Students Face Lack of Entry-Level Positions

For college students, there is typically no such thing as job security. We are all mostly locked into seasonal work or sent back to the same restaurants or coffee shops year after year. Jobs in the service industry fill an economic need; however, burnout creeps in quickly. It is easy to become trapped when the hours are flexible and the pay is enough for rent. Work should benefit the mind just as much as a bank account. 

Many employers in college towns ensure that college students never get the job experience they require to escape the service industry. Requirements for entry-level positions and the issue of  pay based on experience turn students toward other work that will at least make them enough money to survive. Employers have failed to create jobs that educationally and financially reward college students at the entry level of a desired field. 

Seasonal work traps an employee to work within a specialized field without benefits and job security for years to come. Seasonal jobs offer college students a way to break into the fields of their choice; however, the requirements are often beyond the scope of a student. It is important to note, in an email sent out to the plant science department that read “summer job opportunity for students 2024” and it was sent out on Jan. 19. 

In the crew member job description, it lists desirable traits such as masonry, irrigation installation and proficiency in working with heavy machinery. These are, of course, desirable traits for the employer and people with the knowledge should be paid for that. The problem is that when wages are dependent on experience (DOE) it forces people to decide between experience in their field or financial stability. 

Experience is a huge bottleneck when attempting to finally look for jobs that are more than just for a paycheck. Younger demographics often begin in the service industry and escaping that can be a real chore due to the higher wages present than with entry-level positions. 

DOE pay creates an environment where jobs do not financially or culturally empower learners. It vilifies the pursuit of knowledge and experience which students need to become a part of their field in the future. The attitude that suggests that people should be paid less for their work because they lack experience is entirely outdated. Due to the financial situation of students, many of us can not afford to be paid less. 

Anxiety within the application process is another core aspect of why many students find themselves within the service industry. The resume is a bad way to judge a person's worth in a field. The things that matter the most, like work ethic and attitude, will not come across in a resume or a cover letter. Making students agonize over their rather short resume and rake in three character references instead of just talking is absurd. Employers need to remember to exhibit the empathetic traits that they are looking for themselves. 

Attempting to do enjoyable work is difficult. The seasonal model puts a student's future in limbo for most of the year. DOE payment plans and prerequisites punish students for needing to learn. Finally, the hiring process itself kills dreams before they are ever able to get started. However, it is the culture surrounding the hiring of college students that manages to keep these emails purely as a wistful daydream.