Our generation: overeducated & underexperienced

Written on April 29, 2010 by Akhila in career

We’re overeducated and underexperienced, when really it should be the other way around.

It’s a pity – and a case of misallocated resources – considering higher education is getting more and more expensive while salaries are not really keeping up in these economic times.

I keep hearing advice from people: get this Master’s degree, or that Ph.D. Recently, I spoke with an incredible lawyer who told me to get not just a law degree, but a MPP (Master’s in Public Policy) as well. I said, “That is so expensive! I’d rather get as few degrees as possible.” She said, “It’s only a year more, and it’ll be incredibly valuable if you ever want to work on international issues or policy.”

Needless to say, I was skeptical. True, I agree that an MPP would be helpful, but it is by no means necessary. The idea of doing multiple graduate degrees frightens the hell out of me. I’ve enjoyed my undergraduate education here at Northwestern, but I’m ready to get out and get into the real world. I’ve had enough of theory, and I want to put whatever I’ve learned into practice. And I think that I’ll stick to what I told the attorney — I’ll save the money and mental energy, and probably take the law degree alone in three years, thank you very much. Even three years for law school seems a bit much, in my opinion. The majority of our country’s politicians and policymakers don’t have law degrees and MPP’s — I think I’ll take my chances.

In my opinion, much of what you learn in many Master’s degrees isn’t necessary for career success or progress. Only the few professional degrees, such as law, medicine, or business, equip you with skill sets – things you can’t learn on your own. Master’s degrees in most other areas strike me as unnecessary as most of what you need to know can be picked up on the job in the majority of fields other than law, medicine, pharmacy, engineering, college-level teaching, or computer science (I am sure I’ve forgotten other careers that require graduate study – enlighten me if I have).

The vast majority of my friends are going to graduate school immediately after finishing their degree at Northwestern. My friends are doing medical degrees along with Master’s degrees; J.D.s along with M.B.A.’s; Ph.D.s along with public policy degrees. It seems to me that the days of having just one graduate degree are long gone.

I was surprised to realize that only a small percentage of my friends are planning to work prior to graduate school. I’m also surprised at how many students I know – many of them juniors or seniors – have never actually held a full-time internship. As a result, many students don’t know what they like, what type of work they want to do, or what is needed to succeed in the professional world. Because they have no idea what to do or how to go about entering the workforce, they decide to go back to school. “I’m good at writing, so I should go to law school… and then I’ll be guaranteed a high paying job, right?” they say. The short answer: ….no!

We have become dependent on higher education to boost our lacking self esteems. We feel we need to go back to school because we lack the confidence to enter the “real world.” Well, I have news for you. We don’t need people with 10 degrees to run this world and make it a better, more efficient place. More importantly, having 10 degrees doesn’t qualify you to do anything but study.

We need to stop our culture of higher education dependency and go back to the basics. Going back to school won’t solve your sense of inadequacy; jumping into the real world, getting a job, and doing tons of internships will. The only way to become an expert in your field is to start working and to begin actually doing things, not hiding behind the banner of prestige that you gain from your graduate degree(s).

If you want to get places in your career, get your nose out of the books and get into the “real world.” Now.

Picture Credit: Flickr User Swamibu

47 Comments - Leave a comment!

Janine

First, love your Blog and I couldn't agree more w/ your post:)

I think a lot of us Gen Y-ers are still learning that experience and a relevant skill set is always more valuable than a degree, especially those of us who studied liberal arts.

I just came to understand myself that graduate degrees are just credentials and that grad school doesn’t really help those who don’t know what they really want to do.

It’s my view that though graduate study is enhanced by work experience, it doesn’t enhance it.

“In my opinion, much of what you learn in many Master’s degrees isn’t necessary for career success or progress.”

Unfortunately this is so true. Though some MPP and MPA programs and other non-professional degrees can teach relevant skill sets, a lot of degree programs are not professionally focused and don’t teach skills that the labor market actually demands.
http://www.tariqwest.com/ Tariq West

Insightful as always Akhila.

It's funny – I was just talking to a buddy last night about how we are pretty well credentialled, and have some practical, applicable skills but are under-enlightened (like math PHDs working on complex structured financial products with brilliant technical insights and little historical memory or wisdom).

