In the article "College Degrees Are Overrated," the author Peter Coy discusses the overreliance on college degrees for job opportunities and argues that this practice is often unnecessary and exclusionary. Coy suggests that many employers have started to require a bachelor's degree as a prerequisite for jobs that do not necessarily require them. He points out that this approach may overlook talented individuals who have acquired valuable skills through alternative routes, leading to missed opportunities for both candidates and employers. Coy's main argument revolves around the idea that the emphasis on college degrees in the hiring process is a flawed practice that fails to accurately assess an individual's skills and potential. He argues …show more content…
He presents the case of Byron Auguste's father, who achieved a successful career in computer programming despite lacking a college degree. Additionally, Coy references the work of Opportunity@Work and other organizations that advocate for recognizing and providing opportunities for individuals who have developed skills through alternative paths. I agree with Coy's argument that the emphasis on college degrees in the hiring process is often unnecessary and may lead to missed opportunities for talented individuals. The traditional reliance on degree requirements can overlook individuals who possess valuable skills, practical experience, and the ability to perform well in specific roles. Moreover, this practice reinforces social inequalities and limits access to career advancement for individuals who do not fit into the traditional educational mold. For instance, Coy's mention of the software development contractor who achieved success with a team primarily composed of individuals without college degrees underscores the potential of alternative pathways to acquiring skills. The inability of the client to recognize the talent and value of the team due to their lack of traditional credentials serves as a powerful example of the shortcomings of the current hiring
In Frank Bruni’s New York Time’s article, “The Imperiled Promise of College,” he argues that college is no longer a guarantee of success because students are not being properly motivated and guided into the programs that will provide them with jobs.
Maney then starts to explain how the job force can also use what college and degree you have in order to hire you. This is an easy way for employers to get around not being able to give IQ tests to future employees. This also gives them the right to judge them based on the college they attended. If two people were up for a job and one was a Harvard grad and the other went to a community college, then we know who would
In "Are Too Many People Going to College?" by Charles Murray is not that too many people are attending college but that people are going for the wrong reasons. People ought to head off to college to become "capable and cultivated human beings" and get a liberal arts education, but should not wait until school is over to do so. You ought to know your aptitudes and shortcomings before picking a job just to get a degree in view of the amount of money you will make. Murray utilizes the electrician and the business manager scenario for a young male to demonstrate this point. The young man could be a successful electrician in light of the fact that he would be the best at what he does and that would secure professional stability. Then again turning into a business manager wouldn't be his best
What purpose does having a college education serve beyond obtaining a degree? Can a person acquire the same results without having a college education? Why does college matter? These are all questions to ask in making a decision on whether or not furthing education beyond highschool is important. In his essay "3 Reasons College Still Matters," Andrew Delanco argues that receiving a higher education provides economic, liberal, and political advantages. Attending college and obtaining an education has benefits that are both calculable and incalculable relating to ones outcome economically, socially, and politically. The fact of the matter is, college is indeed important, and it does hold value in today's society.
Unemployment is on the rise and, always trying to be avoided. By obtaining a degree, the chance of being out of work is reduced. Baum, Ma, & Payea (2013) claim, “The 2012 unemployment rates for 25- to 34-year-olds were 9.6% for those with some college but no degree and 7.2% for those with associate degrees” (p.20). With just an associate's degree, the chance of being unemployed plummets 2.4% compared to those compared to little college, proving when the higher of a degree is obtained, the lower
College is the place where people go to retain the necessary training for a job that requires specific skills, which results in earning a higher pay check. In today’s world, employers are scouting out for individuals with the proper dexterities to fill the shoes for that specific job. Blanche D. Blank, the author of “A Question of Degree," argues that possessing a degree of higher education isn’t the only way to have a very successful life. This statement is highly argumentative, due to the fact that college graduates still out-earn people without degrees. Obtaining a college degree is one of the best things someone can do for themselves, when it comes to looking for a stable job. There is also so much more to college than just receiving a
In “Should the Obama Generation Drop Out?” Charles Murray talks about how a college degree now days, is looked at higher than it should be when it comes to meeting the qualifications for a job. Most jobs that pay over minimum wage will require you to have a college degree, making it very difficult for people that either can’t afford it or do not believe in it, to get a reliable well paying job. Like Barack Obama said “It’s what you can do that should count when you apply for a job, not where you learned to do it”(Murray 97); a large amount of people have the skills for a job but do not have the degree to show for, making them not qualified for the job. Companies will not even give you an interview if your resume does not have any type of degree on it. That situation makes life very unfair for multiple individuals. There should be some kind of certification test for applicant to take to see if he or she meets the skills needed for the job. The benefits of discarding the bachelor’s degree as a job qualification would be huge for both employers and job applicants. Therefo...
