My DH works for a very large company. If a potential employee doesn't have a college education he/she must pass the company's written exam. DH said many young college graduates have been interviewed for a position at the company. Not one made it to the second interview. DH said he has never seen such unprepared, clueless job applicants. He said they all gave the same impression of I may want this job so I'll work here and see if I like it. I can start maybe next month, do I get a parking spot? LOL. Two applied from the local trade school. The school that most think only those that can't make it in college go to. These two passed to the second inteview. DH said the VP said to set up tutoring classes to help them with the written exam and offer each of them that passed a job. :thumbup:

My husband is an Engineering Manager for a manufacturing company. He has been trying to hire a new engineer for several weeks. It would be a good job for a new engineer, so he has advertised at local colleges. Last week a newly graduated engineer showed up in jeans with a hole, a pocket T-shirt and carrying a spit cup!!!! A spit cup at an interview?!?!? In my opinion, that wouldn't be appropriate even if your interview was for a farm hand position. The sad thing is my husband said the kid would be great for the job, but I don't think my husband is going to hire someone who carries a spit cup to an interview.

Wow, have things changed since I graduated (too many years ago)! You'd think they'd have enough self respect to dress properly and present a good image. My company announced recently that only college graduates need apply. A bad policy, in my opinion. Many talented people out there that have "native" intelligence who learn quickly on the job. Makes me wonder why high school students think they can drop out and still survive in today's world! :-(

I my opinion the fault is not with the collage but with the parents. Common courtesy should be learned in the home even before a child is old enough to go to school. I'll get off my soap box now.

I totally agree with you. I am a college graduate with a masters degree, but I learned early on that the piece of paper doesn't mean much in many cases. I have worked with someone who was so incompetent at basic math that we called the university to verify that she really did have the engineering degree she claimed to have - unbelievably, she did! I have also worked at a company where two of the top engineers didn't have any degree.

I have been turned down for jobs because I didn't have a PhD, even though I had been doing the exact same type of work the job called for for several years. In one case, the company concerned had asked for a personal recommendation from one of the leading authorities in the field, who had immediately suggested me since he was very familiar with my work, and even that wasn't good enough to get me an interview - go figure.

My BIL has PhD and is still paying for it and he is in his fifty's. He says it wasn't worth it financially but gives him a big ego. LOL

In highschool if the kids cannot pass an exit interview they fail and have to take a summer course where i live. I love it they have to actually learn to do an actual job interview. My daughters entier highschool experience is set up so that by the time she graduates she will have a resume and interviewing experience. This is what they need.

Wow! That is an interesting idea for high school. Learning how to present yourself is a critical skill. It's nice that some schools are aiming toward that goa.

One of the reasons I love DH so much is that he is one of the few PhDs I know who doesn't have an ego, lol.

My son is in hock to his eyeballs, and unfortunately I'm cosigned on half :| His degree is in mech engineering from a very good engineering school (hence the in hock part!) He co-op'ed for a total of 2 or so years. That company is not hiring now..not even co-op kids. And there were jobs to be had when we started this adventure. (the school he went to boasted a 98% employment rate for grads. Now he's done, there are no jobs. He is articulate, shows up to any interview in a suit looking sharp and clean (and I mean any..right now he's temp part time plowing snow at the airport!!) What makes me really nuts is that hardly any company actually does any recruiting other than on-line. How impersonal is that? You never get a name to respond to, you can't check back with someone..you know how we were taught to send a note to say thanks for reviewing my resume have you made any decisions yet? Now a days you just send your info off into the black box and hope something comes back, find yourself a head hunter to find you a job, or hope somebody picks your resume up off of monster jobs!! (Is there really that much insurance to sell??? )I'm sure glad I'm not looking for work these days (Thank God!)

I'd be hard pressed to say the education was worth the expense or time. And I don't think many jobs will come back..they're all going overseas where production is cheap and unregulated. But I keep hoping..otherwise what little I have will be taken by the student loan people :?

lol

For some people no amount of education can teach them good old fashioned common sense! :roll:

Is your son on Linked-In? That is a good site to find, and get introductions to, people who work at companies he may be interested in. PM me if your son needs a contact to get him started.

Years ago if a person went in for an interview they went into the interview in their Sunday best but not anymore. I went to school for NDT (nondestructive testing). The school was really good with helping students to the point of allowing students to talk with interviewers and what they looked for well before they were even ready to graduate. ALL said they wanted potential employees to "dress" for the part. Such as, if someone walked in with a suit and tie on they wouldn't even consider them 'cause they would be afraid that person might be afraid to get dirty. For them nice jeans without holes and top(such as a golf type shirt or button up shirt without tie and 1-2 buttons unbuttoned) were perfect choices as it showed them the person would not be afraid to get dirty but was still clean enough to show they have respect. Today potential employees need to research the environment of the company they wish to work for. If the employees wear shorts applicants should wear accordingly. If the employees wear suits and ties then suit and tie it is to the interview.