Basically, we got really good at skimming and BS-ing and beating the test, but didn't steep ourselves appropriately in the various thought traditions of the world. We are working now to design a course of study for ourselves for this coming summer that dramatically increases the raw material input that will allow us to move beyond skills to contextualized knowledge and wisdom a la “what might we learn from Aristotle about structured financial products and how they relate to a productive economy and the dignity of labor”.
http://akhilak.com/blog Akhila

Thank you for your comment! It's unfortunate that most degree programs, especially in the liberal arts, don't provide any concrete skill set that translates to professional success. Sure, you can learn to think critically, improve your writing, or learn about a particular subject, but these are also things you can often pick up on your own through reading and writing.

I do think education, even in the liberal arts, is incredibly useful – I am after all an economics and political science major. And I have learned a lot, I really have. But I don't think for a moment that whatever I've learned in the classroom really translates to professional or career success. I've made sure to pursue as many internship opportunities as possible to ensure that I understand what it's like to be in the workforce, but unfortunately, these type of career skills are not taught in the classroom.

Undergrad education is basically required nowadays, but I think we have to start thinking more critically about graduate degrees, and why we pursue them.
http://www.unsettledsoul.com Sarah Elizabeth

I have to say I disagree to a certain extent. The working world is becoming more and more competitive and Bachelor's degrees are becoming commonplace. A Masters degree has a higher percentage of people gaining a higher salary and also having that edge over one's peers. At least that is my experience. People are clawing at the chance to go to grad school because it has such value, at least in the field I am in… One cannot even get a management position without a graduate degree in many fields, including human rights work. I do agree that it is good to work for a few years and then come back to it, but I think it leads to many people never making it back to grad school because 'life' tends to get in the way.

My view is, if you have the privilege, and the opportunity is staring you in the face, why not grab it? Many people would die to be in that position, including myself. A graduate degree is not a guarantee, but it is the closest guarantee there is in the world.
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cameronplommer

“More importantly, having 10 degrees doesn’t qualify you to do anything but study.”

This is sooooooooo true.

As a a new college grad as of last December I've realized this: My life didn't start until I stopped going to school. I stopped being bored, I focused on what I love to do and I'm gaining experience in a real job, actually doing stuff!

The thing is, I'm learning more now than I ever did. And what I'm learning is so much more practical and valuable.

Guess why I got my first job out of college? My degree, resume? Nope. It was my blog. Which I didn't get to focus on until I graduated. What does this mean? I think it's obvious.

Please urge your friends to get out of school and start DOING SOMETHING. You can always read books from the library (for free) if you want to know more about law, or policy.
Janine

Thanks for your response, Akhila.

I like what you had to say here-

“But I don't think for a moment that whatever I've learned in the classroom really translates to professional or career success. I've made sure to pursue as many internship opportunities as possible to ensure that I understand what it's like to be in the workforce, but unfortunately, these type of career skills are not taught in the classroom.”

I think the liberal arts are okay, I was an English major myself, but I find that alot of liberal arts students don't get what you said in the quote above – that what we learn in the classroom (political philosophy, critical analysis of chaucer, pre-colonial african culture etc.) isn't necessarily directly applicable to a job or succeeding professionally – which is why most folks go to college in the first place.

Having gone through a liberal arts degree program, I really wish that there was more of a professional focus in these programs.

It's great to see someone talking about the importance of getting experience vs. getting degrees. I've realized now, unless you are sure fire set on what you want to do, going back to school can be a waste of resources.

However, I am guilty of the dual-degree syndrome -I want(ed) (still undecided) a master's in int'l dev and an mba – I thought it'd be a good way 2 train for career in development through enterprise/private sector development.
http://katingiro.tumblr.com/ Kat

“We have become dependent on higher education to boost our lacking self esteems.”

Yes yes yes yes. I just wish I knew this before I graduated.
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http://www.unsettledsoul.com Sarah Elizabeth

Yes, but the degree gets your foot in the door, and that is the plain truth. People who already have a degree (or a few) possibly overlook the basic qualifications for most high paying jobs = Masters degree. It doesn't matter if it trains you for the working world or not, it is the first step to a high paying job. In Social Work, if you want to get paid good you HAVE to have a Masters degree, point blank. It doesn't matter if it is irrelevant once you get into the real world, it still keeps you out of working at a gas station the rest of your life. These complaints are coming from those of you who already have your degrees, and can you say you regret getting it? I mean, seriously?

Call me an advocate for over-education any day!!! haha!! Of course, i am in the working world and possibly dealing with a case of nostalgia.. hehehe
cameronplommer

My point is this: don't do a degree just because that is what is required to do a specific job.

