THE ROAD TO COLLEGE: ACHIEVING STUDENT EMPLOYMENT

The Road After College: Achieving Student Employment Opportunities Based On Degree
Awarded
Patrick J. Fallon
Northeastern University
EDU 6202: Faculty, Curriculum, and Academic Community
Lynda Beltz
December 19, 2015

THE ROAD TO COLLEGE: ACHIEVING STUDENT EMPLOYMENT

Abstract
There is an obstacle that every undergraduate student encounters once their degree is achieved
after graduation, which is employment after college. As employers are seeking more job seekers
holding degrees, there is an increasing amount of college graduates that are entering the
workforce. The one qualification that every employer seeks from every applicant is foundational
skills (Sigelman & Zinshteyn, 2015). As more students take courses on the higher education
level, there is an inadequate system of instruction that is not benefiting the student as they obtain
the skills they need earlier in their academic career. With this, it suggests that a college degree
does not hold significant value for many employers and that colleges and universities need to
reconsider a different approach to educate their students for the future. From this work presented,
it is with great hopes that a student is well prepared for the obstacles that may be presented in the
long term and the short term.
Keyword(s): degree, foundational skills, job seekers, system of instruction, valuableness

THE ROAD TO COLLEGE: ACHIEVING STUDENT EMPLOYMENT

The Road After College: Achieving Student Employment Opportunities Based On Degree
Awarded
As more college graduates enter the workforce, employers are increasingly recruiting job
applicants that hold a college degree. It is therefore of great importance that job applicants attend
an institution of higher education and gain knowledge about the particular field that they are
interested in. I can say from my own personal experience as a recent graduate with a Bachelor of
Arts degree in Social Sciences and a double minor in American and European History, there is
much knowledge I have obtained in my courses. Although at times, it did seem that about 60% of
the knowledge I was receiving in the classroom was not going to benefit me in my search for a
job. This is currently a realization as I obtain a degree in Higher Education Administration. In an
analysis of 2.3 million positions that range from business management and administrative
workers to training and computer network specialists, two-thirds of the new job postings required
a bachelors degree even though fewer than half of workers currently employed in those
positions attained a bachelors (Zinshteyn, 2015). The one area that all employers are seeking
from all of their applicants is foundational skills (Sigelman & Zinshteyn, 2015), which are
associated with a liberal arts education (e.g., ability to accept feedback, work collaboratively,
manage ones time) (Zinshteyn, 2015). These are necessary skills that can be obtained in any
institution of higher education, but its how its delivered to the student that makes a significant
difference. Skills such as these can be not only be obtained within the classroom, but from their
involvement in extra-curricular activities, jobs they might have on campus, and their time
interacting on a personal level with professors and other university employees on campus. While
all this may seem as a positive outlook into the college experience, it is in their courses, which
parents, as well as the students, pay out of pocket to receive valuable instruction from their

THE ROAD TO COLLEGE: ACHIEVING STUDENT EMPLOYMENT

professors. In order for prospective college students to be successful in obtaining employment

once they graduate from an institution of higher learning, institutions need to re-develop their
approach to curriculum standards, encourage more faculty interaction with students, and
reexamine the value of a college degree. To give a prospective of what happens after a student
receives their diploma, according to 2014 statistics, the employment rate for young adults ages
20 to 24 with a bachelors degree or higher was higher than the rate for young adults with some
college (88.1 vs. 75.0 percent) (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2014). With this to
consider, colleges and universities across the country should reconsider their approach in
preparing students for future careers, and whether or not their degrees are valuable to employers.
(See Appendix A for more information on unemployment rates from 2000 through 2014).
Re-Developing Curriculum Standards & General Education Requirements
In the system of higher education, there are many different approaches to teaching in the
classroom. Some of these approaches include giving verbal instruction with a visual aid, usually
in the form of a PowerPoint Presentation, strictly lecturing without any visual aid, little
instruction requiring the student to do more independent work, and online instruction through the
advances of modern technology. According to Boyer, Excellence in teaching is the means by
which the vitality of the college is extended and a network of intellectual enrichment and cultural
understanding is built (Boyer, 60). The question that should be addressed is how to enrich our
students even further and gain a greater understanding of our students in the world they live in at
the current time? Professors do need to have a better, current understanding of the world around
them. This would not only benefit the professor from doing their job effectively, but would give
better preparation for students on what may be ahead of them. I would always advise to students
to gain valuable work experience from the very beginning of their academic experience, not at