Dostis, Melanie. “Degree Alone Not Enough To Prepare Grads For Workforce.” USA Today. USA Today, 31 Oct. 2013. Web. 16 April 2014
Contrary to popular belief, a college education can help with any job, regardless of whether the job is within a certain major or not. In fact, a college graduate even benefits if they take up a job as a plumber or a police officer- not only from their academic education, but also from learning important skills such as persistence and discipline (Leonhardt). Having a college experience and exposure to the world creates well- rounded people with higher skills and work ethics- and therefore better workers. Though they aren’t immune to being turned down, college graduates are more likely to actually get jobs, and be paid more for them, as shown in a study d...
argue that college is not for everyone. Murray’s analysis of college as a whole can help us understand Owen and Sawhill’s observation about the importance of college education. In particular, this becomes clear through Murray’s discussions of college degrees, overemphasis on college education, and the mismatching between skills and jobs that he is more effective at encouraging the reader that college is not for everyone more than Owen and Sawhill’s essay. Charles Murray explores the issue of college degrees or B.A., which contributes to his argument that most employers value your B.A. more than they value your skills and experience. Murray states, “But for many other jobs, the economic premium for the B.A. is created by the brutal
If more people went to college, and less went the vocational route, jobs will take a momentous hit. Today, companies will not even touch an application that does not include a Bachelor’s Degree; even if the Bachelor’s Degree has nothing to do with the job being applied for. Attention is not given to whether the hopeful applicant qualifies for the job; all that matters is that the applicant has a Bachelor’s degree. Murray best sums up the American job market when he says, “Employers do not value what the student learned, just that the student has a degree” (Murray). However, if less people obtain a Bachelor’s Degree, employers will be forced to base applicants on their skills, and abilities. Furthermore, important vocational jobs that lie vacant will be filled. Good electricians, carpenters, and construction workers will always be in
Caroline stated in her essay, “Teachers, engineers and others I talked to said they find that on the job they rarely use what they learned in school.” The information that Caroline gathered supports that many of the people who already graduated and have a stable job, don’t use what they were taught in college. College students are going to college with the purpose to be trained and learn what they need to get into the career they want. It is a waste of time if they are in college and when it comes to being in the work force, they do not use what they were taught in school. In the essay, Caroline Bird states the following, “Most college administrators admit that they don’t prepare their graduates for the job market.” As stated in this citation, the students are not prepared for the work force when they are in college. If they students are not being prepare for the job during their college time, then college is just a waste of money and
A real education is something that everyone should value, and all of us should strive to live up to our true potential. Contrary to popular belief, heading off to a four-year college to reach that true potential may not necessarily be the right choice for everyone. Vocational training is not only less expensive than college, but it is also a better use of time and provides students with skills critical for their job of interest. In six months, the class of 2014 will put on their caps and gowns and walk across the stage with their diplomas. All of those graduates will be excited to move onto the next chapter of life. But what path will they choose? Will they go with the flow, or will they take a walk down the unbeaten path?
The book Taking Sides- Educational Issues states that, “individuals who have attended college have greater work opportunities and tend to have skills that can be easily applied in different job settings”.
A university degree does not guarantee professional success. " Successful and unsuccessful people do not vary greatly in their abilities. They vary in their desires to reach their potential." John Maxwell.