Yes my degree helped me a lot. But not in a directly applicable sense. What I learned (memorized) is easily forgotten. What is valuable is the critical thinking, research and hard work ethic that I got from college. Those things I use in my job currently. But, I don't remember how to do or apply calculus, or pretty much anything that was on a test.

When a degree turns into a ticket for a job, that's where I have a problem and it gets excessive.
http://twitter.com/SealTheDeal2012 Seal The Deal 2012

I hear enough student loan stories, and have my own; so I'm wary of going into debt. I fear that there's an education bubble, and that the best books on education might be DIY U, by Anya Kamenetz @anya1anya and
Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work, Matthew B. Crawford. The indebtedness may bring more job skills, but it may also increase the desperation factor to take a job that is soul-killing.

Your insight into internships is a good one– they teach a valuable form of common sense.
http://akhilak.com/blog Akhila

Very true; I agree that going into debt for education often forces people to take on jobs they don't necessarily feel passionate about because they need to pay off these loans. However, it's also true that education can open a lot of doors. I think there's something to be said about striking the right balance between too much education and too little.
http://akhilak.com/blog Akhila

Thanks for the comment! I'm glad you agree — I am talking more about graduate education, though. I still feel like undergraduate education is absolutely necessary.
http://akhilak.com/blog Akhila

Sarah, I completely agree that these days, so many professions require a Master's degree or basically make it necessary in order to get a good job or advance in your career.

However, my argument is that other than the professional degrees – or if you are going into something very specific like academia or research or computer science – the Master's degrees are not necessary for actually performing the job. If you are in marketing for instance, a lot of what you need to know can be picked up on the job. I have a problem when employers basically require a Master's to grow in the career, but when the Master's is not necessary in providing you with skills needed for the job. I totally agree that nowadays, you need a degree… but I also wish that employers didn't require it, because it just perpetuates the problem of people wanting to get more and more degrees because employers basically require it.
http://www.opheliaswebb.com Elisa Doucette

Of course I am a fan of experience trumping education any day. Because education and learning can be done in many places. The current state of higher education in which young adults indenture themselves to the government and loan companies for 20 years is disgusting. And it has truly tarnished the quality of the degree. I see so many people graduating after 4 years (or worse, with grad degrees 6-8 years) far less qualified for the world they are entering than people who don't have a shiny piece of paper to hang on their wall. This is ESPECIALLY true of the people who use grad school to avoid growing up. (I know this isn't everyone, but at the same time I know that there are lot of people who do this.)

I wish that every college required internships in your field sophomore or junior year. To finalize that this is DEFINITELY what you want. Cause otherwise you get out and realize that this isn't what you wanted at all. Hence the grad school different degree. And indentured servitude. And vicious cycle all over again.
http://www.owlsparks.com/ Carlos Miceli

The moment one understands/remembers that traditional education (and its newest products, a.k.a. “Master degrees”) is a business, the faster one beats the vast majority of its clients, a.k.a., your competition.
http://www.owlsparks.com/ Carlos Miceli

Forgot to share this: http://personalmba.com/rethinking-the-mba/
http://akhilak.com/blog Akhila

Thank you for your comments! It's true, although liberal arts can be an enjoyable area of study and although it CAN teach you a lot — critical thinking, writing papers, etc, unfortunately this doesn't provide much in the way of professional skills or skills that are *directly* applicable to the job. Education should definitely be more professionalized – otherwise, it should be cheaper!

I still am guilty of wanting more advanced degrees as well. I think it's hard to shy away from wanting degrees because we are conditioned throughout our lives, by society, to believe that more degrees are good. But the simple truth is that they are not always necessary. However, employers really require these degrees as well, so it's hard not to go for them. Employers, I think, have to shy away from their dependency on Master's education.
http://akhilak.com/blog Akhila

Thank you for your comments! It's true, although liberal arts can be an enjoyable area of study and although it CAN teach you a lot — critical thinking, writing papers, etc, unfortunately this doesn't provide much in the way of professional skills or skills that are *directly* applicable to the job. Education should definitely be more professionalized – otherwise, it should be cheaper!

I still am guilty of wanting more advanced degrees as well. I think it's hard to shy away from wanting degrees because we are conditioned throughout our lives, by society, to believe that more degrees are good. But the simple truth is that they are not always necessary. However, employers really require these degrees as well, so it's hard not to go for them. Employers, I think, have to shy away from their dependency on Master's education.
http://akhilak.com/blog Akhila

Very true – we know so much about obscure things like philosophy or religion or art, but many students are yet to learn the practical skills, tools, and knowledge that they require to succeed in their careers and in the business world.

