Screw you, career fair

(This incredible cartoon is courtesy of the fantastic Marc Junker. It ran as the editorial cartoon in the Feb. 12 edition of the Martlet.)

A few weeks ago, I had an exhibitor at UVic's career fair tell me that I would not be able to find a job with a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in political science and a minor in journalism. She said that I would have to go to grad school. The exhibitor was working for a certain provincial public service agency, and I had asked her if there were any summer jobs in communications or policy analysis. Apparently there aren't. Nor are there permanent full-time jobs. Not for me at least.

I was surprised, to say the least. I'd think that four years of political science and three years working at a student paper would at least put me in contention for a summer job with the provincial government. I thought I was doing pretty well in life. I'd picked a path and started the trek down it. I'd chosen a degree that I thought was useful, timeless, with a good chance of getting a decent job (even if it wasn't in journalism) upon graduation. Wrong.

But what astounds me even more is the fact that I'm not the only one. All three of my roommates are planning on doing another degree/certificate/diploma when they finish their degree. Most of my friends who are graduating this spring are applying to grad schools or technical institutes for the fall. Or they're taking a year off to work so they can afford to go to grad schools or technical institutes.

On the other hand, most of my friends back in Edmonton either opted out of the post-secondary path or didn't finish high school in the first place. In my group of friends, I'm unique in my decision to pursue post-secondary. But all my friends have great jobs! My best friend works in a fabrication shop doing books, payroll, reception, etc.; she makes good money, has great benefits and makes her own hours. Granted it's not a job I'd be likely to fall in love with, but she has. To top it off, her boyfriend is an elevator mechanic who just got a raise to $45/hour. $45/hour! And he hasn't even done the schooling to get his ticket yet!

Growing up, I was told I had to get good grades and participate in lots of extra circular activities so I could get into a good university so I could get a good job where I'd make good money. When I got to university, I was told I'd need a really dynamic portfolio if I wanted to work in journalism. So I started volunteering, and then working at the Martlet. Then these higher powers added internship to the list of things I'd need to achieve, but these are so scarce and competitive that if that's a job requirement, we're all in trouble.

"Why don't you go do a masters degree?" people (family) have begun to ask me. Uhm, I'm just finishing 16-straight years of school. I'm already in debt. If I have to write another essay on democratic peace theory, I'm likely to vomit all over it. And you said I'd get a good job with THIS degree!

Since when is university nothing more than a stepping stone to more school? How do I find a way past the fact that an MA is the new BA and anything less just won't do? If this continues, we'll be walking around with mountains of debt, unpublished dissertations and useless PhDs? What happens then? Do we make a new, higher degree?

And how is it that a quarter of the people working in newsrooms right now don't have BAs? They're good writers, great writers even. And once upon a time, what mattered was being good at your job, not what letters followed your name.

I pursued a degree I enjoy and one day I will live in a box

I started freaking out about finding a summer job as soon as I returned to school from Christmas break. I hadn't applied for the newspaper internships that had closed in December because I'm not eligible (at 21 years-old, I do not posses a drivers license above a learners permit). I was convinced that an amazing summer job - preferably one in print at a paper or a magazine - would magically fall into my lap. I'd even settle for a communications job if it were high paying and in government.

Come the second week of January, I realized that I was screwed. My dream job? Closed. Non-existent. Internship program axed due to budget cuts (sorry again, K!). My back up jobs? Reserved for affirmative action hiring. No positions available to hiring freezes. Looking for university graduates.

My first reaction was to figure out if I was alone in my predicament, then record my despair for the whole world (or people who read the Martlet) to see. Ok, that was my second reaction. My first involved a pint of Ben and Jerry's half-baked ice cream and a prolonged temper tantrum about how following your dreams is a cruel romantic notion that never really works out.

The following is an updated version of an article I wrote which ran in the Martlet on Jan. 21, confirming my fears that my degree is even more useless than I originally thought.

Graduating soon? Rethink hitting the job market

As recently as last April, university students looked forward to finishing their degree and moving on to high-paying jobs. This year, however, due to the economic slowdown, finding those jobs is going to be much more difficult.

“It could be a pretty severe recession that we see in Canada,” said UVic economics professor Herbert Schuetze, who specializes in labour economics. “Things are going to be tough for awhile.”

Effects of the recession in the U.S. have recently become apparent in Canada, and companies are responding to the economic crunch with layoffs and hiring freezes. According to Statistics Canada, 129,000 jobs were lost across Canada in January, resulting in the national unemployment rate rising to 7.2 per cent from 6.6 per cent.

“I think for students it’s going to be eye-opening. Students who’ve been coming up for the last number of years have had it really well,” said Schuetze.

But UVic students don’t seem overly concerned about their job prospects, preferring to be cautious over fearful.

“I’m not too worried,” said fourth-year science student Jennifer Sawatzky, who plans on graduating in December 2009 and has already spent two summers working in her field. “Having said that, if I’m offered a job [right away] I’m going to take it hands down. I’m worried that if I take time off to go travelling like I’ve been dying to do, I might pass up an opportunity to actually get a job in my field.”

For fourth-year history student Tyrel Meredith, the economic slowdown is a push toward continuing his education after completing his undergraduate degree.

“The economic crisis hasn’t necessarily made me nervous, but it has made me re-evaluate my post-grad plans,” said Meredith, who plans to graduate this April. “Now more than ever the necessity of returning to school after I graduate is apparent. Hoping I’ll fall ass backwards into a good job no longer seems even slightly realistic.”

Schuetze says that there are two factors at play in the economy right now. First, the economic slowdown is causing companies to stop hiring, which is bad news for students getting ready to graduate. Not only are companies not hiring, but layoffs often start with younger employees because they have yet to develop skills specific to the company. Unions also protect more senior workers.

According to Schuetze, the current economy will affect students not only now, but for years to come.

“There is some evidence that suggests that when you graduate in a recession, there’s some sort of scaring that goes on,” Schuetze said. “It carries on throughout your life cycle in the labour market.”

The second factor, however, should give students a glimmer of hope. The baby boom generation is leaving the work force, even if the current recession pushes their retirement plans back a year or two.

“As markets rebound and things adjust, there’ll be lots of opportunities for students,” said Schuetze.

The Bank of Canada predicts that the economy will recover in 2010. While Schuetze says that’s a reasonable prediction, he notes that jobs for students won’t be available right away.

“Any prediction is based on looking into a crystal ball,” he said. “2010 sounds reasonable, but you never know until things play out. The graduating class of 2011 might look OK, but then they’re competing with all the students who couldn’t find jobs.”

In the meantime, he suggests that students look into continuing their education.

“If you’re thinking about doing grad school, now would probably be a good time,” said Schuetze.

Norah McRae, executive director of UVic’s co-op program, says students should network, focus on transferable skills and stay informed about what’s happening with employers to boost their chances of finding a good job. She suggests looking in to joining a co-op program.

“Participating in co-op will help students get access to jobs related to their studies, develop transferable skills and build their network,” McRae said in an e-mail interview.

For students not involved in co-op, she suggests looking at job postings through UVic Career Services, or taking advantage of the career educators available through Career Services, who can provide students with individual coaching.

“A key message here is that it is not too soon to start, and that being successful will involve both personal action and tapping into resources on and off campus,” said McRae.

CHECK OUT my Martlet article