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Rank: Frosh
Groups: Member
Joined: 3/8/2008
Posts: 1
Location: London
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So, you've worked so hard to get through undergrad alive with the essays, exams, late nights, bank account woes and you have successfully achieved a degree. Now what? Today, it seems almost impossible to get a good job, or any job for that matter straight out of University. I personally have applied to about twenty jobs and many of them call for masters students, or will only hire you if you "know someone". Does anyone else agree that it's a little too much? Shouldn't an undergrad degree be enough? and what about those people who don't have the financial means to pay for post-grad education? When do we start making money and stop giving it to the institutions?
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Rank: Frosh
Groups: Member
Joined: 3/8/2008
Posts: 6
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I am currently in my second undergrad program to become a high school teacher. I got my Bachelor of Arts just last year, and everyone says it is a "do you want fries with that " degree. Really, you can't get anything better with an arts degree than you can with a high school diploma. So that is why I went on in school. I am so scared about graduating. I have been studying post-secondary education for six year and by the time I graduate it will be seven years in total. I am scared to graduate and get out in the real world. I want to teach social studies, but the jobs just don't seem to be out there. I don't know what I will do if I don't get a teaching position when I graduate. After all this time in school I just want to be a professional student for the rest of my life and not have to worry about the stress of the "real world".
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Rank: Frosh
Groups: Member
Joined: 3/10/2008
Posts: 6
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It is evident that with the "jobs" out there are limited and I would not even call them careers. An undergraduate degree in social sciences is not enough! I took a year off and found a full-time job as a behavioural rehabilitation counselor; however, this job does not pay enough to support yourself, let a lone a family. I have saved enough money staying at home, to pay for my masters. The job has given me a lot more credentials in a years time. Fortunately, the job I took was very much in-line with what I will be taking at the masters level. So I believe the type of job you take is very important during your undergraduate degree and when you finish your undergrad. Think of the position as a stepping stone, and you will achieve much more with higher education. It's a competitive world out their! Don't give up, strive for excellence and the rewards will flow in.
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Rank: Frosh
Groups: Member
Joined: 3/8/2008
Posts: 8
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If you can further your education in whatever field of study you are in, then do it.
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Rank: Student Body President
Groups: Member
Joined: 3/5/2008
Posts: 1,814
Location: Wilfrid Laurier University
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kchapma9 wrote:So, you've worked so hard to get through undergrad alive with the essays, exams, late nights, bank account woes and you have successfully achieved a degree. Now what? Today, it seems almost impossible to get a good job, or any job for that matter straight out of University. I personally have applied to about twenty jobs and many of them call for masters students, or will only hire you if you "know someone". Does anyone else agree that it's a little too much? Shouldn't an undergrad degree be enough? and what about those people who don't have the financial means to pay for post-grad education? When do we start making money and stop giving it to the institutions? What degree do you have and what kind of job are you looking for?
-Stringer
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Rank: Senior Student
Groups: Member
Joined: 3/4/2008
Posts: 257
Location: Toronto
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rikkisewell wrote:It is evident that with the "jobs" out there are limited and I would not even call them careers. An undergraduate degree in social sciences is not enough! I took a year off and found a full-time job as a behavioural rehabilitation counselor; however, this job does not pay enough to support yourself, let a lone a family. I have saved enough money staying at home, to pay for my masters. The job has given me a lot more credentials in a years time. Fortunately, the job I took was very much in-line with what I will be taking at the masters level. So I believe the type of job you take is very important during your undergraduate degree and when you finish your undergrad. Think of the position as a stepping stone, and you will achieve much more with higher education. It's a competitive world out their! Don't give up, strive for excellence and the rewards will flow in. My world issues teacher was originally supposed to teach history and geography as his two 'teachables', and after not getting two of the positions he wanted at other schools, he got hired at my school and is teaching world issues and philosophy. He doesn't really mind - all he wanted was a job. He was able to adapt and learn the material and he's fine (their both in the social science stream anyway), even if he's not "supposed" to be teaching those. I have teachers who have really random courses that weren't related to what they studied. They had to fill in their schedules and got stuck with whatever. My English teacher did an English undergrad, yet she also teaches grade 9 Science. I think you will be able to get a job, just be prepared that you might not be teaching what you wanted.
Ryerson 2012 Politics & Governance
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Rank: Student Body President
Groups: Member
Joined: 3/5/2008
Posts: 1,814
Location: Wilfrid Laurier University
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mike_ wrote:rikkisewell wrote:It is evident that with the "jobs" out there are limited and I would not even call them careers. An undergraduate degree in social sciences is not enough! I took a year off and found a full-time job as a behavioural rehabilitation counselor; however, this job does not pay enough to support yourself, let a lone a family. I have saved enough money staying at home, to pay for my masters. The job has given me a lot more credentials in a years time. Fortunately, the job I took was very much in-line with what I will be taking at the masters level. So I believe the type of job you take is very important during your undergraduate degree and when you finish your undergrad. Think of the position as a stepping stone, and you will achieve much more with higher education. It's a competitive world out their! Don't give up, strive for excellence and the rewards will flow in. My world issues teacher was originally supposed to teach history and geography as his two 'teachables', and after not getting two of the positions he wanted at other schools, he got hired at my school and is teaching world issues and philosophy. He doesn't really mind - all he wanted was a job. He was able to adapt and learn the material and he's fine (their both in the social science stream anyway), even if he's not "supposed" to be teaching those. I have teachers who have really random courses that weren't related to what they studied. They had to fill in their schedules and got stuck with whatever. My English teacher did an English undergrad, yet she also teaches grade 9 Science. I think you will be able to get a job, just be prepared that you might not be teaching what you wanted. Teachers would have little trouble teaching any course at the high school level. It's all pretty basic, and if a normal kid can learn it I'm sure a teacher with an undergrad and a teaching degree under their belt can as well.