Studying for a test teaches you how to memorize and regurgitate. It doesn't teach you what's needed in the real world. It might give you knowledge, but ask any successful professional what they remember from their undergrad classes and the answer will be the same: very little.

Your course of study sounds fascinating and best of luck with that! I look forward to hearing how it turns out and what you learned from it.
http://akhilak.com/blog Akhila

As I said in my previous comment to you, I just want to emphasize that in this world, we do need a graduate degree to succeed and rise in our careers, but unfortunately, this is basically because employers require and prefer advanced degrees.

However, I would argue that employers also need not depend on or require advanced degrees for certain fields of work (especially those like marketing, finance, PR, non-profit work, etc).

I suppose it's true that these days you can't get a management position without a grad degree. However, I'd challenge employers not to think in this way and to broaden their minds.

I think education is a privilege, most definitely. However, I also think that because it is a privilege, it is unfair. We need to level the playing field. It's unfair because not everyone can afford Master's degrees, and not everyone can pay back those loans if they are not in a lucrative career (in social work, for example). I say we should level the playing field and let people rise to the top based on merit, not based on graduate education.
http://akhilak.com/blog Akhila

It's true — education is a business. And employers are in this business. As employers keep hiring more and more qualified candidates with higher degrees, the demand for education will continue to go up. The only reason there is such a demand is not because of the content of the education itself, but simply where it leads to (ideally, better employers). Employers need to think twice about perpetuating this cycle.
http://akhilak.com/blog Akhila

I love this, and I think it's so true:

“Truly re-thinking the MBA means questioning whether or not it’s necessary at all. Based on all available evidence (and there seems to be a quite a bit of effectiveness research that colleges are deliberately withholding), MBA programs are not necessary at all – you can learn what you need to know to start, run, and manage a business effectively by yourself or far less expensive help from subject-matter experts, in less time, without debt.”

SO true — again, what you need to know is learned on the job or through EXPERIENCE. Not by sitting in the classroom.
http://akhilak.com/blog Akhila

Very true. I like your use of the word “indenture” because that is exactly what's happening here. People are putting themselves in loads of debt by taking on huge loans that they won't be able to pay of for 10-20 years, and all because they are led by society to think that a graduate degree is necessary for their career. When in most cases, it really is not.

It's true that many people don't know exactly what they want to do, so they jump into grad school. I personally know many people who are doing this, and it makes me sad. They should be getting experience instead. Working in a potential field of interest teaches you a LOT more about what you eventually want to do than sitting in a classroom. Unfortunately, most people don't realize this.

I totally agree – we need to have schools require internships to make sure students get out into the real world. I wish more schools took this to heart.
http://akhilak.com/blog Akhila

Cameron, I very much agree with you. I think our degrees are needed these days to get our foot in the door, but they are not what is actually needed to do the job and to do it well. Our degrees have become a necessity, but they don't give us the skills we need to succeed in the professional world.

I too have learned FAR more about what I want to do through my internships rather than by sitting in the classroom. Work ethic and critical thinking are valuable, but I wonder if this is worth the high cost of higher education. We could obtain these skills in two years, instead of four.
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http://www.mademoisellemitchell.blogspot.com MlleMitchell

Interesting post as usual and great insight. I was reading Seth Godin's blog (for the first time today) and I came across the following post about why he thinks there will be a melt-down in higher education soon: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/04…. Figured I'd share since, although it's more about undergraduate education, it's closely related.
http://akhilak.com/blog Akhila

Thanks! I read that article about the same day as I wrote this article (I think he wrote it on the same day…coincidence?) and I really enjoyed it.
Stephnie

While I generally agree with the content of this post, I'd have to disagree in some parts. You see, not everyone is lucky enough to get internship (talk more of the paid ones). The internship market is highly competitive and most employers would rather employ Ivy League students and not others.

