Aleah Wilson Susan Lago ENG 1100 College Writing College Majors and The Workplace Would if after

someone were to receive a degree in the major they want to work in, but they go job searching and find out that degree no longer qualifies as good enough? Or the degree does qualify but the amount of money they thought they would make is a lot higher than what they are making. All the years of hard work, stress and thousands of dollars spent, to find out to stay in that field of work going back to school is necessary. High school students considering secondary education and/or a major should know how their educational choices will affect their future careers. Before going into majors and secondary education, what could happen to students who decide not to continue their education after high school? As a college freshman I know how it feels to be a high school graduate who cant get a job. Surprisingly, even some fast food places that I applied for because my education didnt qualify or I didnt have enough experience. It is difficult for me to find a job, it must be a lot harder for an adult years older than me with no secondary education to actually start a career. Carnevale, Cheah, and Strohl state in College Majors Unemployment and Earnings: Not All College Degrees are Created Equal that unemployment for students with a new bachelors degrees is an unacceptable 8.9 percent, but its a catastrophic 22.9 percent for job seekers with a recent high school diploma- and an unthinkable 31.5 percent for recent high school dropouts (297). My mother was not a high school dropout, but after graduating, she decided not to proceed onto college. At the time, more than 20 years ago not having a college degree wasnt a big deal, but as time moved on employment became more difficult. Recently, keeping a stable job had become more difficult. After being laid off from her job as a manager at Walmart of 11 years, finding income was very difficult. When having three teenage girls who depend on you, being unemployed is not an

option, she states. After almost one year of unemployment, my mother found her recent job. She states, the only problem with this job is you can be laid off at any time just because there are too many workers or not enough soldiers to feed. She also states I will never force my children into college, but I do not want them to struggle like me not having a stable career. Though not all graduate students make it into exactly what they aimed for, not as many graduate student are as unemployed as people with only high school diplomas. The authors of College Majors Unemployment and Earnings: Not All College Degrees are Created Equal say, The risk of unemployment among recent college graduates depends on their majors (Carnevale,Cheah,and Strohl 297). The passage also states that unemployment rates are generally higher in non-technical majors (298) If students decide to go into a non-

technical major it is two times as important to see how far they can take their degrees. Former business owner Dylan Frasier experienced this first hand. With a bachelors degree in Business Management, Frasier had been bartending for the last five years. As a college student, Frasier had aspiring dreams of owning a bicycle shop. After graduating, he went through a number of jobs to pay off college loans and save up for his dream. Once Frasier believed he had enough money, he opened his shop. The shop didnt last past a year, he says. Other than the fact well people really werent riding bikes anymore,, Frasier reasons. Luckily while in college Frasier received his certification in bartending. Between the time where Frasiers shop closed down and he began bartending, he was unemployed for about 3 years. If I wouldve known that my dream was so expensive, I wouldve became an Engineer or something leaning towards that way, they make way more money than a bartender, he comments. Having a bachelors degree in Athletic Training and a masters degree in Exercise Science has done Amanda Prescelli pretty well, being a full-time Athletic Trainer a major sports league sports team. Though Prescelli is well along now, she says making it where I am now wasnt always easy. After graduating, Prescelli went to intern at a Division 1 university for 5 years. After realizing that her internship wasnt getting her anywhere money wise, she went

back to school for her Masters in Exercise Science. With her master;s Prescelli went back to intern at the same Division 1 university but this time with a paid internship for 4 years. Being where she is now, Prescelli states Only having a Bachelors degree wasnt going to take me where I wanted to, it wasnt going to bring me to the income I wanted to make, what I make now. Amanda Prescelli lives the life I want to live but only in a different field because I want to be a well-paid Social Worker. Students who know what they want career wise, should know how much they are looking to make. The difference between the earnings a person could make with a Bachelors degree and Masters degree is major. Carnevale, Cheah, and Strohl graph in their passage the increase of earnings as college graduates gain experience and graduate education (300). If I were to graduate college and enter the field of Social Work with no experience Id be making no more than approximately $30,000 yearly. If I were to continue my education Id be making approximately $60,000 yearly (300). Though I dont like school, I am very passionate about Social Work and I am willing to continue my education because of where I want to be in my future career. Before continuing on to higher education, high school students should really consider looking into the major they want to pursue. In order to make more money, most majors require you have a higher education level. For students who decide not to continue their education, a bachelors degree is now said to be equal to a high school diploma. So a high school diploma is almost equal to nothing. In present day, only having a high school diploma may get a full time job but not a career.

People Interviewed: **Amanda Prescelli Occupation: Athletic Trainer ** Dylan Frasier Occupation: Bartender Manuela Foster: Cafeteria Worker on Military Base ** Names changed to keep identity confidential

Questions Asked: What qualifications did you need in your field of work? How long have you had your job? How many jobs have you had? If more than one, what are your reasons for change? Have you experienced any changes in your field?

Work Cited Carnevale, Anthony P., Ban Cheah, and Jeff Strohl. College majors, Unemployment and Earnings. Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. Boston: Longman-Pearson, 1023. 297+ Print. Foster, Manuela. Personal interview. 1 Oct 2103. Frasier, Dylan. Personal interview. 2 OCt 2013. Prescelli, Amanda. Personal interview. 2 Oct 2013