Hannah Whaley- Assignment 16- Underemployment

Hannah Whaley

Mr. Matthew Logsdon

AP Language and Composition

14 December 2019

Underemployment Manuscript

Shining, sparkling opportunities are available for us. We are gifted, hard-working students and through this hard work, doors are opened to the lives and careers we dream of. If we just get through high school, if we just make it into a good college, if we just do everything we are meant to do, our unmatched skill and talent will get us wherever we want to go. That’s what we’ve been told all our lives. Only, it’s not all true. An Associate's degree may as well be a high school dropout and a Bachelor’s degree may as well be a high school diploma. I’m here today, standing in front of my peers, to inform you of an issue that will affect us more than any other previous generation. This issue is underemployment, also known as the lack of work that makes full use of the employee’s abilities. As it becomes apparent that a degree is not enough to ensure a successful career, the solution lies in the student’s own hands as well as others. It is necessary that universities establish a connection with businesses, that students establish connections, and that students choose more specialized training. 

College degrees are a necessary stepping stone to the dream future that gifted students’ families and teachers put into their heads. But college degrees won’t get everybody where we want to go, like even I had believed before. According to research from the U.S. Census Bureau, the underemployment rate has been increasing since the early 2000s. This means that even larger percentages of college graduates, with at least a Bachelor’s degree, are being employed in jobs that do not require a degree. According to the Economic Trends Magazine, college graduates are likely and willing to take these jobs because they need employment. 

However, this underemployment percentage does of course decrease with age. One may argue that underemployment is simply college graduates finding their groove in society, since underemployment rates decrease steadily with age. However, since the 90s, that decreasing trend in underemployment has plateaued at around 33 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This means that for all ages of graduates, at least ⅓ are underemployed. Even after years of time to “find their fit in society,” one third of college graduates still find themselves in jobs that don’t require a degree.

A great solution to prevent college students from having to accept underpayment would be for universities to establish more connections with businesses through research and training partnerships. Evolllution, an online newspaper, shows that these connections benefit both sides by providing workers for businesses and high employment rates for colleges. These partnerships include either an agreement to carry out research projects together, or an agreement to aid in the training of the college’s students, like an internship. 

Not only do colleges need to establish these connections, but the students themselves. The University of Connecticut shows that 70-80 percent of jobs aren’t advertised publicly. This means students often “will need to go out of their way to initiate conversation with prospective employers and uncover job opportunities.” Networking connections can be established through research projects or internships, and require the students to take that initiative. Getting through college won’t be enough to ensure a job that is worthy of the student’s skill level and education. This is especially evident in careers that are considered more sophisticated.

Now, raise your hand if you’re interested in space sciences - if working for NASA sounds like a dream come true. The need to make those connections with possible employers includes you.

 Even having a master’s degree in space sciences won’t protect a graduate from the harsh reality of underemployment. As seen in an interview by the National Public Radio, many college graduates eventually choose to change careers because of underemployment. Josh Borchard graduated with his master’s degree in space studies and planetary sciences. He endured years of struggling to make ends meet with odd jobs. In 2019, he claims, “ I’m almost 30 years old now, and I have never made more than about 25,000 thousand a year.” His employment was either in his field, but grossly underpaid, or in completely unrelated careers like retail. Now he’s going back to college, to try again. The dreams we are encouraged to follow don’t always turn out how we want them to. That’s why it is our job to put ourselves in the best possible position to ensure success, like through networking.

To prevent a complete career change due underemployment, like happened to Josh Borchard,  it is suggested to choose a career path that will ensure success. Those with majors that provide less technical and more general training, such as leisure and hospitality, communications, the liberal arts, and the social sciences and business, have higher rates of unemployment, as seen by the U.S. Census Bureau. If you want to lock in a career after you graduate, it is best to go into a specialized field that always needs more employees, like medicine, engineering, or computer science.

My goal today, standing here in front of my peers, isn’t to discourage you from following your dreams. But to inform you of how to best achieve them and to inform you of the choices that likely won’t result in success. In a world where it’s every graduate for himself or herself, you have to do anything you can to get a leg up. There’s nothing wrong with networking or choosing your career wisely to ensure that it isn’t you working at a fast food restaurant with a Bachelor’s degree. As the percentage of people going to college increases, the path to success is not as simple as it should be. However, that doesn’t mean there is no hope. There’s a key in your hands that opens the door to those shining, sparkling opportunities, and it’s up to you to use it.