Does the American Dream Exist for College Graduates
Back when our grandparents and great grandparents were growing up there was a set formula for a good life: go to school, get good grades, get into a university, get a degree, turn a job into a career, start a family, and live a long time. This was considered the “American Dream” throughout most part of the 20th century. Within the past 20 years it seems as if the “American Dream” is changing, which begs the question, if there still is an “American Dream,” what is it?
As a soon-to-be graduate, I am expected to quickly get a job to start paying off the pile of student loans that have accrued over the past four years. This is a problem. Ever since the collapse of the economy in 2007 the unemployment rate of recently graduated college students has risen dramatically. This means that getting a job is turning more and more into who you know. With this change, social media is becoming a larger asset for college students.
Using these networks, i.e. Linked In, Facebook, Twitter, to post resumes, job experience, and to communicate with different businesses and potential hirers, is becoming the new job. I remember checking my social media websites everyday looking for new opportunities and connecting with new people. The more people you know, the better chance you have of landing a job.
One of the biggest impacts on job creation is the tax cuts by this current administration. Instead of cutting taxes for big businesses and companies, small businesses are getting the cuts. This means that big businesses have no incentive to hire new employees, and especially new employees with little to no experience, which is the group that most college graduates fall into.
College graduates have always had a tough time getting a job, but with this economy it is getting much harder. I am not sure if there still is an “American Dream” – but if there is, it certainly is not the same as it was.
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