Quote :

"the same jobs can pay substantialy more in other geographical locations"

Don't forget the higher cost of living that comes along with that. I could move to San Jose, and make $150,000 a year, but I wouldn't even be able to afford a run down home... nominal income vs. real income.

8/29/2006 12:18:08 AM

I'm a Com-Media grad. It was the best decision I made in college. The last thing I wanted was a vocation; learning a trade didn't interest me because I felt it pigeonholed me into working within a professional glass box my entire life. Yes, I could have made alot of money. Yes, there are a number of lucrative number-crunching tech jobs out there that offer a huge potential of growth. That wasn't for me, and I realized that from the get-go.

I didn't declare my major because I wanted to make money, or even get a job. If I wanted a job, I could have stayed a college dropout and gone on to make bank in executive protection. I already had several high-profile clients, and was making a name for myself before I went back to school. Regardless, I went back to school for the sake of intellectual endeavor. Associate yourself with that phrase and embrace it.

My work with the Com staff, especially my Junior and Senior years, expanded my intellectual horizons by more than I can put into words. Does that mean the proverbial shit to employers? No, not at the entry-level, hiring phase. However, once in the organization, you'll quickly see the impact your knack for looking at things in different ways will pay off, in both a job-specific and a personal relationship function.

I'm now in my first year of Law School. It's as academically rigorous as any graduate curriculum out there. There is no doubt in my mind that my undergraduate studies with the Dept. of Communication at State prepared me for this new goal. I wouldn't trade it for a damn thing.

So to sum it up, stop whining. Also a big "fuck you" for taking your classes, experiences, and degree for granted. There's a ton of people out there that WISH they had the opportunity you had. Now you sit, bitching and moaning about having a higher education and not having the intestinal fortitude to seek a career.

I guess you summed it up pretty well right from the beginning. Hi, and yes, you are an idiot.

8/29/2006 12:24:38 AM

AxlBonBach wins the thread!

I couldn't have said it better myself. A real find - a long heartfelt thread that's actually worth reading.

8/29/2006 12:26:33 AM

who gets off trashing their own degree? WTF. I love Communications. Get over it original posted....

8/29/2006 12:39:01 AM

Quote :

"gone on to make bank in executive protection. I already had several high-profile clients, and was making a name for myself "

You were a body guard to the rich and famous?

8/29/2006 12:41:25 AM

No, he was an assassin, duh.

8/29/2006 12:42:32 AM

i have read what everyone has written and taken it into consideration.

i am glad that things have worked out so well for many of you, regardless of your course of study.

you further emphasized the already known fact that we made some different choices during our time. if i knew then what i know now...
my point about grades was to debunk the myth that they equal success.
despite some of the accusations, i did do something besides sit and wait. i was actually involved on campus, and held down two jobs at the same time. this probably explains why i was out of my mind most of the time.

thank you for taking the time to respond.

[Edited on August 29, 2006 at 12:43 AM. Reason : ]

8/29/2006 12:42:42 AM

Don't worry, alias, you'll be ok.

8/29/2006 12:43:44 AM

furthermore, i hope if there is anyone out there like me you will learn from my experience and that of the other's who replied in this thread.

get as much practical experience as you can while you are still in school, make some time for fun, and watch that bite.

8/29/2006 12:47:17 AM

Quote :

"of the other's who"

Are you sure you graduated summa cum laude?

8/29/2006 12:48:50 AM

haha rich, yes, but not really famous. CEO's of fortune 500 companies, and an occasional flavor of the week DC area celeb. I also got gigs with a few washed up comedians and musicians.

the pay was great and I had a lot of fun... it just wasn't something that took too much effort. There's more that I want to accomplish in life.

8/29/2006 12:49:24 AM

hah yeah i did but it's late i'm depressed cut me some slack

8/29/2006 12:54:37 AM

Keep trying to find the job that you want...

If it's really a problem, go back to schooL...YOU STUPID FUCK...

If you want to help people for a bit, consider the Peace Corps.

