Week 10

I would first like to say I appreciate the time allowed for our groups to work together at the end of class.  It is very difficult and highly unlikely for our group to meet outside of class because of work and class schedules and distance.  Brown’s chapter thirteen discusses career development in individuals who pursue post-secondary education (2012).  I connected a lot to this material being a fairly recent college graduate who struggled finding employment that used the skills I learned in college.  Despite having the wonderful career services that Penn State offers its students, I still think back and see other things that could have been done.  During orientation before freshman year,   each student meets with a counselor in career services to discuss their plans and options and also acclimate the student to what Career Services offers.  The burden of meeting with your advisor was left on the student and it was not required, however I made it a point to meet with my advisor ever year before scheduling to make sure I was on track.  Other career-oriented requirements and post-degree tracks were infused in course curriculum through required psychology and English classes such as resume and cover letter writing and preparing for graduate school.  I think because I entered Penn State in pursuit of a psychology major and eventual graduate school, less time was spent with me exploring other options.  Post-graduation I was apathetic towards more schooling because of being exhausted from the previous twenty straight years of education (if we’re counting preschool) and decided to try to find a job instead of applying for graduate school. 

I feel if someone somewhere whether it be in college or high school took an accurate look at where I was financially and what my decisions were and why, I may not be in the same position I am now.  After working as a TSS after graduation for several months, I quit because I lost my medical assistance and had no health insurance and was not making enough money to make my student loan payments despite living under my parents’ roof and having no living costs.  I do not regret choosing Penn State at all because the education I received there is worth more than I can explain, however paying for it myself and entering a career in human services was a financially irresponsible decision.  I began working as a secretary at a cardiothoracic surgery office, which paid notably more than being a TSS despite not using my degree.  Reading the statistics about college graduates underemployed or unemployed resonates with me, because I was a part of that statistic for quite some time.  Brown believes 54% of adults who attended or graduated college are not fully using their skills in their current jobs (2012).  That is more than half of college graduates.  I do not think this is fully a post-secondary education or post-college graduation problem.  I think the problem starts in high school or below because of the high expectations our culture puts on everyone attending college for the sake of getting a college degree and not career planning.  While this may not be a problem for those who are more affluent, for individuals like me who are putting themselves into vast student loan debt it causes major problems in every aspect of life and future not to mention its contribution to our country’s economical problems.

Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling, and career development (10thed). New York : Pearson Education, Inc.