THE ROAD TO COLLEGE: ACHIEVING STUDENT EMPLOYMENT

the very end. With the combination of work experience as well as faculty instruction, this not
only builds upon foundational skills that were mentioned by Singelman and Zinshteyan, but also
gives a better understanding of what career their interests are. Coming into my undergraduate
year, I had a different perspective in mind of what I wanted to go into. Wanting to pursue a
Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education in Secondary Education, my priorities were set and
my goal of becoming a music teacher seemed almost in my grasp. When I did not pass the entry
audition into the program, I was devastated that my future career plan was not a reality. After
selecting a second career path in Social Sciences, I had devised a backup plan, but unlike my
previous plan, this was one that would take time to deliberate, observe, and research, as I would
go through my years as an undergraduate.
One of the key issues with many institutions of higher education is completing the general
education requirements for one to two years prior to getting introduced to the required courses
for selected majors. These courses can be tedious at times for the student to take, requires the
student and/or their parents to pay more out of their pocket, and could potentially delay the
students graduation date to an extra year. Sandy Shugart, president of Valencia College and one
opposed to the model for higher education instruction, claims it asks students to defer [their]
gratification long enough and stay in school long enough before they explore the thing that
interested them in the first place (Shugart & Zinshteyn, 2015). In other words, attend the college
of your choice, but dont overstay your welcome. However, there is one important question that
should be asked to every college administrator, college student, and even college graduates, and
that is how much skills students will have obtained while taking required general education
courses? According to Tonya Troka, General Education Director at Colorado Technical
University, based on general education courses and from the Undergraduate University Learning

THE ROAD TO COLLEGE: ACHIEVING STUDENT EMPLOYMENT

Outcomes at that particular university, students are able to obtain necessary skills, such as
effective oral and written communication, quantitative literacy, critical thinking and problem
solving, scientific and technological literacy, the ability to recognize and acknowledge diverse
perspectives, the ability to collaborate and communicate with others, ethical decision-making,
and information literacy (Troka, 2014). These soft skills (Troka, 2014) are what most
employers are looking for from all students, but do all required general education courses
emphasize these skills inside and outside of the classroom? Depending on which university a
student attends, they are essential tools needed throughout their life as well as within their core
classes within their degree.
Faculty Engagement
The one thing that is often forgotten among college students is that their professors are
always willing to help, depending on their availability. Students who seek help from their
professors are not only self-reliant, but they understand the importance of what it means to ask
for their guidance, especially when applying for a job in the near future with a degree. Taking my
courses as an undergraduate, I was always reluctant to ask questions and seek guidance from my
professors during their office hours. Without knowing it too much during that time, not only was
I hurting myself, I was not taking advantage of the help I could have received in order to make
my college experience a smooth process. Attending a state university, I was fortunate enough to
have had many outgoing, proactive professors throughout my time attending. However, this is
not so for many other colleges and universities across the country. There are many faculty
members who are not being utilized for the purposes that they should, which is to guide their
students to succeed in the future. Today, almost all colleges and universities say faculty should
engage in teaching, research, and service, but when it comes to tenure and promotion, the latter

