CAREERS AND THE NEW ECONOMY

For some, the reason to attend college is to get a good job. For others, it is to fulfill a dream of getting an education. For many first-generation college students like Tia, it’s both. College not only helps you land a better job but also helps you become an effective leader, prepares you for graduate school, enhances your critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, and elevates your societal status based on merit.

Over the past few years, the economy has experienced extreme ups and downs, but the employment situation for college graduates is beginning to improve. In 2013, the unemployment rate for recent bachelor’s degree recipients with some work experience was about 4.7 percent, but the overall unemployment rate in the U.S. was 7.9 percent.2 The good news is that employers will likely hire many college students in the next few years.

Economic uncertainty is a reality, and although earning a college degree is one of the best ways for you to increase your chances of being employed, it is important to make decisions about your major and career path based on information about yourself and the long-term demands of the job market.

high-impact practice 2

Write and Reflect

The Economy and Your Future Plans

In a journal entry, describe how the current state of the economy makes you feel. Do some online research into the economic forecast associated with the major you are considering, and make notes in your journal about what you find and its effect on your plans.