For kicks, let’s beat a dead horse: Times are tough; we’re in a recession; many of us have never weathered a financial climate this unstable; unemployment is at an all time high, blah, blah, blah. We get it — our prospects stink. So finding oneself among the ranks of the unemployed should perhaps not come as a major surprise. Unless you’re Trina Thompson, a wet-behind-the-ears college grad, looking to hold someone culpable for her less-than-desired situation.
The Monroe College alum is suing the school for $70,000 (the price of tuition) on the grounds that she hasn’t found a job since walking away with a seemingly useless piece of parchment. NBC New York conducted a little poll and found that 58 percent of their readers are laughing at this idea. You know what, I’m laughing with them.
Since when does a college degree guarantee you anything? Did Thompson read some fine print the rest of us missed? If only the unemployed graduates of the class of ’09 wanted their money back, utter mayhem would ensue. Another question: How much time and energy is involved in filing a lawsuit against an accredited institution like Monroe College? I imagine a decent amount Time that could likely be better spent looking for work, or dare I say, temping? Now, I’m not suggesting that anyone thinks, “Hey, I want to be a temp when I grow up,” but sometimes that’s what life throws your way.
At the risk of dating myself, when I entered the job market, I don’t remember things being so promising. In fact, if memory serves, they sucked. The economy certainly wasn’t as grim as today’s, but no one I know was riding high in the pre-dotcom ’90s.
On the other hand, there are the subjects of a recent New York Times piece: the optimistically unemployed. Apparently a surprising number of college grads are “holding out” for something better to come along. The pattern is so pervasive, the president of the University of Connecticut, Michael J. Hogan, addressed it in his commencement speech:
“My first word of advice is this: Say yes,” Hogan urged the graduates when it came to prospective employers. “In fact, say yes as often as you can. Saying yes begins things. Saying yes is how things grow. Saying yes leads to new experiences, and new experiences will lead you to knowledge and wisdom. Yes is for young people, and an attitude of yes is how you will be able to go forward in these uncertain times.”
I said yes to my first crummy job offer: $8.50 an hour without benefits at a major fashion house. Was I overworked, underpaid and practically shamed on a daily basis? Absolutely. But it was a foot in the door, and I turned that opportunity into a successful career as a fashion publicist. Interestingly enough, connections from that first job have helped me in my new career as a writer in ways I never could have imagined back then. So buck up, Trina, there’s a job waiting out there for you, and I guarantee its not going to be handed down from a judge.
Photo courtesy of Madelyn Mulvaney, via Flickr.