My ONLY motivation for finishing college is to go into the Peace Corps.

http://www.peacecorps.gov/

[Edited on August 29, 2006 at 1:26 AM. Reason : ]

8/29/2006 1:10:10 AM

i like how this started as advice/flaming and turned into everyone bragging about themselves

8/29/2006 8:01:53 AM

^ yup

8/29/2006 8:49:31 AM

Quote :

"I wish I would have had more fun in college and majored in something else, or something in addition to this."

best quote ever

8/29/2006 9:00:27 AM

You have a degree. Go to Frankel Staffing, or Ajilon, or ANY of the staffing agencies. Most of the administrators that work with my company were hired through staffing services, have degrees, and make money at an entry level position.

8/29/2006 9:02:24 AM

i majored in com media and i work at a tv station

guess i'm a lucky one

8/29/2006 9:17:01 AM

Quote :

"why do people choose to stay in raleigh?"

BOING! Maybe because some people actually like living in Raleigh? I realize that bashing Raleigh is the "cool" thing to do on TWW. "Raleigh is boring. Raleigh has no nightlife. Raleigh has no women.", etc. You act like the only jobs in Raleigh are working at Wal-Mart or changing someone's oil at Jiffy Lube. There are great jobs in Raleigh, but just like anywhere else, you have to look for them and have persistence. And I'm more than confident that with your education and experience, Wolfy, you would have found a great job here as well (maybe not as fantastic as the great job you have with Cat now, but that doesn't mean you should look at other young people who don't have similiar jobs as some kind of failures).

I don't want to live in NYC. I don't want to live in Dallas. I don't want to live in Washington DC. I'm doing just fine here. Money isn't everything (yeah, yeah I know: "Only people with no money say that.").

As for the author of this thread. Ok, so you don't have a great job. So what. Believe it or not, your life isn't over. Could you have done more in college? Probably so, but you can make up for it. Just get out there and hustle. Talk to people in the areas you're interested in. If you're still in Raleigh, go back and talk to some professors that you had while at NCSU.(I did this and it scored me several interviews with companies). If you have to temp, do it. Just do something to start building up experience. Walking around with this defeatist attitude isn't going to get you anywhere.

[Edited on August 29, 2006 at 10:26 AM. Reason : i fully expect the anti-raleigh crowd to flame the hell out of me]

8/29/2006 10:21:57 AM

I remember back in the day when rallydurham was bashing Raleigh before it was the "cool" thing to do. I know a ton of people that move from large cities to Raleigh. They like not having to pay several grand a month in order to live in a small apt.



[Edited on August 29, 2006 at 10:29 AM. Reason : ]

8/29/2006 10:28:35 AM

I was serious about the trophy wife thing. Just throwing that out there.

8/29/2006 10:43:51 AM

Quote :

"my point about grades was to debunk the myth that they equal success."

do kids actually think grades equal success nowadays? i know i didn't when i was in school

Quote :

"My ONLY motivation for finishing college is to go into the Peace Corps."

the number of people they accept compared to the number of people that apply is a very small percentage isn't it? if that's your only motivation you should be doing more with your time than posting on tww....

[Edited on August 29, 2006 at 10:51 AM. Reason : fixed for minka - woops]

8/29/2006 10:46:30 AM

I wouldn't worrying about not finding a job right away. Just keep trying to get experience.

Do you know what field or job you have in mind that you would like to persue? Like do you want a job in media or what do you want to do in media?

[Edited on August 29, 2006 at 10:55 AM. Reason : ]

8/29/2006 10:50:39 AM

Quote :

"do kids actually think grades equal success nowadays? i know i didn't when i was in school"

I don't know too many people who think like that but it seems as though I have come across a ton of people that can't fathom going to college longer than four years. It's kind of hard to do a coop and still graduate it in four years, but when I told someone I may take longer than four years to graduate they were kind of in shock. People rush to get out in order to save money or just get it over with and then they realize that they aren't shit without experience and more importantly aren't shit without contacts which are often made from prior experience. Then you have these summa cum laudes working 40 hour weeks as a barrista or some clerk at sears wondering where they went wrong.

8/29/2006 11:06:35 AM

Good thread. Would read again.

Maybe not, but it was a good run the first time through.