I work as a recruitment consultant and we get request from employers indaunted with thousands of applications for 30 posistiin internship program to only select Ivy League applicants and then disregard the rest. This is despite the fact that some non-ivy leagu applicants have more impressive CVs. Also, those without Ivy League undregraduate education but with Ivy League graduate educate are also better off (and more likely to be selected than (a) other applicants without graduate degree and (b) other applicant without Ivy League graduate degree). And of course, applicants with graduate degree are more likely to be selected than those without. So this feeds into the vicious cycle of students rushing off to get Ivy League graduate degrees and graduate degrees in generally. In the fields of Liberal arts/social sciences, alot of empahsis is placed on having a second degree to be qualified for an internship position. To make bold statement such as you did in your post requires moving out of your bubble and speaking with other students like yourself struggling to get into the career ladder. By this I mean students who can only afford to go to not-so-great universities or the luxeries of study abroad or working abroad. You'll see how they are struggling and how their only option is to get a graduate degree by all means possible. Not everyone have it as rosy as you.
obsidan

While I generally agree with the content of this post, I'd have to disagree in some parts. You see, not everyone is lucky enough to get internship (talk more of the paid ones). The internship market is highly competitive and most employers would rather employ Ivy League students and not others.

I work as a recruitment consultant and we get request from employers indaunted with thousands of applications for 30 posistiin internship program to only select Ivy League applicants and then disregard the rest. This is despite the fact that some non-ivy leagu applicants have more impressive CVs. Also, those without Ivy League undregraduate education but with Ivy League graduate educate are also better off (and more likely to be selected than (a) other applicants without graduate degree and (b) other applicant without Ivy League graduate degree). And of course, applicants with graduate degree are more likely to be selected than those without. So this feeds into the vicious cycle of students rushing off to get Ivy League graduate degrees and graduate degrees in generally. In the fields of Liberal arts/social sciences, alot of empahsis is placed on having a second degree to be qualified for an internship position. To make bold statement such as you did in your post requires moving out of your bubble and speaking with other students like yourself struggling to get into the career ladder. By this I mean students who can only afford to go to not-so-great universities or the luxeries of study abroad or working abroad. You'll see how they are struggling and how their only option is to get a graduate degree by all means possible. Not everyone have it as rosy as you.
http://akhilak.com/blog Akhila

I don't agree that all employers are looking for ivy league graduates and that if you aren't at a top school, you can't get an internship. If that assertion was true, it would be the case that no one other than graduates of the top 15-20 ranked schools in the U.S. would be able to find jobs, and I find that idea unrealistic. No matter what school you are from, you can get an internship, a good job, scholarships, and fellowships. It all depends on the hard work you put into the job / internship search and the grades you get in class. Students from smaller universities routinely get top scholarships like the Rhodes, Gates Cambridge, Fulbright, Teach for America, etc.

Thus, I simply don't buy the idea that the school you go to limits your options. It doesn't. What matters is your hard work and drive to succeed once you are at your undergraduate institutions.

Sure, there are many companies and organizations out there who prefer to recruit from the ivies and the top schools in the U.S., but many of my friends at state schools have worked for much more well known fortune 500 companies than I have (I have not worked for any particularly prestigious organizations, myself). At the same time, I have friends at ivies who have not held a single internship during their time in undergrad. Therefore, from my experience speaking with friends at other schools, I don't exactly agree with your assertions.

I agree that graduate degrees are seen as valuable and even necessary by many employers, but my point is that employers should not place such emphasis on graduate education because it is simply not necessary for many jobs. By requiring graduate degrees, employers are perpetuating this negative cycle.
http://www.unsettledsoul.wordpress.com almostclever

Very true, I agree completely about the class divide and the privatization of public education.. I assume employers require masters degrees in order to justify paying a higher salary.. With so many people they need some way of weeding people out. I do think people should rise to the top based on merit and experience. My Aunt knows everything about her job that she has been in for 20 years, but cannot move to management because she does not have a degree… Sux, but until a solution is found I would advise anyone to get as high of an education as they can afford.
http://akhilak.com/blog Akhila

Yeah, I definitely agree that in the current job market, graduate degrees are advisable. I just wish the status quo could be changed because of the high expenses for students and the resultant inequality that higher education creates when it comes to the job search. The more privileged people obviously benefit and those who don't come from well-off families have a much more difficult time moving forward. I wish this wasn't the status quo but it is. And you're right, those of us who are privileged enough to get a Master's education should take it right now.
Janine

I couldn't agree more.

I graduated from what some might call a so-so public university in North Carolina – UNC Greensboro – ever heard of it? Didn't think so lol

But I (by God's grace, I don't deny that) have been selected for a nationally competitive international affairs fellowship where my colleagues include kids from Yale, Harvard, NYU, and Swarthmore.

I also interned in DC at a big development organization and got paid for it.

