Fresh ideas about career, education, the life well-led, and improving the world.
Monday, November 18, 2013
Job Hunting: Bah, Humbug!
The hiring process is a showcase of humankind's weaknesses, with. both employers and job hunters guilty. That's the topic of today's installment in my USNews.com "Bah, Humbug" series: Job Hunting: Bah, Humbug! HERE is the link.
I'm betting you will not post it here. In fact, if you don't, I will know I am right.
And, by the way, this is why I am undoubtedly your most avid reader.
I know you consider me a "troll" (which is fine by me), but I consider you the worst kind of commenter---essentially someone who should know the value of objectivity but hides behind a veneer of professional / academic credentials to vent intemperately on one of society's imperfect but nevertheless best practices.
10. Better-prepared kids Parents with advanced degrees are three times more likely to read to their kids every day than parents who haven’t finished high school, and twice as likely to participate in other educational activities like visiting museums and libraries. 9. Fewer social costs High school graduates are three times more likely to live in poverty than college graduates, and eight times more likely to depend on public assistance programs 8. More tax revenue Higher salaries for college means more money for the government, 7. More volunteering and voting The share of people who donate their time to organizations and the number of hours that they spend in volunteer activities are higher among individuals with higher levels of education. 6. Fewer smokers Between 1998 and 2008, the smoking rate declined from 14 percent to 9 percent among college grads, while the rate for high school grads barely dropped, from 29 percent to 27 percent. 5. More exercise, less fat Those with more education are more likely to exercise than those with less education. 4. Higher job satisfaction In 2008, about 60 percent of people who had attended college – whether or not they’d completed a degree – reported that they were very satisfied with their jobs. Only 50 percent of high school graduates and 40 percent of high school dropouts could say the same. 3. Better recession protection College graduates’ employment rose 2 percent between the first quarter of 2007 and the first quarter of 2010, despite the great recession. Every group with lower education levels saw employment numbers decline. 2. More benefits, higher pensions Only half of high school graduates have employer-provided health insurance or pension plans, but almost 70 percent of college graduates do. 1. Increased earning potential Everyone knows the price of a college degree, but fewer know the price of not getting one: $22K a year. In 2008, median earnings of college graduates were $55,700, which was $21,900 more than the median earnings of high school graduates who hadn’t attended college.
You are confusing correlation with causation. Of course, college graduates do better things than those that don't. But that doesn't at all imply that college CAUSED those things.
The pool of college-bound students is wildly different from the pool of students who do not go to college: They're brighter, more motivated, have better family connections, etc.
The studies I cite and I do always cite the relevant studies make clear that higher education, for significant percentages of students do NOT add sufficient value-added to justify the time, money, and opportunity costs.
I present the link to that wealth of good studies in my comment--for which you term me "the worst kind on commenter." Indeed, when I submitted the article for publication, the article included that link but because US News/Yahoo limits the links in an article and US News wants to promote links to its own articles, the aforementioned link was deleted. But to, as usual, make your ad hominem attacks--"hiding behind a veneer of professional academic credentials" is not only unfair but more importantly, untrue. I hope to be able to adhere to the conventional wisdom that the best way to deal with a troll is to ignore him/her.
Hi Marty, I just posted this on your USNews blog.
ReplyDeleteI'm betting you will not post it here. In fact, if you don't, I will know I am right.
And, by the way, this is why I am undoubtedly your most avid reader.
I know you consider me a "troll" (which is fine by me), but I consider you the worst kind of commenter---essentially someone who should know the value of objectivity but hides behind a veneer of professional / academic credentials to vent intemperately on one of society's imperfect but nevertheless best practices.
10. Better-prepared kids
Parents with advanced degrees are three times more likely to read to their kids every day than parents who haven’t finished high school, and twice as likely to participate in other educational activities like visiting museums and libraries.
9. Fewer social costs
High school graduates are three times more likely to live in poverty than college graduates, and eight times more likely to depend on public assistance programs
8. More tax revenue
Higher salaries for college means more money for the government,
7. More volunteering and voting
The share of people who donate their time to organizations and the number of hours that they spend in volunteer activities are higher among individuals with higher levels of education.
6. Fewer smokers
Between 1998 and 2008, the smoking rate declined from 14 percent to 9 percent among college grads, while the rate for high school grads barely dropped, from 29 percent to 27 percent.
5. More exercise, less fat
Those with more education are more likely to exercise than those with less education.
4. Higher job satisfaction
In 2008, about 60 percent of people who had attended college – whether or not they’d completed a degree – reported that they were very satisfied with their jobs. Only 50 percent of high school graduates and 40 percent of high school dropouts could say the same.
3. Better recession protection
College graduates’ employment rose 2 percent between the first quarter of 2007 and the first quarter of 2010, despite the great recession. Every group with lower education levels saw employment numbers decline.
2. More benefits, higher pensions
Only half of high school graduates have employer-provided health insurance or pension plans, but almost 70 percent of college graduates do.
1. Increased earning potential
Everyone knows the price of a college degree, but fewer know the price of not getting one: $22K a year.
In 2008, median earnings of college graduates were $55,700, which was $21,900 more than the median earnings of high school graduates who hadn’t attended college.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/2010/1028/Top-10-benefits-of-a-college-degree/Increased-earning-potential
You are confusing correlation with causation. Of course, college graduates do better things than those that don't. But that doesn't at all imply that college CAUSED those things.
ReplyDeleteThe pool of college-bound students is wildly different from the pool of students who do not go to college: They're brighter, more motivated, have better family connections, etc.
The studies I cite and I do always cite the relevant studies make clear that higher education, for significant percentages of students do NOT add sufficient value-added to justify the time, money, and opportunity costs.
I present the link to that wealth of good studies in my comment--for which you term me "the worst kind on commenter." Indeed, when I submitted the article for publication, the article included that link but because US News/Yahoo limits the links in an article and US News wants to promote links to its own articles, the aforementioned link was deleted. But to, as usual, make your ad hominem attacks--"hiding behind a veneer of professional academic credentials" is not only unfair but more importantly, untrue. I hope to be able to adhere to the conventional wisdom that the best way to deal with a troll is to ignore him/her.