Emmanuel Gonzalo Professor Lago College Writing 12/10/2013 Education and the Job Market

Gonzalo 1

The decision to strive for further education is one of the most difficult and important life choices one can make, it is an even harder one to make right out of high school. While the level of education one has does directly impact their chances of being hired, it is not always necessary. Both of the individuals I interviewed can be considered successful, yet only one of them has a college education. Having a college education is an exceptional benefit to have when searching for jobs, but by not having an education one must be able to adapt in order to be successful. My neighbor, Frank Perez, has always had a fascination with technology and computers. Computers were being developed while Frank was growing up, but he rarely had access to them. By the time he graduated high school he knew his career with have something to do with computers, so he figured college was not going to be necessary. As it would turn out, this was an awful decision for him to make. After many years as a computer technician, Frank was finally promoted to manager. At this point in time, the early 2000s, computers experienced booming sales. As an effect many new computer businesses emerged which unfortunately caused his company to fall behind the competitors. Shortly after the owner started cutting workers hours, at this point Frank knew it was time for a career change.

Gonzalo 2 Like myself, Frank did not see the importance of college right out of high school. Having only computer repair experience he knew he was out of options and college was his only choice. He wanted nothing more than to have the flexibility of a college degree. He didnt just want to stop there either; he was awarded several scholarships because of his hard work, and figured he might as well go for his masters degree before he lost motivation in school. Anthony P. Carnevale would agree with this decision because he wrote, the best strategy to increase future employability is to go to graduate school(299). Just about any employer will higher someone with a masters degree over someone with a bachelors degree, so the extra two years of schooling will easily be put to good use. Companies will more often than not hire the candidate with most education, qualifications, and experience. Occasionally they might want some one with no prior experience so they can mold them, or someone just might completely blow them away in an interview. But a majority of the time it is what an individual has accomplished, schooling in particular, that will be the deciding factor for being hired. Carnevale acknowledges this when he says, A bachelors degree is one of the best weapons a job seeker can wield on the fight for employment and earnings(297). The four years it normally takes to earn a bachelors degree is crucial to set ones self up for future success. Last thing I would want to happen when I am older is to lose my job and have nothing to fall back on. Being flexible in todays harsh economy is the best option some one can have. Individuals who go

Gonzalo 3 above the normal and get a masters degree will probably not have a hard time finding a good paying job, even if they lose the current one they have. On the other hand, not everyone needs the benefits of education to be successful. There still are plenty of jobs that require no formal education. These jobs are often labor intensive and backbreaking, and are certainly not for everyone. Almost anyone has the ability to go out and learn a skill or trade and apply it to the job market. A prime example of this is my older brother Gerardo, who never attended college. Our father is a car mechanic so at an early age, my brother started practicing this trade. Although he never intended to make a career out of it, he did it because he was making good money, especially for not having much experience. Obviously over time he became an exceptional mechanic but deep down he regrets never trying out anything else. Who knows maybe if he would have gone to college he could be a doctor or lawyer, but he will never know because he never gave it a chance. Gerardo is still successful because he makes more than enough to provide for his family. A few years ago his wife lost her job and they were still able to perfectly support their two children. Carnevale wrote that unemployment is at a catastrophic 22.9 percent with those with a recent high school diploma. I believe that is true to a certain extent, it depends what jobs you apply to. Jobseekers must be willing to apply to a job they are qualified for, and like I stated earlier learning a trade helps. Obviously if I graduate high school with no prior work experience, and apply for jobs I am not qualified for such as a nurse, I will constantly be turned down and

Gonzalo 4 continue being unemployed. If some one has no intention to go to college they need to find success in other means. Perhaps the only reason Gerardo is not unemployed is because he has always been self employed. He was thinking outside the box and made opportunities for himself. To me, education will always be important and I still plan on getting my degree. Being flexible by having job experience and a bachelors degree will without a doubt in my mind, make me more competitive in todays job market. One can be perfectly fine without schooling but more likely than not that individual is going to have a harder time finding success than the educated one. Through the interviews I conducted I realized that even though a person has no college education, as long as they adapt and overcome certain obstacles they would be more than fine.

Gonzalo 5 Works Cited Carnevale, Anthony, Ban Cheah, and Jeff Strohl. "College Majors, Unemployment and Earnings:Not All College Degrees Are Created Equal." 2012. Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 12th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2013. 297-305. Gonzalo, Gerardo. Telephone Interview. 1 Oct. 2013 Perez, Frank. Personal Interview. 1 Oct. 2013.

Interview Questions Questions ask: 1. When did you begin working? 2. Did you have any obstacles? 3. If so how did you overcome them? 4. Do you have any regrets?

Individuals Interviewed Gerardo Gonzalo who is an auto mechanic and business owner Frank Perez who is a software engineer