Since the Early 20th Century, we’ve been raised with this notion to go to school, do well, and you will be compensated with a comfortable wage. This held true for over almost 100 years. Regular employees were able to afford a vehicle, a home, as well as many luxury items. Everyone was happy working for the man (large corporations).
Over the last several decades though, this concept is disappearing before our eyes and a college degree no longer guarantees a great job, house, or that white picket fence some might have envisioned.
Why are there less attractive jobs available today? Even to those with college degrees?
There are many factors that play a role, but I want to highlight 3 major ones.
1. Technology
Technology, machines, and automation have replaced many jobs that paid well 30-40 years ago.
Ex. Instead of having a call center or a team of secretaries in the US that cost X amount of dollars on a company’s budget, large companies moved call centers to places such as Bangalore for a fraction of the cost.
Interesting fact: Even you could have a “personal assistant” to do basic research for you, write Tweets, or even update your Facebook pictures for you from the other side of the world.
If you don’t believe me, open up Outsource2India.com in a new tab to see. Outsource 2 India is just one example out of hundreds. Outsourcing is not new. It became real popular in the 90’s and has become more sophisticated each year since. Sure, outsourcing does have its cons, but it still manages to replace a ton of jobs.
This type of outsourcing saved companies millions and put employees out of work. Entry-level jobs, manual labor, and data processing jobs continue diminishing to this day.
2. Replaceability
Scarcity in finding educated and compliant workers is no longer an issue for most businesses. If a company can find someone else to do the same level as you for less, they will go with the lower paid employee. Unless you can bring unique skills and abilities to work.
According to the Institute of Education Sciences, in the fall 2014, 21 million students were expected to attend American colleges and universities, constituting an increase of about 5.7 million since fall 2000.
This increase is also due to the fact that more individuals are going back to school later in life.
A generation ago, if you received a college degree, that meant you were a part of a select educated class. Employers were happy to pay you a higher wage than non-graduates. Even potential employees without college degrees were able to find good jobs that paid well, thus why many middle-aged adults today went straight into the work force after graduating high school. Nowadays, for many, pursuing a college degree is pretty routine if not expected. When you do finally graduate, you have an extreme amount of competition to deal with in today’s markets who are all vying for those coveted positions.
3. Different Demand
Today’s companies, large and small, are looking for a different type of employee in today’s modern world. Good employers are not looking for plain laborers or instruction followers anymore. They are looking for problem solvers, leaders, and innovative individuals. On the other hand, if your job just requires set instructions (an old rule book) to follow all the time, it’s likely that this job has been sent overseas or will be given to a cheaper worker in the near future.
What can I do to appeal more to employers? How can I get a good paying job?
Employers look for employees today that are unique, driven, and irreplaceable. They are looking for individuals who know exactly what their strengths are & understand how they can help the particular business moving forward.
If you continually just go through the motions everyday at work just getting by, it’s safe to say you’re not irreplaceable.
If you deeply care about your work and consistently look for new ways to improve upon it everyday, you will naturally create opportunities for yourself. Your co-workers, current employer, and even future employers will definitely take notice. They won’t have a choice.
Be passionate….be a person people want to work alongside…..and most importantly……just be yourself.
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Awesome article!