If only I hadn't gone to university: how a university degree became a shackle

Someone edited this sentence into a video, with sentimental words and hard-working life, and although it was as pretentious as it could be, it still poked at the anxiety of many people.

As a result, major talents scrambled to follow suit, sparking a major sentence-making ritual of.

"If I hadn't gone to university, I would have had the peace of mind to become a waiter with a package deal and not have to worry about my current highs and lows."

"If I hadn't gone to college, I would have been able to be the barista I love and show off my artistic talents by painting various custom patterns for each customer."

Growing up, we were taught, "Study hard and get ahead every day! Get into a good university and have an extra path of choice."

However, in a time when the cult of education is growing, we never thought that education would appear in the form of a "paper shackle" among the post-00s workforce. It seems to tell us that the meaning of education in the minds of today's youth has quietly gone in the opposite direction.

So, for the post-00s, is a degree a "door knocker" or a "paper shackle" for employment?

01. "If I hadn't gone to university, I would be working as a waiter now".

"If I hadn't gone to college, I would have been able to do waitressing, sales clerking, cashiering ......", this sentiment comes from my cousin who just graduated from college.

In the face of the most difficult employment season in history, my cousin not only has to compete with 10.76 million fresh graduates but also with the frictional unemployed workers in the past few years, how cruel and unexpected!

I thought this was just a disappointed post-00 college student expressing his disappointment, but I didn't expect that it would resonate with countless young people in my cousin's dynamic comment list!

If there were no academic qualifications, every young person would have a clear career plan for themselves. However, once the shackles of education are put on them, their career development starts to be confused.

When we were students, we learned about the "correct concept of career choice", although we all know that "in 360 professions, there are always good people", and that there is no difference between a high and a low career, it is just a means for people to earn a living. Therefore, we should not, and are not qualified to, discriminate against manual labor jobs.

However, after a long period of exposure, education and a career seem to be firmly bound together, and it has become the inherent perception of most young people that the purpose of my studies is to escape from waitressing, cashiering, cleaning, and so on.

As a result, jobs seem to be forced into a hierarchy amidst complaints about the "paper shackles of education".

Jobs that can be done by primary school students, such as waiters, cashiers, street sweepers, and janitors, are gradually becoming jobs that university students "look down upon" or "cannot face".

The young people who resonate with the "what if the body" really don't think there is anything great about education.

We have studied hard for our degrees for almost 20 years, only to find that after graduation we have difficulty finding employment or are unable to get the desired pay. Our "beliefs" seem to be shaken, but we can't give up completely, so we fall into infinite pain and anxiety.

WeChat would like to ask you a question: if you don't want to lose face, what would be your ideal position?

02. Where does the employment anxiety of university students originate?

On the one hand, after graduation, post-00 students are caught in a strange circle of "employment difficulties", which has aroused great concern from society and has been supported by all efforts; on the other hand, some jobs are very much to the liking of the post-00 students, but they are afraid to try it easily because they cannot "put down their faces" when looking for jobs.

Some of the same age netizens support and encourage, saying "life is your own, don't care about other people's eyes, make up your mind is true"; most of the "past" patient advice "children, you have read so many books, not to contribute, is a waste! It's a waste! Your parents will be looked down upon by your friends and family!"

Because of this, the expression "if I hadn't gone to university" largely reflects the anxiety of some university students in their career choice process.

In the 1990s, specialists were a "scarce commodity", not to mention undergraduates. The advantages of academic qualifications enabled our parents to enjoy the "treatment" of being "assigned" upon graduation and not having to worry about work. They were also able to benefit from policies such as "staff kindergartens" and "low-cost housing for staff", which ensured that they could start a family.

Nowadays, with the popularisation of higher education, university degrees have lost their original aura and the employment environment has quietly changed, with many companies looking for vocational skills and experience rather than just a high level of education.

With urbanization and the advent of the internet era, more and more new industries and jobs are being created.

At this point, it would be inappropriate to look at the current employment situation from the perspective of our parents' generation 30 years ago. In my opinion, the most important thing is to create a relaxed employment environment and help more post-00s to find employment, with "empathy" and "understanding".