-Stringer
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Rank: Student Body Vice-President
Groups: Member
Joined: 3/5/2008
Posts: 789
Location: Kingston and Toronto
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Right into the workforce (hopefully) as a consultant or urban planner. I may work & do more school at the same time if I need a masters to climb the ladder.
Uschi
Queen's '10
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Rank: Senior Student
Groups: Member
Joined: 3/4/2008
Posts: 228
Location: Ontario
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It's just supply and demand. The fact that so many more people are getting into university makes that degree mean less. Grad school is practically a necessity for people in sciences.
I AM OFFERING FREE DATES, WOMEN APPLY WITHIN.
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Rank: Student Council
Groups: Member
Joined: 3/5/2008
Posts: 401
Location: Paris, Ontario
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I'm nervous about this as well. If I'm not going to get a job that is any better than a job I would have gotten without an undergrad degree than my high school diploma, what is the point of paying the money and doing all the work? I'm sorry, but once I'm done university and spent about 20 years in school, I am not interested in staying in university for another 6 or 7 years. I would actually like to experience the 'real world' and would like to explore other areas of life, like having an actual social life, living on my own etc. I guess since I am not willing to go further, then I might as well finish university out of interest and at least have this meaningless degree and move on.
Success is not the key to happiness, happiness is the key to success. If you love what you do in life, you will be a success!!
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Rank: Senior Student
Groups: Member
Joined: 3/6/2008
Posts: 247
Location: Toronto
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rikkisewell wrote:It is evident that with the "jobs" out there are limited and I would not even call them careers. An undergraduate degree in social sciences is not enough! I took a year off and found a full-time job as a behavioural rehabilitation counselor; however, this job does not pay enough to support yourself, let a lone a family. I have saved enough money staying at home, to pay for my masters. The job has given me a lot more credentials in a years time. Fortunately, the job I took was very much in-line with what I will be taking at the masters level. So I believe the type of job you take is very important during your undergraduate degree and when you finish your undergrad. Think of the position as a stepping stone, and you will achieve much more with higher education. It's a competitive world out their! Don't give up, strive for excellence and the rewards will flow in. I applied and got accepted for Social Sciences, and that's the very thing I'm worried about. Not getting jobs at the end. My father has been telling me that usually one degree isn't enough, so if you think you can go for a masters, do it, it'll really help you in the end.
McMaster '12!
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Rank: Frosh
Groups: Member
Joined: 3/11/2008
Posts: 6
Location: New York
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I got a job through the career center at McGill that brought me down to the US. Getting a job while in school is extremely important since after you graduate from undergrad you'r all on your own.
Right now I'm in banking in NYC and applying to grad school in the US. Unfortunately it seems that if you want to leave Canada (except for with the Gov't) Canadian schools lag in reputation. Don't get me wrong, I'm extremely proud to be Canadian and have a McGill degree, but I need to plan for the future and open more doors.
Life outside of school is rough but if you work hard it eventually works out. I'm not thrilled with what I do but it pays well and I did it for years. Now it's time for me to pick a grad program at an Ivy league (got accepted to Columbia) and leverage my skill in financial services into areas I'm interested in such as global economic development, sustainable energy development and markets.
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Rank: Senior Student
Groups: Member
Joined: 3/5/2008
Posts: 101
Location: Kingston, Ontario
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I, err, keep turning down job offers because I knew I wanted to do a Masters. I'm my area it's very common to have more than the cost of living+tuition paid for in funding when doing a Masters, no special scholarships or bursaries need and no demonstration of financial need required. Out of my classmates who intend to go directly into the workforce, I only know one person who's having any difficulty finding suitable employment, and her case is largely related to moving to another country without having something lined up and not knowing how to go about job searches there.
4th Year Computer Science student at Queen's University finishing in April, 2008;
starting a Masters in Human Computer Interaction shortly afterward (also at Queen's).
e-mail: tim [at] timginn [dot] com
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Rank: Student Council
Groups: Member
Joined: 3/13/2008
Posts: 317
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cndn2002 wrote:I am currently in my second undergrad program to become a high school teacher. I got my Bachelor of Arts just last year, and everyone says it is a "do you want fries with that " degree. Really, you can't get anything better with an arts degree than you can with a high school diploma. So that is why I went on in school. I am so scared about graduating. I have been studying post-secondary education for six year and by the time I graduate it will be seven years in total. I am scared to graduate and get out in the real world. I want to teach social studies, but the jobs just don't seem to be out there. I don't know what I will do if I don't get a teaching position when I graduate. After all this time in school I just want to be a professional student for the rest of my life and not have to worry about the stress of the "real world". My sister's friends who graduated with a BEd in Social Science last year all got good teaching jobs in Alberta, the North, the US or abroad. There are plenty of jobs out there in teaching. My sister got a job in Ontario because she is a French teacher and others who were math teachers also got jobs in Ontario. But the rest had to look elsewhere. Have you applied everywhere? There was a group of them who went to Fort McMurray Alberta and are earning good bucks and getting a housing allowance. They are also having a great time and paying off their student debt. The irony is that my sister has applied out there to join them. She feels lonely in a suburban school in Ontario where everyone is married and has a family. So don't be discouraged and apply everywhere.
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Rank: Frosh
Groups: Member
Joined: 3/16/2008
Posts: 10
Location: Winnipeg
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i agree with this - it's unfair but that's life, keep trying and you'll get a job sometime
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