design thinking, empathy map. school to work transition

1. say
even with internships & job training, we’re still entering the workforce at 0
a friend with a bachelor’s degrees in international communications has a job
fielding human resources calls. she’s wondering why she needed a degree for that
graduating in a weak economy, employers are asking for hard skills, not creative thinking
now i have health insurance until i turn 26,
so there are opportunities to explore
new options or creating new opportunities
i’ll still have debt, which imposes limits.
it’s my friends graduating without debt
who have the real opportunity to try
something new
we need to graduate without risk
so we can explore failures
undergrads are not taught how to network
professors are focused on acedemics,
not on making connections to industry
i’m learning where i should submit papers
to get published, not who to talk to for a job
students must have an individual drive to
create their own networks. i have friends
with design degrees who can’t make a
decent business card or resume
as students, we have access to informational and
informal interviews. professionals don’t see us a threat,
rather as someone living in a idealistic period for
personal learning and growth
the methods of learning and discussion
available in college is not introduced in high school
schools are relying on for profit companies
for funding. it’s not a sustainable solution
education is not addressing contemporary issues
there are few grants and fundraising opportunities
to support good/new ideas from recent graduates
opportunites have changed for this generation.
life is not going to be better for us than
for the generation before us
the career environment does not support
the idealistic thinking of liberal arts
looking at job postings it appears everyone is looking for a unicorn
even for the most basic of jobs, people are
asking for a college degree. why?
© pfred2 2013

2. thinkthink
employers need to invest in students, not in schools.
we need to eliminate risk
schools need to help students make connnections
with careers outside of acadmia.
a balance can be found between skilled labor
and creative thinking in both opportunity and education
for profit businesses are benefiting
from schools, but not investing enough
to help the students
what is being taught in school is not keeping
up with the needs of careers
graduates are ripe with ideas and ambition. but there aren’t funds
to support those ideas. and with debt, graduates have littles
ability to fund these ideas themselves

3. feelfeel
skills and insights learned in college aren’t even taught
earlier on. then 4 years of school aren’t enough to gain
the skills or language to transfer these ideas into careers.
graduate school is need just to learn the language and
gain access.
one should at least have the opportunities
the previous generation had
there should be opportunities for growth and
and exploration regardless of debt
teachers are not invested in the career needs
of students. most don’t even know who students
can or should talk to for access and information
it’s disheartening to take the time to do internships
or job training yet still start careers no further
along than any other recent graduate.
jobs with basic skills should be available to those
without degrees. if you take the time to get a degree,
there should be a benefit when starting a career.

4. problem
needs a way to
because
a twenty-something, motivated, graduated student
actively developing networking opportunities and
professional experience and guidance
transfer her education into aggressive challenges
and opportunities right out of school
the connections have been made, skills have been developed,
basic principles of working have already been covered, and
the future of life is not yet getting in the way