Our parents lied to us. They told us to go to school and get an eduction, so we could get the better paid jobs, so we could make something of ourselves... so we did.
We got into the Universities and the Colleges, hundreds of thousands of 18 year olds for the first time free from Grade 13 got to start the process early... the test group of wide eyed hopefuls. We swarmed the grounds, brown nosers ran for buisness and finance, slackers ran for the bars. Those like me who were shell shocked and whose shoulders had never met the strain of carrying any load, walked aimlessly from class to class not really knowing what it was all for.
We graduated under our blue caps lit by the flashes of proud cameras. Feeling equiped we sent our green resumes to the big companies, the Rogers and the Bell Canadas, the Banks and the Schools, the bread and butter wafting to us, telling us we were ready to take. But most of our phones stayed silent, and our well manicured and properly formatted e-mails remained unanswered.
The reason being, "its not what you know but who you know".... huh.... funny because we had just spent four years of our existance learning and building what we knew.
We were told " university degree and four years of experience working in a firm that is exactly like this one, in the exact same role as the one your applying to, having worked on systems that only we use and advanced knowledge of Excel... OH btw if you know the CEO then scratch all that heres a paycheck" huh... so your telling me your willing to pay me the amount that most recent grads will get, but only if ive done this exact job, only no one will hire me for it as a recent grad?
Thousands of graduates stormed the campus to LEARN to gain the skills to use to do this job or that one, but instead we are forced to work contract positions at companies that dont intend to use any of those skills. We are forced to search through a list of contacts until we find someone who knew our mom, who met us when we were four, who would love to higher us now? THATS all we had to do to get a low paying position that we STILL require a University degree for even if it has NOTHING to do with the position we are being hired for? just look through our CONTACT LIST?
I fume when i hear people saying they've got a position that i worked hard for, that i stayed up nights to learn how to do, just because they knew someone. I fume when i learn that i cant get the job i want because i dont have any experience, because i was wasting those years getting the degree! i FUME when i hear that it doesnt even matter what degree i got, that if im a quick learner i can get the job.... but only on contract.... for 6 months..... for the same salary a fucking CASHIER makes, who btw doesnt require a University or College degree to make that kind of money.
Our parents lied to us, and now our parents and those their age sit in the lead. They're the ones behind the desks making the big decisions, they're the ones highering who they know and NOT who knows! They are the ones making employees work three or four positions at a time, instead of moving people with experience UP and moving those with knowledge and passion IN. Its cheaper for the company maybe.... but guess whose paying for the unemployment?
There's no room for us, us 20 somethings with useless papers in our hands declaring that we did it, we graduated, us and thousands of other hopefuls.. we're told theres no money, no room, no positions, no need for the skills that we went to learn. In fact if you want to get that dream job, youll probably have to wait until someone retires.... or moves on... and even then you'd have to work at the bottom because the CEO's best friends brothers son just took your place... he didnt go to University or College... nope he just traveled Europe... backpacked across Canada, and now he's back and ready to work...btw your positions only contract.
good luck graduates.
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