Occupy Denton Death Toxicology Report

[UNTFan23]

Who said anything about 100k jobs right out of college? I'm talking about people who have their master's degrees but make 30k as a secretary or a taxi cab driver.

Getting a masters degree is a double edged sword. While a masters degree commonly commands more income, if the economy sours and those high end jobs disappear (and those jobs commonly do), it becomes more difficult to find a gainful employment because you are now over qualified for lower end jobs. If you are willing to take a lower end job, you will have to take a pay cut.

In my line of work (Information Technology) having a masters degree is rarely required. I've only seen it preferred for jobs requiring 10 or more years experience with very specific skill sets that can only be available for someone with a MBA or MS. Those types of jobs frequently are in the 100k+ level of income. I think many companies put more emphasis on years of experience than they do education once you have been in the IT field past the 10 year mark though.

[Green P1]

Getting a masters degree is a double edged sword. While a masters degree commonly commands more income, if the economy sours and those high end jobs disappear (and those jobs commonly do), it becomes more difficult to find a gainful employment because you are now over qualified for lower end jobs. If you are willing to take a lower end job, you will have to take a pay cut.

In my line of work (Information Technology) having a masters degree is rarely required. I've only seen it preferred for jobs requiring 10 or more years experience with very specific skill sets that can only be available for someone with a MBA or MS. Those types of jobs frequently are in the 100k+ level of income. I think many companies put more emphasis on years of experience than they do education once you have been in the IT field past the 10 year mark though.

Painfully true.

[meangreendork]

So, nice to live in a "La La" world where everyone gets a guaranty of a "chicken in every pot", but that's just not the real world. Can't find a job in Chicago...check out Dallas...oh, don't want to or can't move...seems to play into that situation a bit to me. My nephew and his Dad owned a business in Michigan laying fiber optics and cable and that sort of thing...did really well...until...boom. No work...nephew tried to hang on but eventually lost his home and business...did he sit around and blame anyone...or go live in an Occupy Tent somewhere and play the "poor me it's not fair" game, no he sucked it up...moved his family to a rental home and left the area to work in N. Mexico, Missouri and upper Mich. to make an income and support his family and his wife went to work in a local grocery store. Underemployed...you bet your rear end...but not blaming anyone, just sucking it up and doing what had to be done to move forward. saw the guy at Christmas and he never complained about anything and was very upbeat about the future.

Just sayin.....

Our society needs to help those who truly need help. Not those who seem to think the "world owes them anything" 'cause it doesn't.

No, you're very right about this part. There's a line between, "I think that my ability to keep my job in rural Kentucky shouldn't be influenced by someone gambling with billions of dollars in something that's made to fail all the way out in New York" and, "OMG, I got a degree, why didn't I get hired even if I never did the footwork and phonecalls?!"

But that points out a key issue with the OWS movement - it's still lacking a central message.

[Cr1028]

What field are these folks in and what Master's degree do they hold...Art Appreciation perhaps? Just kidding about the art appreciation thing.....$30K right out of college isn't that bad in some fields by the way.....

I happen to know a UNT grad who drives a limo and makes a 6-figure income. No one and nothing should guarantee anyone a job or any income level. Some folks get degrees in majors where income levels are traditionally and on average not very high. So what? What is wrong with being an administrative assistant (I don't think the PC folks like them being called secretary's any longer) or driving a cab? Honest work and if you do a good job you can make a really nice living...some admin. ass'ts make close to 6-figures by the way...I knew some while working in my career field. Yes, rare, but it happens.

Sorry that you seem to want guarantees in life...often these folks you talk about have made personal choices that limit their earning and job abilities...want to live in a certain location, will not re-locate, got a degree in a different field, have family issues, can't work the hours required or the days required, have personality issues,have credit issues, have legal issues and on and on and on. For every "degreed" person you can find that "appears" to be underemployed or not employed, I can find you probably as many or more that, when you look, have issues and who have made personal choices that play into that situation.

Case in point...I was once...much earlier in my career, offered a much higher paying and bigger title position if I would move to Houston. My decision, and what we decided as a family, was that it was better, as a family, if I did not take that position and move. I didn't....took me years to ever reach the income level and position I passed on by not picking up and moving to Houston. Have NEVER regretted that decision....not for one nano-second, but my choice had a direct impact on my career. Just mentioning this before you think I've had no experience with "making personal choices".

