop me, what would I do?” “If I had my way, what would I have or do?” Start there. Hopefully, that will help. The more I learn about surviving this process, the more I will share, and maybe we ALL will survive a little better.

5 Comments
Erica Sims link
7/7/2010 02:43:46 am

lol THAAAT'S MEEE! i'm trying to transition as fast as my current school will let me! the only thing that sucks about my current job is the pay...LOVE the hours (it frees up time 4 me 2 work on my blog, poems, etc AND i go 2 class @ night). lord willing, i'll be @ the finishline of my transition in late october. for anyone who reads this blog post, don't be scared off from doing what u REALLY wanna do with your life, just have a back-up plan that u can you at least like! lol thats what i'm doing...my back-up plan will be funding my original plan! ;-)

Reply
Rashida
7/16/2010 09:32:36 am

This post is wayyy too real for words. I've been out of college for 2 years, and not even a month out of school did my life just take a completely different turn than I had originally thought.

I couldn't find a job in my major (Advertising) - mainly because I didn't secure an internship while in school. I couldn't afford an unpaid internship, which most of them were.

I ended up in retail for several months, did a 1 year stint in AmeriCorps, and finally accepted a job with an e-commerce company just a couple of weeks ago.

But is this current position what I want to do for the rest of my life? No. Does it pay the bills? Yes.

Contrary to popular belief (as I was fooled as , a piece of paper doesn't guarantee anything after college, but hard work and integrity will pay off in time. Just remain persistent and open-minded.

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trevor link
7/23/2010 01:57:29 am

I like Bill Gates' speach to high school kids where he says "you will not make $60k in your first year in the workforce"

Reply
Crystal W.
8/3/2010 07:46:31 am

Advice to Freshmen: if you don't know what you want to do, get a major that's REALLY broad and is applicable to practically anything, like Psychology ;). That way, even if you don't get your dream job, you'll have background knowledge and skills that will work for several different things. Also, don't be afraid to change your major. It's better to find out your freshman year that you can't stand what you're studying and change courses than to continue on and get a major in something you hate. Be practical enough to realize what is logical when it comes to a job (this is something we who were born in the 90s struggle with). Performing arts is nice, but unless you look like Brad Pitt, don't bank on becoming an actor. Same thing with aspiring painters, singers, etc. Get a job that will pay a decent salary, and then you can work on your hobbies on your own time.

Reply
Ronnie
8/23/2011 02:03:39 pm

Hi jasmine. This is Ronnie. You know that is me also as we discussed on the phone. I worked in the field of my major, which was Social Work, however my experience was FAR from what I wad expecting. I am now working retail in the mall doing a not even high school graduates job. It is humbling to me that is for sure!!!! I am now going back to get my masters and I am 99% sure this is going to be it for me but you never know. Thanks for writing this. It gave me a LOT of insight on things. God Bless! :)

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