THE ROAD TO COLLEGE: ACHIEVING STUDENT EMPLOYMENT

often is forgotten (Boyer, 36). Serving the needs of the students should be considered a mantra
for college faculty members across the board and stretch their knowledge beyond their limits.
Extending more time for office hours, hosting a faculty/student study group, and attending a
function outside of the classroom that applies what they are learning in real-time, are just small
steps to engaging students in what they are learning. According to Buffy Smith, facultymentoring consultant at the University of St. Thomas, faculty should empower (students) by
showing them how to do things for themselves (Smith & Abdul-Alim, 2014). This is known as
discovering the hidden curriculum (Smith, 2014), which is the unwritten norms, values,
expectations, behaviors, codes of conduct that are not transparent or accessible to all students
(Smith, 2014). As an undergraduate, I took an American History class that really took learning
outside of the classroom to the next level. It was a class on New York City in relation to its
culture and history. The class met on selected weeks, one two and a half hour sessions. Instead of
learning lessons in the classroom, incorporating our weekly readings, the class took field trips on
the weekend to the city seeing what we have read and learned. To this day, I remember that class
because of the teachers commitment, enthusiasm, and passion to engage us in the subject being
taught. It was not only empowering, it was inspirational.
Many faculty members also serve as advisors to their students answering questions they
might have on their degree track, or anything regarding the academic department. As a service to
the student body, students can meet on a personal level and explain from their experiences what
the students should expect. Faculty advisors can make a difference in how a student can succeed
beyond the classroom in providing opportunities to their students. Some of these include
internship opportunities and stronger letters of recommendation (Smith, 2014). Every student,
especially a first generation college student, needs a role model to guide him or her in the right

THE ROAD TO COLLEGE: ACHIEVING STUDENT EMPLOYMENT

direction. Having only met with my advisor two to three times a semester, I still wish I benefited
from their guidance when it came to selecting graduate schools, ways to improve within a class,
and how to obtain a job after college. Having these tools at their disposal, faculty advisors should
be admired among the student population and can strengthen the bond between them.
Does The College Degree Have Any Value?
Mentioned previously, employers are increasingly looking for more job applicants with a
degree from an institution of higher education, whether an associates or a bachelors degree.
According to Zinshteyn, a fifth of jobs demand a certification in addition to a bachelors degree
no matter the concentration, Burning Glass research showsjust 200 were what more than 2
million job postings requested in the past 12 months (Burning Glass & Zinshteyn, 2015). In
addition to that data, Georgetown University predicts 65 percent of jobs by 2020 will require a
postsecondary education (Zinshteyn, 2015). Where does that put the value of the degree the
student has earned? Is it worth the time and effort to continue your academic life another four or
more years? The degree that is being offered to the student is being falsely advertised as a means
of getting a good job. At times, once a student earns their degree, some students might not pursue
the career they had hoped for in the beginning. According to the Association of American
Colleges and Universities, an online survey was conducted with 613 students found that, 65%
of students were confidant theyd get a job that fits their interests after graduation (Mulhere,
2015). Despite this, just 14% of employers think that most of todays college students are
prepared with the skills and knowledge needed to complete a significant applied learning project
before graduation (Hart Research Associates, pg. 6). Is the student at fault for this to occur in
our working society? Who is to blame for this? First, and foremost, its not the fault of the
teaching faculty, but more so, the system that has been established overtime as colleges have

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progressively become important in a childs academic life. Unfortunately, there are cases where
we find many students landing occupations that are not what they studied in college. Working as
a long term substitute teacher in my local public school district, I find that my job uses many of
the essential skills I was taught during my undergraduate years, but in the long-run, the majority
of material that Ive learned as an undergraduate does apply to my job currently.
Another essential question to think about is the material value of the degree. Are any of the
skills students learning in college transferable to any job on the market? Some workforce
experts say that liberal arts education in its current form is insufficient for many of the jobs out
there, with the unemployment rate for such graduates twice as high as those with degrees in math
or engineering (Zinshteyn, 2015). Thats a crucial concern; especially when the majority of
students that graduate from a college or university hold a Bachelor of Arts degree. Colleges and
universities are not being consistent in giving the right amount of training skills needed to
succeed in the real world. Every college should give the same training skills that would benefit
them in the workforce, such as those that are technologically based. Incorporating methods, such
as real world applications into weekly curriculum would open a new perspective on their future
career. According to data retrieved from Burning Glass, technical skills outweigh baseline skills
in various occupations. Having that essential knowledge of soft skills with a combination of
increased work experience through a paid, or unpaid internship/apprenticeship can bring the
value of the degree to a rise and bring back meaning to why a student receives an education.
Developing a good work ethic early in a students life could make them feel connected to the
outside world, participate in something hands-on, and develop long-term and short-term goals
that could be used to improve themselves. In addition, it builds reasoning as to why people
within their chosen career path do what they do.

