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Does a College Education Prepare You to find a Job?

Posted on June 21, 2010 by Nick Trompert

This summer I am doing an internship for a placement company that deals with a lot
of interviewing and hiring potential employees for Fortune 1000 companies. This
fall I will be entering my senior year in college and will receive my business marketing
degree. How will I prepare to get a job after a four year of an expensive education? In
just a few weeks of working, I have come to the conclusion that college does prepare
you to work in a business world, but it doesn’t prepare the student on how to apply,
interview or get a job. In college I have learned all about general business theories,
accounting, marketing strategies, and studied business cases. I am grateful for the
great professors that taught me about business, but colleges need to rethink how
they can prepare us to apply, interview, behave, dress and close on our first job out
of college. When we apply for our first career job fresh out of college, the interviews
process makes me feel like trying to ride a bike for the first time

Many of my friends whom graduated this year are having a hard time finding jobs. This
is partially caused by the bad economy, but also used as an excuse for not finding a
job. Not finding a job after college has created a lot of frustration on my friend’s part,
because none of us are well prepared to apply, interview, dress and ask for a job.

The gap between having an education and getting your first full time job needs to
be addressed. It is the responsibility of students to get with schools and business to
address the interview knowledge gap.

A college education prepares me to do a job, but not how to get a job!

Topics: Education and Training

Nick Trompert

Nick Trompert is a Sr. Manager. He is responsible for connecting with the best engineering and information technology talent and resources in the world. He is one of the founders of Talent 101 and joined full time after college.

nickt@talent-101.com