Many of my senior friends have been taking mini-vacations for job interviews since around or before January. In the days prior to their trips, they explain to me this overwhelming, life-consuming anxiety they're experiencing. They have identified this anxiety as having two roots (probably more though). One, they feel the need to paint themselves in a glowing light for their potential employers. This is easily a session in self-aggrandizement (I can imagine some of you may have already had a hand in such activities). Two, they are frightened (yet paradoxically elated) by the fact that graduation is around the corner; with such a date on its way, the necessity for a job is ever-growing-and the only thought that scares my friends more than not getting a job is having to move back in with the 'rents.
Begrudgingly, I realize that despite the anxieties, most of my senior friends will depart from this University with smiles and set destinations all over the country as they enter the real world and workforce. Naturally, as a college student and a sophomore with a slight case of "senior envy," I find myself still unsure of what my post-graduation life holds for me. As a psychology major, I'm well accustomed to the "What will you do with your degree in psych after you graduate?" question, and I still haven't found a definitive answer. However, I take solace in the fact that no matter what, there will be a job for me somewhere, somehow.
Obviously, this is for the most part true. There are jobs to be had-especially for students who graduate from top schools like Duke, many of whom forego careers in areas they are truly interested in for the higher-paying corporate jobs (unless, of course, your true interest is to accrue as much as possible).
But for others, those who didn't go "Ivy" for four years, or may not have gone to college at all, jobs seem less and less secure, if they even exist at all.
As students at Duke, we luxuriate in the presence of an institution that works hard to give its students outlets, connections and jobs. We take advantage of the fact that our school readily arranges meetings with representatives from Forbes 500 companies, gives resume workshops and helps us prep for our interviews. We have a safety net cast for us of which many Americans are being stripped.
While many of us worry about which analyst job pays the most, an ever-increasing number of Americans are worrying about whether or not they will lose their jobs to those in countries such as India and China. The debate over the outsourcing of American jobs has been heated for years. While some economists and traders say that the benefits of outsourcing in the long run help everyone, many have concerned themselves with the protection of those who lose their jobs every year to people overseas who work for less.
Whatever the case, my understanding of outsourcing boils down to two important issues. One, there is cheap labor overseas and companies are willing to exploit it in the name of profit (which is completely reasonable from an economic standpoint). Two, the citizens of foreign countries have the skills for computer and tech-heavy jobs that companies want to fill; thus, coupled with the value of their national currencies, these people are perfect workers for today's technology-based world.
Many people argue that there are just as many qualified Americans to do the jobs being shipped overseas. Sadly enough, this may not be the case.
The Department of Education released a study a few years ago that said about one-third of America's high school students are dropping out or will fail to complete their diploma requirements. On top of that, from those who complete high school and continue on to attain bachelor's degrees, only about 5 percent receive their degrees in the areas of engineering and mathematics. This means that as more students in other countries focus on engineering and math to secure their futures, more Americans will graduate without the skills needed to harbor American-created technology positions. These sorts of numbers indicate a bleak future for certain sectors of the American workforce whose jobs are prone to be outsourced.
In comparison to these thousands of other Americans, for the average Dukie, armed with a strong degree and the skills to back it up, the worries of unemployment are hardly felt. It seems like many seniors' job anxieties are a bit skewed. I know I'll try to remember that when my interview season rolls around.
Keesha Brown is a Trinity sophomore. Her column runs every other Thursday.
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