8/29/2006 12:44:25 PM

this is great. keep it coming. loving the "insight."

8/29/2006 2:05:15 PM

http://thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=429355&page=1

Looks like a part time job is available in this thread. Working at a law firm part time might build a resume for a comm major better than waiting tables would.

8/29/2006 2:12:51 PM

Thank you for the reference. I did see that thread. I am not currently living in Raleigh, but several hours west of. I would consider the move, however, if the job were going to pay enough to justify such course of action.

8/29/2006 2:24:48 PM

the thread was locked, but theres another open version of it here
http://thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=429358

Some other jobs sites.

https://jobs.ncsu.edu/applicants/jsp/shared/frameset/Frameset.jsp?time=1156878564992
http://www.osp.state.nc.us/ExternalHome/
http://www.ncesc.com/
http://www.northcarolina.edu/content.php/hr/jobs/index.htm

I tried all the monster.com & hotjobs.com type sites, and some ncsu epack site
http://www.ncsu.edu/career/guide/gettingstarted/epack/
and I tried cold calling/e-mailing/walking into businesses and companies, & doing what little networking I could, but it was ultimately buying a newspaper every monday and checking out the classifieds that eventually got me a job I liked where I am living.

[Edited on August 29, 2006 at 3:25 PM. Reason : .]

8/29/2006 3:17:31 PM

Also as I mentioned in the teaching jobs thread

Quote :

"http://www.teachforamerica.com/supporters_charlotte.html http://www.teachforamerica.com/supporters_ncarolina.html Teach for America people seem to have the option of inner city charlotte stuff and rural NC places like goldsboro, so maybe those places are worth looking into."

I know there’s some like teaching fellows aid if you plan on being a teacher. And there’s lateral entry into teaching positions where you don't need a teaching certification.

http://finaid.org/loans/forgiveness.phtml

That lists some work options that forgive loans.

My recommendation is still getting a few different newspapers from the local area every week so you can apply at jobs that actually have vacancies, and that aren't too far away.

I also found there were a lot of banking jobs open in the area that don’t require specialized education. And it seems like a teller, HR person, customer relations kind of person would need good communication skills. Since I just spent 4 months job hunting trying to avoid retail/food service, I'll try to post any resources I used as I think of it. With all that time without a job, and student loan grace period growing shorter, and a philosophy degree… I can identify with worrying about jobs/if you did the right degree/self worth stuff… but in the end, if it was the major you were the most attracted to academically, then it was right for you since college is more than vocational training.

8/29/2006 6:01:04 PM

Quote :

"And I'm more than confident that with your education and experience, Wolfy, you would have found a great job here as well (maybe not as fantastic as the great job you have with Cat now, but that doesn't mean you should look at other young people who don't have similiar jobs as some kind of failures). "

i dont recall ever looking down on my peers because they dont have a similar job to mine. if you can find some examples please let me know because that was never my intention.


i do not, however, feel sympathy for people who didn't prepare themselves for graduation

i worked hard to make sure i was a prime candidate for a top company when i graduated and it paid off

to make my case even better--- I GOT MY INTERVIEW AFTER TALKING TO CAT AT A CAREER FAIR ON CAMPUS-- i didn't even have to use fancy tricks to get in

the opportunity was right there on campus-- i just happened to be ready for it


do i think i'm smarter because i got internships and others didnt? probably

do i think i'm smarter because i CONSIDERED places other than raleigh? yes



raleigh is great, dont get me wrong. i have never bashed raleigh except to say that its extremely difficult for college graduates to find entry level jobs-- i've never bashed it for anything else

IN FACT its my intention to come BACk to raleigh when i'm ready-- right now i am building my career and being open to moving around to get the experience i need for the job i want in raleigh long term

i moved away from my boyfriend, my friends and my family to be in a small town in the middle of the country where i dont know anyone-- you bet your ass i'd rather be in raleigh right now

[Edited on August 29, 2006 at 6:24 PM. Reason : kdfjklshf]

8/29/2006 6:23:22 PM

This thread is helpful if you want to go the teaching route..something I have considered myself.

http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=423209

8/29/2006 6:27:00 PM

Quote :

"my point about grades was to debunk the myth that they equal success."

