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Floridians would love to be fired
Posted by Fired Fred on April 30, 2007 2:11 PM
I think I've hinted that college is one of the biggest swindles out there. It's an industry that raises prices every year, repeats last year's lectures every year, forces you to take stuff like 12 credits of foreign languages you'll only use to hit on hot foreign students, and leaves you with years of "Please pay now" from your student loans.
Forget about any guarantee of a job. Check out this story from South Florida to see that payback on investment in action...
In Broward and Palm Beach counties, more than one out of every 10 adults living in poverty has a bachelor's degree or higher, according to recent census estimates. More than one out of every three of the area's poor adults, ages 25 and older, have earned an associate's degree or taken community college classes.I'm not talking about advanced programs like med school or law school here. But those grads get saddled with even more debt. It seems like everyone gets the shaft unless they came from obscene wealth (don't need a degree to inherit), or abject poverty (everything was paid for with grants instead of loans).
I can't mock these people properly unless they get hired somewhere so they will have witnesses for whatever monumental screwup they cause to get fired. Here's why they aren't getting jobs...
But, as degrees have become more plentiful, they have become less a guarantee of success.See the problem here? Networking with other unemployed people doesn't work. You don't need people to tell you how much unemployment sucks when you don't have a job.
In Palm Beach County, a group of unemployed professionals meet weekly to swap job-hunting tips, leads and encouragement.
I don't think it's a wasteful college education problem.. it's more of a Florida problem. Kids would rather pops some pills, pop some kids, and buy a trailer before they turn 18.
Seriously though, you have to a be lazy ass and completely unmotivated to not get a job. It has nothing to do with having a college education or not. You can always be doing something to pad your resume and working towards getting a job. Move to a new city if you have too. But people get in a rut and instead of doing something about it, they would rather sit on the couch and drink a Pabst Blue Ribbon and watch King of the Hill.
Posted on: May 1, 2007 9:08 AM
I don't agree, Florida pays about the least in any state I've ever lived. My God its a insult to even go to interviews when they want to pay you 2/3rds under the national average, and if i ever get the"but you make it up with the weather"BS I'm going to go nuts. In Florida all you got is the right to work hard, not smart. you only gain the right to earn less, and you get the right to be fired for any reason. Well if i don't like it i should leave , eh. How can i leave when i cant even afford a plane ticket or the 8000 i need to get out of here.. Well enough i gotta go to one of my 2 jobs, by the way i got a degree in technology, oh yeah, I'm a honorably discharged Vet. Don't give me crap, i had enough of it supporting your right to criticize, pretty good article. Ps not all Floridians are red necks asshole.
Posted on: May 1, 2007 6:29 PM
The "Florida Problem" that you speak of is a disparate cost of living vs. wages - and income that's affected by " tourist season" as well. I have a bachelor's degree in psychology, no children and no substance abuse problem. I was just laid off from a job that pays 13.00 per hour in the medical/mental health field because tourists are going home, and that means fewer patients to take care of.
My average monthly net salary most recently was around 1700. My rent is 1,100 per month, which is the "low rent" district, I do not have cable TV, telephone or car payment - and I drive a 4 cylinder. My car insurance is 90 per month, my electricity is also around 90/month, and I do not use A/C at all, and heat only when I'm freezing.
Assuming I eat and buy gasoline (at 3.00/gallon) - where am I supposed to come up with $400+ per month to repay student loans?
And I'd better get my hands on a telephone if I expect employers to call me to hire me... there's at least another $50.00.
Don't judge Florida by what you read on Fark (www.fark.com).
Posted on: May 2, 2007 9:38 AM
I would like to comment that Florida is not the only low paying state in the USA, I moved from IL where the highest wages I made $12/hr working at the computer school I was going to for A+ and MCSE training. And I don't know what I did or haven't done correctly, but IL never paid me enough or would even hire me into my career field. It really depresses one when an employer does not even respond to a prospective employee even when physically approached looking for work.
In FL, however, somebody needs somebody at any given time, I have rarely experienced being passed on for interviews, and still find myself considering multiple offers. Plus my highest wage was $32,000/yr via UNISYS. Unfortunately, now I have found myself seeking employment as the service sector has destabilized due to a new strategy which had an negative impact on the customer service next business day promises.
So please don't knock FL for the problem which faces everyone in the world, Sometimes we have to step out of the careerbox and learn new things.
Posted on: May 5, 2007 9:02 PM