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St. Cloud State University
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Finding work sometimes requires work
By Kristen Kubisiak
Published:
Thursday, October 2, 2003
Kristen J. Kubisiak -- Staff Column
A common complaint among college graduates is the economy.
"There are no jobs," they bellowed pitifully, after concluding what was a relatively easy four-year stretch of studies, parties and odd jobs.
Meanwhile hundreds of miles away and millions of miles removed from graduate-brains are some people who haven't worked for two months. Not because even fast food joints aren't hiring, but because there are no jobs.
A Washington administrator estimated the unemployment level in Iraq is as high as 60 percent.
But disregard for a moment all the problems the U.S. inflicted on Iraq in its "heroic" discovery and removal of Saddam's nuclear weapons - no wait, that never happened - and focus instead on the mentality of my generation.
Somewhere along the line, providing "a better life" became providing "an easy life." No longer do so many parents struggle, as they did 50, 40, 30, even 20 years ago, to create a better life for their kids. Now the goal seems to be to create an "easy life" and this is more than evident by the temperament of recent graduates.
After the elaborate commencement ritual, students seem to expect the proverbial red carpet to keep rolling beneath their feet as they exit Halenbeck Hall. Do they honestly think these four or five years would be the hardest, and that the "struggle" stops after the diploma arrives?
Not the case.
In the days before there were labor unions, normal people worked hour upon ungodly hour for what today would be a pittance. I am not saying that we should revert back to pre-labor union days, but I am saying students in my generation don't know the meaning of "work," and often when presented with a struggle, rather than face it, they will skulk away to the office of some shrink because they feel bad they can't get what they want exactly when they want it.
The truth of the matter is, there are jobs. It is hard to get them, but not impossible. Just be realistic. Lose the mentality that degree-holders are any better than anyone else, and discard the misconception that life is an effortless festival of hedonism.
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