We've all heard of some rather absurd lawsuits that get filed- they
often sound so ridiculous that it's easy to doubt their legitimacy and
believe it is just escalated pub banter. You must have heard of the
people that sue fast food chains because they get fat, or the burglar
that sues his victims because he injured himself exiting the
property... there was even an American man in 2006 who filed a suit
against Michael Jordan, due to emotional distress caused by looking
like the famous basketball star.
The latest lawsuit to catch my
attention comes from a Miss Trina Thompson, a 27 year old new graduate
from New York's Monroe College. Thompson is claiming $72,000
compensation from her college, to reimburse her for tuition and to
cover the damages of emotional stress that has resulted from her
inability to find a job, 3 months after graduating.
Thomson
claims that the career's service 'did not try hard enough to help' the
struggling graduate, who has received minimal attention from the many
employers she has contacted since leaving the school.
The CNN
website reports that Thomson has even gone so far as to encourage other
students to do the same: "It doesn't make any sense: They went to
school for four years, and
then they come out working at McDonald's and Payless. That's not what
they planned."
A spokesperson from Monroe College has
retaliated by suggesting that Ms Thompson's lawsuit is "completely
without merit", which, let's face it, is most definitely fair!
My least favourite phrase is about to come out of my mouth and I'm sorry, but unfortunately in the '
current climate'
it is a tough time for jobseekers. Not only are a new batch of fresh
faced, budding graduates being added to the already dwindling job
market every summer, but they join those that have been jobseeking for
a long time, along with the victims of recession- those who have been
made redundant due to companies going into administration, or cutting
back on costs to avoid the looming business bankruptcy.
The
tough reality is that at a time of recession, there is inevitably a
shortage of jobs, especially in sectors which may have previously
housed an abundance of opportunities for graduates. Graduate programmes
are more scarce, and opportunities in retail and other areas
have been suitably affected by the fact that people are keeping a
closer eye on their money. Graduates have every right to feel
frustrated by the tough times ahead, coming out of uni poor and
penniless and then trying to find an opportunity that you feel your
degree has earned you; it's not easy!
I have friends clinging on
to part-time work post-graduation, others that have been looking for
jobs for a long time... I even have some that have so little faith in
the job market that they have gone back to hide in their uni bubble for
a bit longer by doing post-grad courses; just to escape the harsh
jobseeking reality. Graduate or not we know times are tough, and yes it
is frustrating, and maddening, and pretty darn unfair.
It might be all of those things but the fact remains that a University or college education
doesn't guarantee you
a job- especially not in a time when jobs are far more oversubscribed
than usual. So Miss Thompson's lawsuit allows her to unfairly blame her
place of learning for something that is so far beyond their control!
There is no fast-track to a great job in a... [ugh that word again!]
you guessed it, 'recession', and jobseeking will require extra effort,
hard work, and a lot of patience before things come to fruition. This
certainly doesn't mean that a degree is pointless, or a waste of
time... far from it! There is a lot to be gained from a degree, far
more than you'll see written on your diploma in the end. So graduates
keep your chins up, and before you start reaching for the yellow pages
to find a solicitor, why not check out my
jobseeking tips on this blog
to help you sharpen your jobseeking techniques.
My mantra for this week is how to turn this story around- instead of
spending time moping, or filing lawsuits, what positive action can be
taken to find your next job? If the old method of bombarding employers
with your CV just isn't working, how can you utilise social networking
to your advantage? If your local paper is full to the brim with jobs
you've crossed out, where else can you look for vacancies?
All this and more will be answered by my next blog post, so keep reading, stay positive, and happy job hunting
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