Starting Career in a Hole

[dgs49]

I read an article a little while ago that predicted that college grads and others starting their careers now will probably earn less for their entire careers, as a result of starting out during a recession. While every career is unique, I don't doubt it.

I got out of the service in 1971. The job market in the late 60's and first few years of the 70's was tremendous, thanks to the fact that a significant percentage of the male workforce (women weren't much of a factor at that time) was in military service. College grads in 1970 and the surrounding years could count on multiple job offers, and choosing from a number of possible careers ("Plastics," remember that?). The major subject was important for science and business/accounting majors, but even a History or Philosophy degree would get you in the door at a lot of reputable companies - and not just retailing and fast foods.

By the time I hit the job market in earnest in 1975 (after some college and other stuff), there was almost nothing available in the "professional" market unless you had a career-oriented degree - engineering, accounting, or B.A. My contemporaries who had not gone into the service had started their careers in 1971, and most of them had landed very promising internships and other staff positions that placed them a couple levels above the positions that I could even apply for. Credentials that warranted a "Welcome" mat in 1970, evinced an, "Are you serious?" by 1975.

I had visions of getting into corporate Personnel, as that is what I did most of while in the Army, and I had more than one conversation with an H.R. rep, with him telling me I couldn't possibly expect to get into Personnel without a degree in Human Resources, or possibly an advanced degree in Psych.

"Oh, really," says I, "What's your degree in?"

"History."

"I thought as much."

I tried to get in with the Federal Government, because (a) I got a "Veteran's Preference," and (b) they would overlook my (temporary) lack of a college degree because I aced their aptitude test (with my 5-point "preference" I was over 100%). But the Veteran's Preference still couldn't put me on an equal footing with my classmates who started their careers during the "good" years of Vietnam. Those guys had already completed internships and were at GS11 or GS12 level while I was just starting as a GS-5.

I don't know that I was ever able to completely overcome the setback of four years (which I did voluntarily), even after getting my JD degree. I constantly run into very ordinary people who are in high-level corporate jobs, based on starting their careers in the 1966-1972 timeframe.

Today's grads are screwed. They will be taking scut jobs that nobody actually wants and they may never recover. They will be painted with the brush of "stockboy" until they retire. 60 years from now.

[The Hen]

I am certainly grateful I hit the employment market when I did back in 1983.

I have been able to get much sought after skills by diversifying my career path approximately every 10 years.

I have never had any issues with changing career direction as the skills I have learnt along the way have transferred to other streams. I did it all without a degre because during my three years of university I was far too interested in partying to make a more sensible decision to study.

Nowadays it would almost be impossible to have gone the path I have chosen without qualifications. Even with qualifications, it would be doubtful that all the doors I opened for myself would have swung so smoothly.