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10

Fiscal Matters and The Rising Debt Ceiling

More students in this modern economy are paying high tuition and taking out massive
amounts of loans to pay for a good quality education. With the student loan debit now in the
trillions of dollars, colleges and universities need to find a universal solution for how curriculum
can suffice the value of the degree earned by the student. The sad and unfortunate thing about it
is that a majority of students are taking out student loans to pay for college. Even paying for my
student loans has been a long-time commitment and continues to be. With colleges continuing to
increase their tuition, there is a good chance that colleges and universities will go in a financial
crisis. As an undergraduate and senator in my Student Government Association, the talk of
tuition increases was a constant threat, especially when it was increasing each year by $2,000. At
my former institution, there was a financial crisis that affected all state universities, including
mine. As a result of this, the university had to make specific cuts to the budget that not only
affected the campus community, but to the campus culture as well. Decreasing enrollment, lack
of support services, and not enough to do on campus were the main factors that caused the drop
in finances.
With rising tuition rates, the rising student loan debt ceiling rising ever higher, there is no
chance for a student to really make a finalized decision on what their career choice might be. As
I observed in my college experience, many students would change majors not just because they
were disinterested in what the academic department required, but more so a change of interest.
This could be based on two factors: the first being the student wanting a sudden change in their
career path, and the second being how the classes were being instructed by their professors
within the department. The same would go for the campus culture: whether or not the student
was receiving the right services (auxiliary, counseling, tutoring), if a particular major was

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11

offered, or if a student felt like they had a sense of belonging among the campus population. As
campus tuitions continue to rise, it is most likely colleges and universities would have to resort to
new marketing techniques to show off their college or university in order to survive for the longterm.
Conclusion
Based on what has been mentioned, colleges and universities across the country should
reconsider their approach in preparing students for future careers, and whether or not their
degrees are valuable to employers. At the same time, the student also needs to be prepared to do
their part in making sure they are prepared to take the next big steps. Having this reconsideration
brings benefits for the students in the long term and satisfies employers that hire prospective
students. These are issues that students need to consider when thinking about life after college
and preparing for that next big step. Colleges and universities across the country seem to have
another academic revolution in their midst when it comes to reform. Without sacrificing the
students academic experience, the focus needs to be on building skills that are transferable and
have substance. The next generation of college students and student employment needs to change
for the future of the American economy.

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References
Abdul-Alim, Jamaal (September 8, 2014). Colleges Urged to Take Advising of Underrepresented
Students to Deeper Level. Diverse Issues in Higher Education. Retrieved from
http://diverseeducation.com/article/66772/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter
%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=82772667e2334157934731fc05a8f
e9c&elqCampaignId=358.
Boyer, Ernest L. (1990). Scholarship Reconsidered: Priorities of the Professoriate. New York:
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
Hart Research Associates. (January 20, 2015). Falling Short? College Learning and Career
Success. Washington D.C.. Retrieved from https://www.aacu.org/leap/public-opinionresearch/2015-survey-results.
Mulhere, Kaitlin. (May 14, 2015). 2015 College Grads May Not Be As Ready for the Workplace
as They Think They Are. Time: Millennial Money. Retrieved from
http://time.com/money/3857107/college-graduates-career-ready-overconfident/.
Troka, Tonya. (January 21, 2014). General Education: Does it Really Matter? Colorado
Technical University. Retrieved from
http://www.coloradotech.edu/resources/blogs/january-2014/general-education.
U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences National Center for Education
Statistics. (2015). Fast Facts: Employment rates of college graduates. Retrieved from
https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=561.
Zinshteyn, Mikhail (September 23, 2015). The New Effort to Link College to Careers. Education
Writers Association. Retrieved from http://www.ewa.org/blog-higher-ed-beat/new-effortlink-college-careers.

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Appendix A
Unemployment rates, by age group and educational attainment: Selected years,
2000 through 2014

*Taken from the National Center for Education Statistics. Obtained from the U.S. Department of
Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2015). The Condition of Education
2015 (NCES 2015-144), Employment Rates and Unemployment Rates by Educational
Attainmen