It Takes a B.A. to Find a Job as a File Clerk

[groovedaddy]

ATLANTA —The college degree is becoming the new high school diploma: the new minimum requirement, albeit an expensive one, for getting even the lowest-level job.

Consider the 45-person law firm of Busch, Slipakoff & Schuh here in Atlanta, a place that has seen tremendous growth in the college-educated population. Like other employers across the country, the firm hires only people with a bachelor’s degree, even for jobs that do not require college-level skills.

This prerequisite applies to everyone, including the receptionist, paralegals, administrative assistants and file clerks. Even the office “runner” — the in-house courier who, for $10 an hour, ferries documents back and forth between the courthouse and the office — went to a four-year school.

“College graduates are just more career-oriented,” said Adam Slipakoff, the firm’s managing partner. “Going to college means they are making a real commitment to their futures. They’re not just looking for a paycheck.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/20/business/college-degree-required-by-increasing-number-of-companies.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20130220&_r=0

[kairos12]

1. The one percent solution--entice people to load up on debt to earn a degree, offer no jobs...

to pay off that degree, keep a permanent underclass of well educated people to serve in courier like jobs knowing the bankruptcy laws have been changed to make quitting that job impossible.

Crushing white collar jobs from the top, crushing unions and blue collar jobs from the bottom.

Rigged game.

[leveymg]

2. What files? What job?

What law firm? Everything is outsourced. Nobody has a real job. Professional jobs that require real expertise and decades of experience, in particular, have been gouged out of the net-centric business model.

All that's left are the partner-owner equity holders and a few helpers. The rest are sinking on their own as cottage consultants.

[grilled onions]

3. Hook, Line and Sinker

The hook...they talk a good game and how you need all this "eddy-cashun" to make your mark in the world. No mention how wages have crashed through the past several decades.No mention that most jobs seem to slink off into that big corporate office called Out Sourcing. But they have your attention and perhaps you have been more educated into now cell phone technology or the newest options at NetFlix. All they know is the majority of young college age students are not as informed as they should be. Now comes the line.This educational carrot that says you must get "x" number of year under your educational belt to even be considered at the lowly jobs but we know you are better then that. Perhaps another year or two would be best for someone like you. Kids see dollar signs of success. But the sinker comes along. Here they are fresh out of school and just now looking at the want ads. Even in their field jobs are scarce and a hundreds for each slot. You don't want to lower your standards but now you have all those student loans facing you. Any job seems better then not getting one that is in your profession. But you have that sinking feeling. Your dreams keep getting father away.The wages once promised now keep sinking as well. You begin to wonder why you are answering phones or doing minimal tasks for all those years of book learning. But the hucksters know!! Getting students tied into years of contracts of student loans is a tidy little business.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

4. I can beat that one.

I knew a guy who went to Rice University (hardcore nerd school--like MIT or Caltech) and got a Ph.D. in Philosophy. He was a file clerk. This was over 25 years ago.

[KansDem]

7. "This was over 25 years ago"

If I may ask, what happened to him? (just curious)

[Manifestor_of_Light]

8. Sorry, I don't know what he's doing now.

[LiberalEsto]

5. Unless, of course, they tell you that you're "overqualified" nt

[Manifestor_of_Light]

9. Then why don't they raise their standards, Gawd forbid????

Yeah, mediocrity is the American way.

Just watch "Idiocracy" by Mike Judge.

[FiveGoodMen]

6. This is how slavery returns

This has been the point of everything the 1% has done in the past couple of decades (at least).

[blkmusclmachine]

10. Amerika:

By and for the 1%.

You got no options, brother. And no voice.

Now, back to work, you useless worker.

:~p

[Macoy51]

11. My Office Requires a 4 Year Degree

It takes a 4 year degree with a minimum of 24 credit hours of business courses to even walk in the door at my organization. And what is 80% of our work load? Data entry. And to make the degree requirement even more ludicrous, no degree can teach how to do your job in my organization. You have to learn by doing.

A rational approach would be to hire High School graduates for 80% of our work load, and degreed professionals for the remainder. But of course we would never do that.



Macoy

[steve2470]

12. this is just sad, I weep for my son's generation :/ nt

[Macoy51]

13. Very Sad

Very sad, and it is bad, not just for the young folks, but for all of us. Just about every sector will be harmed by the mania for a college degree. The college grads will be paying off student loads instead of buying a new car, down payment on a home, going out to eat, vacation, buying new furniture, electronics, you name it.

Student loan debt means $300-500 an month is going to the banks/government instead of stimulating the economy.


Macoy

[Manifestor_of_Light]

14. They take your student loan payment out of your social security.

my friend went to one of those ripoff proprietary schools that advertises heavily. In culinary arts, fashion design, video production, yada yada.

graduated in 1994, now they are taking money out of his Social Security check in retirement.

That is not a joke. It's real.