Is College Education Worth It?
Hailey Mulligan
October 24, 2012
Organization Communication MG320
Is College Education Worth It?
Getting a “good” job is not straightforward as it used to be. In past generations, someone in an entry-level position could work their way up the ladder simply through hard work and determination; whether or not one had credentials or a diploma mattered very little. This is not the case today. Higher education is now critical to obtaining a better job because the demand for skilled labor is rising. For this reason, the value that a degree offers is higher than that of one’s actual intelligence or merit. Furthermore, workers without college degrees will quickly be outpaced in position and salary by degree
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Because having a degree has become so common, employers now use it as a way to eliminate people who would not make good candidates for employment—even if a degree isn’t a totally accurate determinant of one’s talent or work skills. The mass availability of college education may actually “debase its intrinsic value” (Bankston, p. 338).
Although someone without a degree may have more natural intelligence and ability than their credentialed counterpart, a degree is now worth more than actual capability in the job market. Bankston writes that “the popular emphasis placed on higher education in a society in which higher education has become a broad expectation has heightened the importance of credentials as an asset for obtaining a job at the expense of other assets, such as demonstrated ability or experience in a field” (p. 337). A degree provides a form of merit that employers look for immediately because the degree marks the individual as someone who can supposedly meet deadlines, fulfill obligations, and think critically. Margolis (2007) remarks how “it was the common practice of my colleagues to immediately sift out the [resumes] that didn’t have a degree and just throw them away” (p. 42). Because many employers are searching through high volumes of resumes, they don’t have time to thoroughly look at every single one; they speed up the process by simply filtering out
Many young people think that obtaining a college degree is the best way—perhaps the only way—to get a good job anymore. So is it still possible to get a good job without one? According to Professor Blanche D. Blank, attaining a college degree doesn’t always guarantee success. In his published article “Degrees: Who Needs Them?”, he argues that American college is not teaching young adults the actual skills they need for the workforce, instead the education system is becoming a jumble of generalized credits that amount to a degree. College is becoming a mold for one to fit in the technological culture, rather than to release one to actively engage in the pursuit of knowledge. Blank begins building his credibility with personal experiences and
Many people are confused on why to invest time and money of attending college. A reason for obtaining a higher education is that a college degree can possibly earn a much higher salary than the majority of the people who have a high school diploma. College can be expensive and time consuming for the most of the people that do not have enough money and spare time to go to college. Stephen Rose, a research professor at the Georgetown University, wrote an article on “The Value of a College Degree” to explain if a college degree can be valuable to people to have. Eleni Karageorge, an author on the United States Department of Labor, wrote an article “Is A College Degree Still Worth It?” to give some details on job occupations that compares with employees having a bachelor’s degree or a high school diploma on how much they annually make on their job. Finally, Paul E. Barton, a consultant and a writer for topics related on education, wrote an article “How Many College Graduates Does the U.S. Labor Force Really Need?” on giving details on how valuable to have a college degree in the near future are needed when certain occupations are on high demand with a requirement on having a least a bachelor’s degree. We need to know why going to college is so important for anyone who wants to have professional occupations.
The degree is seen as a free (to the employer) screening tool to filter through the applicants. The employer sees the degree as a representation of the individual’s ability to learn as well as a level of perseverance desired in employees. Considering the social and economic pressures in today’s world, all individuals with the ability to attend college and achieve a degree should do so in order to better prepare themselves for a competitive job market.
