So Arizona is not doing so well on the job front, huh?
With whispers of recession and running-for-higher-office politicians talking about creating new jobs (and ignoring the lost-jobs statistics), finding work apparently isn’t as easy as it used to be.
That’s especially true here, with Arizona ranking second to last in state’s job growth.
But how does this all affect Joe Sparky, your average ASU student? It’s getting tougher for graduating seniors to find a job.
Undergraduates can only hope the time is ripe when they’re set to don the cap and gown. But, what about our eldest peers? You know, those bearded, married, authoritative students who speak up in your Spanish class. Is a job at Chili’s all they have to look forward too? Surely, there’s more.
But the value of a college education has obviously decreased — while the price to attend has gone up. More of us are getting higher education, so there are fewer jobs to split up among us. There is no longer a sense of entitlement that goes along with a diploma. The Ph.D. is in style, simply out of necessity.
Here at The State Press, we can — and would like to — commiserate. The words print and journalism no longer go together, as our business heads online. (Shameless plug: check out the new www.asuwebdevil.com.)
The jobs in our field are getting cut every day. Acclaimed journalists are being offered buyouts by their respective “information centers.”
This shouldn’t only be dreary news, though.
The state of Arizona is known for its never-ending population growth and thus in businesses too. Plus, we collegians have the high-tech skills that may employers like to see.
But, just in case Arizona fails us, let’s examine the alternatives:
— Mooch off your college roommate’s leftover pizza for the rest of your life.
— Move to Mexico; see if they are hiring there.
— Apply for a call-center position in Bangkok.
— Try to work your way up to manager at a national eatery. We hear Ruby Tuesday is looking for a rising star.
Old McCain and young Obama alike are telling us foreign businesses shouldn’t get tax breaks when they exit the country but tax incentives to stay in it.
What everyone is probably forgetting amid the fuss: The best thing we can do as students exiting the college world and entering the real world — no MTV confusion, please — is to invest in ourselves.
Sure, there’s less work to be had now. But it will get better.
It almost always does.