Many freshers who do not find a job immediately are in a state of anxiety: because they have not chosen a job that is "decent in the eyes of the older generation", they may be regarded as "old people" or "lying flat". "If you choose a career that you love or a position that does not require a degree, you will be accused by your elders of "studying for nothing, wasting your education, and disgracing your family".

The university degree should be a "plus" for employment, but why has it become a "paper shackle" for the post-00s to choose their career?

03. Think outside the box, everyone can shine!

There are many different kinds of jobs. It's an honor to do the best you can in an ordinary job! But the constraints of such an identity still affect this group of post-00 children.

Some post-00s say that too many conditions are attached before choosing a career: parents' expectations, their education, profession, cost of education, and the face of elders ...... It seems that personal likes and interests are worthless.

The end of the universe is not the system, but the inescapable contrast. Even if you get into the establishment, there are governmental, career, teacher, and other contrasting dimensions.

To a certain extent, academic qualifications set a triple limit for college students' self-orientation, family orientation, and social orientation. In fact, in the development of society so far, academic qualifications are no longer a rare label, and reports such as "985 graduates picking up rags" will lose their value.

The point of going to university is to allow young people to choose their ideal career, rather than adding to the bondage and constraints.

In recent years, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security has released several new occupations. Various new industries have also given rise to a large number of new professions such as family organizer, B&B housekeeper, e-sports player, self-media operator, takeaway rider, and more "slash youths" with multiple identities, professions and lifestyles have emerged.

04. Post-00s should develop an outlook on career choice.

(1) Broaden your horizons: employment first, then career choice.

In the eyes of the older generation of job seekers, "only if you have the right profession, you will be more competitive and your job will be easier to get started", therefore, you must choose a job with the right profession. There is some truth to such advice.

It is undeniable that "this is my major at university, so I must find a job that matches my major", and this idea of "I can't do it unless it's my major" and "I can't do it unless it's my profession" will also make more 00 The idea that "I can't do this major" and "I can't get into this profession" will also put more 00-year old students under the heavy yoke of choosing a career.

When reality and ideals collide, it is better to let go of the professional baggage, broaden your horizons, live in the present and choose a good non-specialist job than to wait in vain.

Just think, which workplace master is only knowledgeable in one profession?

Therefore, read more books outside your major, make more friends outside your major, see how people outside live, when your eyes are constantly open, life is constantly enriched, and life can be thicker!

(2) When you first enter the workplace, there is no shame in job-hopping.

There are still some misconceptions or prejudices about job-hopping among the older generation.

Job-hopping is a perfectly normal and healthy workplace behavior.

Job-hopping has nothing to do with a person's loyalty: just because a person has job-hopped many times doesn't mean he is less loyal; just because a person never job-hopped doesn't mean he is dedicated to his work!

Job hopping has nothing to do with ability: jumping from job to job does not mean that a person has the excellent ability; jumping from job to job passively does not mean that a person has a low working ability.

What is the "right" path? In this world, I don't think anyone can tell you for sure: "This is the right way! It's the right path!" On the contrary, according to WeChat, the right path is to keep trying to find the "right" path among the mistakes.

For example, if you don't know how to fall in love or the mystery of marriage, you should not get married right after you fall in love, but you need to talk a few more times to know what you want.

When you first enter the workplace, you can change a few more jobs. Being young is capital, and being young means trying more to find the right career path for you. In the short term, it may seem like wasted time, but it's a stepping stone to becoming successful.

It may seem that life is limited, that is, you need to rush, but when you keep groping on the road to find shortcuts, you have been on the longest detour.

So, whether it's a professional elite who gets into 985 and becomes a white-collar worker, or a cousin who works as a waitress in a department store, we are all striving for a better life.

Some choose idealism, others practice is thepracticenal hobbies! Doing small things to the best of your ability in a field you truly love is another new world!

If you are still confused about job interviews, you can follow my column "Job interviews: 6 sets of secrets to winning offers easily", I hope it can help you get the offer you want!

Discussion.

For the 00s, in the end, education is the employment of the "brick", or employment of the "paper shackles"?

Why has a university degree, which is supposed to be a "plus" for employment, become a "paper shackle" for the post-00s to choose their career?

What is the "right" path? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.