One thing a college degree provides is a valuable job, right? Or maybe not. Due to the introduction of people analytics— a method of hiring which replaces human intuition and bias with computerized tests and database searches— employers are now able to look past someones origin of education. Employers are now realizing that a college degree is just a piece of paper and does not fully represent a persons intelligence or capabilities. If this is not convincing enough, take a look at some of the most successful people in the world; for example, Bill Gates, one of the wealthiest people in the world and a college dropout. The new people analytics method being applied in the workforce is happening thanks to programs like Knack, which give statistical analysis based off of several factors including, how a person solves problems and the sequence of their actions. In Don Peck’s article, “They’re Watching You at Work,” Peck argues, without
A college education is necessary to get a job that pays well, or to get any good job. Any, and every job that is ‘worth’ having requires some type of higher education, whether it relates to the job or to show general experience, a degree is required. “This calls for greater access to a college or university
Finally is ‘’getting a good job’’ after graduation, For some jobs, If it does, then why do college grads make up 40% of the unemployment? And why do 46% of college grads work jobs that don’t need a college degree why? Most Companies crave people with experience .It’s a horrible cycle because to get experience, you need a job, And to get a job, you need experience. So a college degree just shows a prospective employee that you are willing to do hard work, you can meet deadlines, and you can plan and priorities mean something to you. That's it! A degree will get you "foot in the door" with employers,
In her essay for The New Yorker, Rebecca Mead’s “Learning by Degree” addresses the issue of getting a college degree in todays society. Back in the day you could go to college and get a degree in your field of choice and you were almost guaranteed a job once you graduated. In today’s society, Mead’s says that to get a good job that pays well you would need to get a degree in a STEM field. Sadly even then you aren’t guaranteed a job after graduation. But you’re statistically more likely to get a well paying job with a STEM degree. People aren’t only deterred from attending college because of the lack of jobs after graduation but also the lack of reward people see from a degree. The cost of attending a place
In today’s world, many people think that a college degree isn’t what it used to be. A college degree used to guarantee a job right out of school, and now, even graduates with masters degrees being unemployed in their field of study. William A. Henry talks about this subject in his book , In Defense of Elitism. Henry talks about how degrees don’t guarantee your field of study anymore, and how that the only reason why some people even get job interviews in the first place is because they can put that they have a college degree on their resume. He talks about how just because you perform tasks better in the workplace that it doesn't mean you’ll get the promotion. College educations used to be seen
Many people do not work in the field they have a degree in. Americans assume employers value education, one must say they do not. Today, the rate of being college educated have increased -- thus, an employee's experience is worth more than a degree. The most college provides is practicum experience and what is that worth to a company who wants well-experienced candidates?. Unfortunately, college degrees does not secure a job once graduated; it has only become a prerequisite. Also, what you study in school may not be your career. You can study business and become a writer or major english but become a consultant. Mark Zuckerberg, Although, his major was psychology he became Chief Executive Officer of Facebook-- a $1 trillion social media site.
In the light of the incessantly rising the economy and population, newer jobs are available on the market, but these jobs come along with requirements that are more competitive than before and, sometimes, even fierce. Unlike the old days, most jobs now require applicant to obtain at least a bachelor’s degree in order to be considered. To employers and business owners, a college degree along with experience, became a crucial requirement: a tenet that guides them during hunting for new employees. Even though it is the 21st century, we still have unfair distribution of wealth, which means that not all people could afford attending fancy 4-year
The thought of earning low wages for a long workday was a shattering moment; which made me realize the critical importance of education and the self-revelation of the author. According to the US Department of Labor, “unemployment rate among people who have a professional degree is significantly lower than that of people who have a high school diploma or less.” This statement establishes the importance of a college education with the likelihood of earning higher wages, attaining professional success, and deterring
The work force can be highly competitive. Many employers require people to have a college degree for them to acquire a position in their company, and if it is not required, it is more likely that employers will grant the position to a candidate with a college degree. Furthermore, colleges also
A majority of unemployed workers in today 's workforce have degrees. As of 2012, about 53% of unemployed workers have degrees, while about 47% of unemployed workers do not have a degree (Appendix 2). This is because the value of a degree is currently falling. Every year, its value drops. Kids are now able to find work without having to go to college, and some are actually doing quite well for themselves. A lot of jobs offer on-the-job training and that in itself allows people to be qualified for work. College degrees are now only becoming measly pieces of paper that people only want just to say that they have it. The value is diminishing not only
By taking the first step and acquiring a college education I am beginning the next necessary phase towards a rewarding future. This process is indispensable in providing a means to a lucrative future for me, or anybody for that matter, who is determined to stay focused and complete the work required. By choosing to continue on to four year degree, my college education will provide me with many opportunities and clear the path towards financial security, independence and self satisfaction upon completion. I am experiencing a greater understanding about my marketable skills while I assemble a noteworthy resume. Because of the experiences I have received in college so far, I have gained a competitive advantage in the labor market. Do to the assorted experiences, classes and instructors I have had the opportunity to interacted with in college, I am prepared to work in any environment whether it is customer service in a credit union, to bartending, as well as training staff for a restaurant while I finish up my education. My college years, so far, has provided me a unique opportunity to engage in areas which I would never entertained an interest in before. At present, a college education is paramount to procuring a position in many industries. I have noticed, in many instances, a degree from college is a minimum requirement for most employment opportunities.
Education and experience requirements needed by organizations are an important factor in terms of earnings and employment. There is a need to have high-level degrees to take up high positions such as Chief Executive Officer jobs in many companies with a desire to earn a better pay. Individuals with lack of the opportunity to have an education or low levels of education, are excluded from top positions in companies and end up with low paying jobs like retail and blue-collar jobs. Additionally, students graduate from programs without having work experience in their career jobs,