So no disrespect, Stephnie, but I've seen kids from backwater (and I mean backwater) colleges get internships on Capitol Hill and get the Pickering Fellowship – a prestigious State Dept fellowship. Anything's possible – it's just all about your hustle, not where you went to school.
http://sustainability.asu.edu Vanessa

great post! fully agreed!!!
http://akhilak.com/blog Akhila

Thank you! Glad you agree
Nono

what do you propose people do when there are no jobs to begin with?

http://akhilak.com/blog Akhila

I don’t think that there are no jobs at the moment – I agree that it is difficult to get a job, but it’s certainly not impossible. I know many people who have been able to get jobs, after a lot of searching of course. If you can’t get a job, take an internship in the meantime. Or do whatever it takes to get some practical experience. In addition, it doesn’t look like the economy is going to improve anytime soon. The recession is here to stay. I’m no economist (only an economics major), but I’ve heard that we should adjust ourselves to these higher unemployment rates because they are the norm from now onwards. The recession is, possibly, here to stay. So you should get used to searching for a job in this economic climate- because your situation might not improve even if you have a graduate degree.

At the end of the day it all depends on what you want to do with your life. As I mentioned there are certain jobs that require a graduate degree. Others really don’t.

If your only goal is to get a job I wouldn’t encourage you to go to grad school. Grad school should be pursued because of passion. If you are just doing it to escape from the job market, that’s a bad idea.

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eichler

Lou Reed and John Cale once put it poetically in a song (The Trouble with Classicists):
“I like the druggy downtown kids who spray paint walls and trains
I like their lack of training, their primitive technique
I think sometimes it hurts you when you stay too long in school
I think sometimes it hurts you when you’re afraid to be called a fool”
Lauren

I love the discussion, great points from both sides. One thing I’ve been considering IF I pursue a masters (I have a BA in Geography & Sustainable Community Development) is to shape the research focus on an idea that can be turned into a business when done. For example, I knew a gal that did a masters in Sustainability Studies. She looked at the motivations of people to achieve successful and long-lasting behaviour change for sustainable living and health. She developed a 10-week public education course that focused on goal setting. Meeting one evening per week, they would go through a topic and set goals, then check up on progress the following week. It became extremely popular, the local government backed it up and did a few courses themselves, and now another lady is regularly offereing the course for a small fee of $50. She created a social enterprise for heself that was incubated in the university setting, not bad! Perhaps it’s a way to make Masters more relevant and useful?

http://akhilak.com/blog Akhila

Great idea! I love the fact that you can bring your own innovative mind to the university setting, and incubate a budding social enterprise with support from professors, departments, school funding, fellow students, etc. I definitely think the university setting is a great place to experiment and begin social enterprises. While you are in school, you have the opportunity to innovate and experiment without necessarily having to risk your salary. I think it’s a great way to get started on developing a unique post-graduate opportunity. Thanks for sharing and good luck!

Miss Livzy

There are some other job areas that require masters and post masters, such as clinical psychology. However you are right, since starting work I have come to view experience as more valuable than qualifications; however there is still a need for qualifications to a point.
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been there

I graduated in 1976, in the middle of Jimmy Carter’s stagflation. I had a degree in biology and wanted to work in the pharmaceutical industry before going to graduate school. I was willing to take graduate school in 2 or 3 years while working full time. I was willing to clean rat cages. Two years earlier I had been a Teacher’s assistant, setting up and grading freshman chemistry labs. A year earlier I had tutored quantitative chemical analysis. But, in 1976, every door I knocked on at every pharmaceutical manufacturer had a hiring freeze. To make it worse, when I visited a job posting at the National Institutes of Health, it was for a job open to “women and minorities only.” As a white male, I was crushed. it didn’t help when I got home to meet other white males, with MBAs, sweeping warehouses, and it didn’t help to hear about people without a college degree at all making tons of money handling baggage at the local airport. My only work experience was in construction, except for the brief period I worked as a teaching assistant in a chemistry lab. Believe me, I’m not the only one who didn’t get off to a good start. I met a couple of guys down from Virginia who came to Texas during the height of the oil boom following the Arab Oil Embargo. One got a job selling cameras in a camera store. The other got a job installing alarm systems. Then, during the late 1980s bust, I met a graduate of a major Texas university keeping the desk at a 7-11. His degree was in animal science. I don’t know where some of these people ended up. I’ll just close with this. I know a man in his 70s who is now staying with his daughter. He was an honor student in high school and was admitted to a top Texas College. He transferred to another private college and went into the ministry. Today, he has nothing. His asssets are all gone. But, I’ll say this for him. He is full of wisdom. He knows history. I value him as a friend. I didn’t achieve financially what I wanted to achieve, but there is more to life.