So, nice to live in a "La La" world where everyone gets a guaranty of a "chicken in every pot", but that's just not the real world. Can't find a job in Chicago...check out Dallas...oh, don't want to or can't move...seems to play into that situation a bit to me. My nephew and his Dad owned a business in Michigan laying fiber optics and cable and that sort of thing...did really well...until...boom. No work...nephew tried to hang on but eventually lost his home and business...did he sit around and blame anyone...or go live in an Occupy Tent somewhere and play the "poor me it's not fair" game, no he sucked it up...moved his family to a rental home and left the area to work in N. Mexico, Missouri and upper Mich. to make an income and support his family and his wife went to work in a local grocery store. Underemployed...you bet your rear end...but not blaming anyone, just sucking it up and doing what had to be done to move forward. saw the guy at Christmas and he never complained about anything and was very upbeat about the future.

Just sayin.....

Our society needs to help those who truly need help. Not those who seem to think the "world owes them anything" 'cause it doesn't.

Great post KRAM! I admire your nephew's attitude. When I left my previous job, there were some folks upset that I would be moving to a position on the same level that it took them 20 years to obtain. It took me a year and a half. Others were upset because they had been there 10 years and I would be making more than them and holding a higher position. The reason they didn't get hired instead of me? I applied for the position and they didn't. Advancement doesn't usually fall into your lap. You have to go and get it.

[untgirl04]

Getting a masters degree is a double edged sword. While a masters degree commonly commands more income, if the economy sours and those high end jobs disappear (and those jobs commonly do), it becomes more difficult to find a gainful employment because you are now over qualified for lower end jobs. If you are willing to take a lower end job, you will have to take a pay cut.

In my line of work (Information Technology) having a masters degree is rarely required. I've only seen it preferred for jobs requiring 10 or more years experience with very specific skill sets that can only be available for someone with a MBA or MS. Those types of jobs frequently are in the 100k+ level of income. I think many companies put more emphasis on years of experience than they do education once you have been in the IT field past the 10 year mark though.

Sometimes it's not so much that the Master's degree increases your salary, but that it opens up other career paths. (You know this, but I'm posting to make the point for others.) My undergraduate degree is in Biology. I was pre-med, but then decided I wanted a different career path, so I got a Master's degree in English (Language, not Literature). I started out as a technical writer but through my experiences and being willing to stretch to other fields, am now a software designer.

At the same time, I work with a gal who is about 5 years older than me, doesn't have a bachelor's degree, and was a software designer 4 years before I became one. It's about your experiences and your willingness to try new things - whether that experience is academic or worldly.

When I first entered the workforce, I was frustrated with my salary. Because I had a Master's degree (and that means even more in student loans), I thought I ought to make a little more than what I got hired at. And I was underpaid. By a lot. But I just kept working hard and within a few years, I asked for a 27% raise and got one. I'm still annoyed by people who just think they can walk off the stage at graduation and command a large salary. Ultimately, a degree is just potential. You get paid because you actually earn it.

[yyz28]

Some really good stuff in this thread despite the fact it sort of defended into a pissing contest. The job market is a tough place right now. I know because I happen to be fortunate (not lucky, mind you as I've busted my hump to be where I am today) to be hiring for some of the entry level positions within my company. ...and what we're getting is over-qualified folks who are going to keep looking and be gone by the time we have them trained or people with no experience what-so-ever. The happy medium we're looking for isn't there.

...over the past 20 years, our education system has done a major dis-service to our society. SO MUCH of the focus has been "get everyone into college" that the skilled labor force, be it training people for trades, preparing them for an IT career, etc is being all but ignored. As a result we have people going into college and then everyone else jumping into the work force and building up their resume. ...often times, particularly in the entry or mid level jobs by the time the average kid gets out of college, he's now competing with someone that has 4-5 years of experience. As the world becomes more competitive, companies are willing to pass on the degree to get someone who has time in the real world. ...finally, you add onto this jobs in this country being done by folks who aren't here legally, and a system that dis-incents folks with little to no skills from working (you make too much for state sponsored medical coverage, welfare is better than a minimum wage job) and you have a labor force in crisis.

I don't agree that this is happening because the wealthy are hanging onto all the capital. in the 90's when the economy was riding high and everyone was pretty happy and folks coming out of college (at least out of the business school) were pulling down 40-60 without really even trying, the amount of "wealth" held by the wealthy wasn't much different.