Grades can equal success if they're in a tough major that actually provides a specific skill and is challenging

8/29/2006 8:18:09 PM

grades are good for getting you into things like

graduate school

phd programs

and professional schools (like law school or medical school)

other than that, most companies dont even ask for gpas and if they do they're pretty reasonable

8/29/2006 8:38:38 PM

They do with science related degrees

8/29/2006 8:54:20 PM

^ and science degrees

8/29/2006 9:04:11 PM

my dept regularly turns down people with less than 3.0 GPA's


grades do matter, don't believe the hype

8/29/2006 9:26:49 PM

i think the right answer here is

grades dont matter depending on the application

and grades do matter depending on the application

and by application i mean what you intend to do with your degree

but i think all parties will agree that experience plays a major part as well

guy A has a 2.9 GPA and tons of relevant work experience

guy B has a 3.3 and no experience

i think i'd go with 2.9 guy

8/29/2006 9:38:05 PM

Quote :

"i think the right answer here is grades dont matter depending on the application and grades do matter depending on the application"

I'm too dumbfounded to respond with a sarcastic comment.

8/29/2006 9:54:41 PM

I've never had an issue with my grades.

Graduated from undergrad with a 2.98. Companies cared a lot more that I did it in 3.5 years, while working full-time and debt free.

Had no problem with it getting me into Grad school either. I do have a 4.0 currently though, mainly because I actually give a damn about my masters degree.

Work experience and personal connections are about 50% of getting a job. 30-40% is your communication skills and character during the interviews, and 10% is all the bullshit you don't have any control over. If you have the experience and or the connection, and you are well-spoken and an A type worker, you can land almost any position. A good personal reference is worth years of work experience. Meet people that can help you, help them, be a decent human being and it will come back to you.

8/29/2006 11:15:02 PM

sounds like demotherload decided to not get an internship during college...if you had, you would be able to get a job.

8/30/2006 9:50:15 AM

i did land an internship at a place I will not name. I was asked to do things that compromised some of my values and left.

8/30/2006 4:18:31 PM

and no, it wasn't Hustler magazine, haha.

8/30/2006 4:19:00 PM

My advice: Apply for a wide range of jobs, thats what your Communication degree affords you. It took me about 3 months after graduation, but the wait was well worth it. I was on every online job board available, but always found the Career Center's E-Pack to be the most beneficial. You will find a bunch of worthwhile prospects there (keep refining your search, and save searches that bring up good results). Good Luck.

I graduated with a B.A. in Communication: Public & Interpersonal, with a minor in Business Management. I did an internship with a local company that was helpful for my job hunt, and I graduated with a 2.9 overall GPA. I was offered several jobs in a variety of fields and ended up taking one that related more to my minor. I'm still using the skills I learned in my major, but I just work with a bunch of Business majors. I found the Communication program and curriculum to be the key to my success post-graduation.

8/30/2006 6:03:55 PM

the same could be said for history if you dont want to teach

or poli sci if you dont want to go to grad school

8/30/2006 6:56:44 PM

Im a freshman and I have no idea on what to major in. I will take what is mentioned into consideration.

8/30/2006 7:07:22 PM

Earl, I am glad you will benefit from my experience, as well as that of many others. The bottom line is that yes, you can get a job with any degree, but make sure you get the right types of experience and don't stress too much. Strive for a nice balance of academics, fun, and work.

8/30/2006 8:57:02 PM

^^Chemical Engineering is where it's at. You DEFINITELY would have more fun in this major than DeMotherLoad had in Communications.

8/30/2006 9:25:04 PM

I've heard that on average people change majors about 3 times... guess you just gotta do it til you get it right. College education puts you ahead of alot of the population, that combined with a little practical planning, means you can usually get a decent job in whatever field you're academically interested in.

8/30/2006 9:40:06 PM

Quote :

"for any communication majors out there-- if you really do enjoy it, stick with it! we are just ab the only ones who can get away with writing "good oral and written communication skills" on a resume and not have someone roll their eyes "

English Majors for the win...

8/30/2006 9:47:10 PM