Waaaaaaah!

Perry at Eidelblog asks Do these new college grads think they're in France? He is not too sympathetic for the 25 year-old NYU grad who has been "crying every day. It's just been really intense, between graduating college and trying to find a job. I just want to be happy and find something I can enjoy doing!"

Could anyone feel less for her than I do? By sending out a mere 30 resumes a month (one a day), she thinks she can find a job she'll enjoy doing, with the implicit requirement that it pay enough and be strictly 9 to 5. She's fortunate that someone replied, "Look, you don't know anything about the industry. Good grades and showing energy aren't enough. Do your homework if you expect to impress someone enough to land a job." That person did her a favor.

Note that the reporter used "deigning," which many people tend to misuse. The word involves condescension. However, if that's the attitude the recent grad shows, that she's "deigning" to apply for those jobs, then it's no wonder only one out of 30 bothered to reply.

Welcome to the real world, kids. This is the United States of America, not France. In this country, you're not just expected to work hard, but with smarts and resourcefulness. Above all, you will learn humility, especially when you realize you won't get paid what you think you're worth. It's called supply and demand: you're not as indispensable as you think you are, and even if you're really good, odds are that you are not the company's only option.

Tucker Carlson had an author on who was this woman's spiritual twin. Some (I don't think they are representative) are deeply convinced that things have "never been worse" for young people. Sadly, some people take them seriously, instead of giving them the "Waaaah" that they deserve.

Economics and Markets Posted by jk at June 1, 2006 12:25 PM