(Blog-Off II Entry) The "Curse" of the Class of 2009

I remember the excitement of graduating from college with that bachelor’s degree back in the summer of 1980.  Twenty years old, so very eager and optimistic... I was confident.  (I was so naive!)  I boldly packed a bag, grabbed my guitar, and headed for Los Angeles.  I was determined to make my mark in the exciting world of advertising.

"Of course I'm going to be fine," I informed my surprised parents.  After all, I was armed with a shiny new degree.  Surprisingly, with only a few missteps, I was fine.

How the times have changed
The only thing I know for sure as I approach another graduation this month is that my existence is forever marked as a member of the first “cursed” graduating class.  The  Wall Street Journal was the first to coin the phrase -  “The curse of the graduating class of 2009”  - writing about the subject last May in an article that decreed my latest college class faces the toughest job market in US history.

The Times article painted a bleak, hopeless portrait of the American college graduate looking for work.  The class of 2009's "cursed" status came on the heels of a struggle to finance this college education in ways that no one could have imagined for any of us.  Back in the day, the average college student paid tuition by blending family support, financial aid and (maybe) a part-time job of 8 - 15 hours per week. 

In 2009, family support and financial aid have become sadly inadequate for huge numbers of undergraduates, and full-time work is common.  After all, loans, are much more scarce.  Is working as a student helpful at any stage of the game?  Are student earnings being used for academic expenses?  Does it matter? 

The conflict of work versus school
A handful of studies indicate there is a significant negative association between working long hours and completing (or not completing) a degree.  A recent study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (published in the Journal of Population Economics) featured the title, "Will Work for Beer."   According to the report, after testing the financial motives for student employment, the researchers found a decrease in financial help from parents meant an increase in the working hours of four-year college students. They also found an increase in the costs of higher education.

So the decision to work may have something (but not everything) to do with how much support parents provide and how expensive college has become. No surprise, right?  But the authors went on to make an unnecessary assumption.  They walked into a stereotype, saying that the drive for working students comes not from a need to make ends meet -- but in order to have ‘beer money.'

This is a controversial assertion.  I am not buying it.  I can’t speak for students everywhere, of course, but I actually took offense at the notion of "working for beer."   The evidence in the report merely suggested that students work but they don't generate enough income to meet college costs.  This could mean many things, including the fact that students are having a harder time finding good-paying jobs.   The study provided no solid evidence of what working students used their earnings for, how they prioritized expenses, or what they had to go without.

Challenges for Working Students
Working students are generally struggling students – undergrad or grad, traditional or non-traditional.   There's good qualitative evidence on this.  Many professors will tell you they dislike the fact that working students tend to fall asleep in class, and they have less time to study. 

Let's face it.  Traditional students who work are becoming more like non-traditional students every day.  None of us get to know our classmates very well; we have no time for socializing. Our stress levels are high, and the chances of degree completion get lower all the time.   Why would anyone minimize the need to work, or mock students for trying, or reinforce a stereotype about students more interested in partying than learning?

If more colleges don’t work with students to help raise inadequate financial supports, then working while going to school will soon become the case and not the exception. As a proud member of this “cursed class of 2009,” I am hopeful the job market will improve soon, and my decades of experience prior to attending grad school will prove valuable to potential employers.

Comments

[Kenneth]

Timely article, Elizabeth. We're all pulling for the entire class of 2009, but you're right; this is a very cchallenging time to be entering the job market.

The good new is that with your obvious communications skills, you're going to do fine - in any economy.

[Elizabeth Thomas]

Darlene:

I can't thank you enough for posting that comment. It's so nice to know someone "gets" a story. It has to feel odd to read the headlines that call your own graduating class "cursed," although the supposed curse certainly won't be keeping me down - or any other motivated, hard-working new grad.

Still, the fact remains that many young people, and some not-so-youngsters, are about to enter the worst job market since the Great Depression; the timing couldn't be worse. I maintain that hard work, enthusiasm and a positive outlook will land nearly anyone in good stead at a job interview.

There was another comment that alluded to the fact that some people may be going back to school simply because they can't find work right now. That may well be true, but it doesn't detract remotely from the fact that enhancing one's skills through education is always a good thing.

I presented and defended my final "thesis" project today, passing the final hurdle to completing my master's degree. The feeling of satisfaction that comes with achieving a goal can do nothing but help bolster self-esteem and any resume. I support all those who are trying to better themselves and their circumstances through higher education. The more I learn, the more I want to learn.

Thank you for your insight!

[Darlene Sabella]

Excellent article Elizabeth, I never really thought about it it the the curse is really a fact. Coming out of college to a country that is having the highest rate of unemployment would be devestating. Yes, in time this will all work out and I really look forward to reading more of your articles.

[Elizabeth Thomas]

Therran: Thank you for putting this into another perspective. I agree with you that moxie and spirit are more important when it comes to establishing a career path or just finding a job.

I can share that I went back to grad school 30 years after a very successful career because ultimately, I want to teach. I am hopeful that a great education, coupled with 25 years in the industry, will make me a more sought-after academic. Turns out, a lucrative teaching career is not as easy to find as one might have thought.

I am looking for my own place in the work force one again, and I have no doubt I will find it. The recession sure isn't helping!

Tim, I also appreciated your point of view - a college education doesn't guarantee a great career, but for someone older (yep, like me), it's a way of becoming acquainted with all the ways my chosen industry has changed technologically while I was out of the work force. I hope that makes more sense!

I really appreciate the dialogue!

[Therran Oliphant]

Elizabeth: I graduated from grad school in May, 2009 myself. I luckily have a job, but if wanted to make a change I surely wouldn't be dependant on the degree to get me where I wanted to be in this world. Hustle and moxie...that's what it's about.

I hope you find your place, too! I would be happy to go over some social media strategies to help the "cursed class" network and find employment. Also feel free to check out my first post on the subject:
http://www.communitymarketing.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/12/social-media-roi-via-retweets-and-forwards.html

[Elizabeth Thomas]

I'm with you, Glynn. I lean toward the optimistic on this. The students I've studied with in recent years are in school because they want to be there - not because they blindly followed a path to success clearly laid out for them.

The level of enthusiasm, creativity and resourcefulness I see in my fellow grads is more than a little encouraging. Thank you!

[Mike Browne]

Elizabeth,

Degrees still count but some of the richest people I know don't have a wall full of certificates. Use your knowledge, your time wasn't wasted.

[Tim]

Elizabeth,

Well written. I never went to college for the simple fact that I couldn't afford it. I was working 2 jobs and living on my own at the age of 17. I have been on my own since, now I am married with 2 children and in a successful career. What if I went to college, 100K to pay back? Possibly doing something I don't really like to do? I don't know, what I do know is we all make choices and no matter what happens you can never take that choice away, you live with it and learn to deal with it. I have done both and succeeded with that mentality.

I hope the job market improves as well for the sake of those who went to school, I do have to point this out...if they aren't in school than they wouldn't be doing anything at all....A lot of people have gone back to school because they can't find a job.

Look forward to reading more!

Tim

[Glynn mangold]

Great post, Elizabeth. Yes, the class of 2009 may be "cursed," but a large percentage of the class is highly motivated, creative, and energetic. They will find their place in the world and will contribute greatly to the quality of our lives. I'm more optimistic than pessimistic!