A Jump In the Ocean

Graduation is in 152 days. 62% of college students don’t feel ready to graduate, myself included. Why? A closer look, potential solutions and a personal reflection on the collegiate experience.

(retroactive picture of me on graduation day, left)

As my first of two final college semesters is coming to a close, and we near the holidays, it’s hard not to reflect on the time that’s passed. Being a senior, I’m especially reflecting upon the transitions made from grade school to high school to college. It seems to be a mix of mass panic and a strong sense of accomplishment. How did I go from 14 to 22 in the blink of an eye? At the same time, go me. I survived. I found internships. I found friends. I found infinite experiences that have helped me grow and, inch by inch, prepare for the next steps in my life.

Despite extensive classes in my fields, there still seems to be a disconnect between what I’m learning and what those are doing in the real world. In my previous internships, the tasks I’ve been asked to do have little or nothing to do with what I’m learning in school. There is no class in school to teach you the ins and outs of advertising sales. It isn’t a part of the Loyola business school core to take a course in Excel. When applying for jobs, how does your previous class experience help you if what you learned doesn’t relate to the job you’re applying for? I know that I can’t be the only undergrad who thinks this. At the end of the day, we’re required to jump in the ocean that is the real world, ready or not. As we approach graduation, is it realistic for us to be confident in our transition to the real world? Recent studies are pointing out that this “disconnect” is real. And employers and students alike are asking how the 21st century undergrad isn’t prepared for the real world.

McKinsey & Company teamed up with Chegg in May to create a report called “The Voice of the Graduate,” a title to attest to undergraduates’ cries for help “to deepen the relevance of higher education to employment and entrepreneurship.” Almost 5,000 students from varying types of universities and majors were surveyed to get their opinion on how prepared they felt post-graduation, a look at their job placement rate based on degree and whether they would have done it differently if they could. Find the full report here.

The results are startling. About ⅓ of graduates don’t think college prepared them for the real world. While these students feel that their curriculum was more than sufficient, these students, too feel a disconnect between their academic qualifications and their ability to function in the workplace.

McKinsey & Company report that college grads lack “life skills” and have a growing frustration over a lack of solid selection for new, young employees. However, it’s important to note the “push” from universities and the workforce to find an internship in your desired field before you graduate, which help with preparation in “real world” skills. The study reports that graduates who attended one of the top 100 four-year universities, 77 percent say they feel better prepared versus those who haven’t worked, 59 percent of whom feel prepared.

Readiness also comes down to the type of major a student has chosen. It was no secret coming to college that certain degrees have jobs right out of college (finance/business, health, education) and certain ones did not (arts, literature). There’s pressure to choose your major with this in mind. The study confirms this belief in the graphic below:

Though certain majors may provide more security, it is silly for any ungrad to assume they are guaranteed a job because they attend a good university and have a “secure major,” which leads to result number two: The McKinsey study shows that four in ten graduates who attended a top 100 university could not find a job in their chosen field. Four in ten. FORTY PERCENT. Of those who didn’t study in a top 100 university? The number is 50 percent. As an almost postgraduate, I’ve gotta tell you– that’s absolutely terrifying. And it doesn’t give us much confidence. What are we working towards if almost half of us won’t find a job in what we’re studying to be? Perhaps that is also a disconnect overlooked. Graduates can’t find a job in Field A after studying for Field A, and instead pursue a job in Field B, where they don’t have the qualifications. Hence, employers don’t find graduates prepared for that field. Hmmmmmmm.

As discussed previously, some graduates are more likely to find work in their desired field. Check out this graphic:

The end result of this study is the clear need and opportunity for universities across the nation to step up and provide more of a bridge between classes and real life work skills. 86 percent of institutions and education providers believe their graduates are adequately prepared for employment, yet only half of employers and graduates agree. So what can be done?

Part of these recommendations are included in the McKinsey study, but some of them are things I wish Loyola could have provided more of in my undergraduate experience.

1) Better link the university with outside companies or the workforce in general.

• Have guest speakers who have current, real-time positions at a company to provide insight and examples of skills needed in that field

• More campus recruiting or career fairs available for just freshmen, so that they can get their feet wet and focus on basic, intro internships, as well as sophomores and above.

• Have career fairs more interactive with open Q & As.

• Keep a database of where previous students have interned and contact numbers to get in touch with those employers. If a company has a good experience with an intern, it’s very possible to build a good relationship with a school who produces more good interns.

• Offer job shadow appointments by department. Partner with a popular company in the field and tour the facility, sit down with an employee

• Make internships or some kind of work related to the field a graduation requirement (such as Loyola’s School of Communication, which requires an internship or the Niehoff School of Nursing which requires clinical hours, hospital experience)

2) Better market the university’s resources

• Set up a mentor program with majors

• Alumni/Networking dinners; many of these are done through specific majors, business groups or business/psychology, etc. fraternities.

• Better promotion of Career Services; have them come into classrooms or make a required 1 credit class out of it.

• Make a “How to Get an Internship” class.

3) Promote study abroad and working internationally for a month or summer to learn about other practices across the world and confidence in your skill set. The amount of those who spend time internationally during college is little to none. Encourage students to be a part of something bigger, exciting and career-promoting. It’s the best thing Loyola Chicago ever did for me.

At the end of the day, statistics and surveys and paint a picture however they want but it comes down to the individual. If you are motivated to get somewhere bad enough, you are going to do what it takes to get there. That includes losing sleep to finish an assignment so you can make the job fair or taking on an internship for a semester and your social life lacks a bit. The motivation, drive and work ethic is not something the university can teach its students– it comes from within.