Which got me thinking, exactly how does one measure employment? I think if I'm going to be successful in achieving something this year, I need to know what I'm working towards. So the ultimate goal is gainful employment. As in it doesn't cost me money to work.
Because the thing is, there are tons of employment opportunities out there. A personal favorite is one I ran across this summer. A human right's lobbyist group in DC was seeking an intern for an unpaid position. Qualifications included a bachelor's degree. So what I'm hearing from this human right's group is that they want slave labor in their office, but no where else...
I'm not saying that unpaid internships don't have their place. I certainly did my fair share of them and benefitted enormously. But post- college internships should at least come with pending job offer. Honestly, I've heard of more unpaid internships for college graduates, its shocking. The whole idea behind college, so I've been told, is that its supposed to open up these jobs that have higher earning potential.
Does anyone else feel like some businesses are taking advantage of this situation a little bit when it comes to internships? I mean, I understand that businesses are in trouble and have had to cut back. But is relying on unpaid labor the solution? I see a slippery slope...
The whole idea of college is getting an education and doing it in an environment where everyone else has a similar goal in mind. Unlocking those jobs with higher earning potential is merely one of the assumed benefits of a college degree. And, as we have seen and you have so eloquently described, it is rarely safe to make assumptions.
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ReplyDeleteTrue college is about getting an education, but isn't education supposed to open up doors? And maybe I'm a little superficial, but I was hoping one of those doors would open up to a job not in manual labor or service industry. Now maybe that was an assumption, but I also assume the sun will rise tomorrow and that eventually I too will grow old and die.
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