South of the South

Got Work?

The funny thing about this story is that there is no suggested solution to complement the problem of college grads not being able to find jobs, because the solution everyone wants (a job) doesn’t exist. The job market was already becoming saturated before the recession - more and more colleges were pumping out degrees than existing jobs. You’ll never see a story on what I call “the degree bubble” or how it is a contributing factor to this country’s current economic state.

In 2007, 51% of college grads found jobs immediately.

In 2008, 26%.

And in 2009, only 19.7%

When a UF senior offers his full, Google-searchable name and the quote “but I mean I have the degree now and I am still waiting.” to be forever logged on the internet, you have to wonder where not only his sense of entitlement came from but his ignorance as well. I blame the generations befores us. The parents of some - for pushing their legacies into a 4-year factory under the false pretense that it will help them become an instant success as soon as they step into the real world, because they sure didn’t believe in their kids enough to think they are actually capable of succeeding without 4 more years of hand-holding.

I’ve always been a subscriber to the belief that if you want something, you need to get it - yourself. Relying on others for your own success is not only a gamble, but it’s an enormous waste of time. I don’t blame my fellow 20-somethings who are unemployed and lost. And I’m not saying I am the most ambitious person I know who gets everything he wants, because I’ll be the first to admit I don’t go after it. I’d rather be apathetically, under-acheivingly self-aware than harboring bitterness towards the unknown any day of my uninspired workweek.

We have been misguided by history. By our mentors. By misconstrued dreams. Although times change, the rules stay the same. You are responsible for yourself.

And for those HR reps searching for a Bryan Hopkins, 2009 University of Florida graduate, know this: he is still waiting for you to call him.