Stavenik 1 Catherine Stavenik ENG-1100 College Writing Work and Identity October 16, 2013 Why is Employment Difficult?

It was her way or the highway, Crystal knew she could be anything she wanted. She was determined and stubborn and when it came to an education, she knew. Radiography had always stuck with her, after breaking her arm and leg; she loved to see what the doctor had to show her on the x-ray. When her father broke his foot, she tagged along to see what his pictures would look like. It was that day that she truly wanted to work in radiology. The hospital did not just have x-rays, but had CT scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, and more. The science of looking inside the body without surgically opening it was astonishing. From that day forward, Crystal worked hard in middle school and high school, graduating with high honors. In college, out of 245 people in the radiography program, thirty-five made it to the last semester, and twenty-four completed the program. Crystal graduated top in her class, a nearly perfect GPA. She applied to Mercer Hospital, Robert Wood Johnson in New Brunswick and Hamilton, Hunterdon Medical Center, and three more county hospitals. She knew a lot of graduates would be after the same job, the more she applied, the higher her chances. Yet, not one hospital would accept her employment, despite her academic accomplishments. In the work world, why is employment so difficult? Is it worth the expense and time of a college degree? College graduates find employment complications for the reasons such as economy, lack of experience, and competition, but the struggles are worth the expense.

Stavenik 2 Inexperienced college graduates in todays economy have a difficult time finding employment in their degree field. Some researchers believe experience decides whether you are hired or not. Sometimes the best choice is to go back to school to enhance education and experience. Carnevale says that the best strategy to increase future employability is to go to graduate school (Carnevale 299). Experience makes a mark, in most work settings the veteran workers or new experienced employees are the optimal choice. The same preference goes for a hospital, would patients trust a new nurse with needles if they have only practiced plastic dummies? Of course not, nurses with experience and higher education that know a hospital environment provide better medical care. With more background experience the chances of employment increase. Dr. Andrea Boccino, a chiropractor and professor at William Paterson University, took four years to open up her own practice (Boccino). Clients prefer a more known practice rather than if she started fresh out of school. She worked her way up the system and became very experienced, first working alongside in other practices, then renting her own space for her clients, to eventually owning her own chiropractor practice in Cedar Grove (Boccino). Through collecting experience and stepping it up in the tough work environments, employment will be achieved. Graduates who lack experience will find the most difficulty in being hired. Jobs are scarce in a bad economy, which makes graduates struggle for their dream job. Imagine that the economy is a rollercoaster and employment rates are the passengers. As the speedy coaster takes its twists and turns, the passengers feel the same affect. The roller coaster crawls to the ultimate peak, where in a few seconds it will plummet to the ground. When the economy falls, it takes much longer to get back up. In turn, the employment rates follow the same path, when the economy is low, employment rates are low. In the recent years in New Jersey, employment rate has plummeted coinciding with the recession. Businesses tighten their

Stavenik 3 qualifications in search for fewer and more efficient workers, making employment for graduates nearly impossible. Most businesses during hard economic times will hire more experienced workers with higher degrees than those fresh out of college (Carnevale 300). For recent architecture graduates, the falling of construction and the housing market makes employment just as likely as a high school graduate being hired (Carnevale 298). In the case of Dr. Boccino, she finished her education and searched for a job in the hardest economy in decades. When she graduated in 2007, the economy was comparable to the Great Depression, her odds of employment were two in twenty-five (Carnevale 298). Despite her chances, she gained experienced and became successful. Not only does experience and economy effect employment, but also the competition. In todays employment environment, competition in the work world is growing more and more. In the instance of Crystal Brandt, a family friend, the competition for employment after graduation can be excruciating. For most graduates who desire to work in healthcare, they must compete against the increasing estimated 712,000 other graduates looking for the same job (Carnevale 303). At this rate, its conceivable why medical school is incredibly competitive. In Renee Staveniks past experience, two job openings were available for neonatal care, thirty nurses applied and the competition as high (Stavenik). Her employment in two other reputable specialized hospitals for thirteen years gave her the upper hand against competitors resulting in her hiring (Stavenik). Dr. Boccinos focus in chiropractor care left her with mostly male competitors (Boccino). She explained that Its tough no matter when you enter the field. Since its a male-dominate profession, often women have to work a little harder to get recognized in our profession (Boccino). The twentieth century still remains slightly gender discriminated, she had to exceed the levels of her male competitors to prove she could be successful and employed

Stavenik 4 in practice (Boccino). Crystal Brandt, Dr. Boccino, and Renee Stavenik all experienced the long hours of college studying, exams, and late night crams. All of them felt how that they were always at risk of unemployment despite their education, but were their struggles worth it? Despite the difficulties of employment, college is worth the time and expense and eventually lands most graduates with a job. In the case of Crystal Brandt, her dreams of becoming a radiographer and specialist have come true. Although she was denied numerous jobs, she continued reapplying to hospitals knowing she needed to compete harder against others and she could not let her education got to waste. Today, Crystal is a full time X-Ray technician and coordinator at Mercer County Hospital in New Jersey. Her six years of expensive schooling, unemployment and competition, and risking everything she worked for was worth it. Dr. Andrea Boccino owns her own practice, she out smarted all her male competitors. She is such an expertise in chiropractic that she spent summer of 2013 with the Olympians and Paralymians in the Olympic Training Center (Boccino). She proved her success and the struggles during her journey to her dream job was worth it. For Renee Stavenik, my mother, her success in college despite raising four toddlers, resulted in her current overall twenty-one years in the medical care field. She was hit with financial and education obstacles, and at one period being jobless, yet she managed to accomplish her goals. Her struggles in education, competition, and unemployment were worth it. When I graduate, I aspire to be a pediatric nurse and take care of children. I know that the medical field is very competitive and I know the risks I take. Through interviewing two medical professionals, I learned that the competition is relentless and everywhere. I did not expect the degree of success of which my interviewees received. In learning this, I wish I had asked more questions pertaining to their success and how they got there. I would like to know more about the

Stavenik 5 struggle that impacted Dr. Boccino especially because of her advance professional standing in being a chiropractor. I am very interested in being a nurse, and through learning from Carnevale and my interviews, I understand the employment difficulties that wait. I understand that I have to keep up with experience and note that the economy is always changing. My research has taught me a lot about my future. Yes, it is indeed worth the expense and time in education regardless of the dark cloud of unemployment. Experience will increase employability in hard economic times and provide the graduate with the upper hand against other competitors. No matter what field of employment, the competition is inescapable, and defying it with education is the best approach. People such as Crystal Brandt, Dr. Andrea Boccino, and Renee Stavenik exemplify the difficulties in employment but also show success. I wish to follow their advice, learn from them and pursue m own bachelors degree in nursing. In the work world, college graduates find employment difficulties because of economy, lack of experience, and competition. However, these risks are worth going to college and receiving a higher education in the pursuit of the dream job. College graduates find employment complications for the reasons such as economy, lack of experience, and competition, but the struggles are worth the expense.