[Cheryl]

Some people don’t get a better job because they are seeking less responsibility. I had a job for awhile that really took a lot out of me. When I got burnt out, I went back to school and got a part-time job at a bank. I quickly discovered that I was loving the lack of responsibility. I didn’t have any reason to stress about my job whatsoever, and there were no office politics to deal with. Some people go to college and then discover they are much happier without all the stress that comes with a higher-paying job. And sometimes these people feel it’s less important to make a lot of money than to be happier. Personally, I got sick of the lack of responsibility after about a year, but other people aren’t as driven as me.

User Detail :  

Name : Cheryl, Gender : F, Age : 31, City : Woodstock, State : VA, Country : United States, 

[Margo]

First, a degree is not an automatic passport to a great job – there are unemployed gratuates – and some are laden with debt from their years at university and can’t afford to wait and hope the perfect job will come along. This is especially true if you happen to have family or other ties restricting your ability to move where the jobs are, or if you picked an area of study that doesn’t lead directly to an obvious job. Second, not everyone sees their job as the most important thing in their life – it may be a payoff between a high-pay, high-stress ‘graduate’ job and a less-well-paid or well-regarded job with greater job satisfaction and more free time to devote to other interests. I’m a graduate, and my job does need a degree, but I have chosen to work in an area that a lot of people regard as ‘second-best.’ People find it hard to understand that for me, the satisfaction I get from the job and the fact that I have time to follow my other interests, more than makes up for the fact that I earn less than half of what some of my classmates do, who chose to go in to the corporate side of the business. I don’t have to be in the office from 8 a.m. to midnight, I have weekends off, and I never take work home.

In short, status and money aren’t everything. Finally, why not look at yourself the other way around – you may not have a degree, but you can do your job just as well as someone who has one – good for you.

User Detail :  

Name : Margo, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 27, City : Manchester, State : NA, Country : United Kingdom, Occupation : lawyer, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[PW30319]

I have a PhD in molecular biology. I recently spent 8 months unemployed, looking for ANY job at all by the end of that time. Exactly what job should I have been doing? Having a degree (or two) doesn’t mean I no longer need to eat or pay the rent.

User Detail :  

Name : PW30319, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, Age : 33, City : Sydney, State : NA, Country : Australia, Occupation : I.T., Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Tony24170]

It could be that the guy in the cubicle next to you couldn’t find a job in his field and, while he’s working there, he’s also looking (no matter what your education level, you still need to pay the rent). Unfortunately, a degree does not guarantee a dream job right at the get-go, and some people who don’t have the connections or even the luck need to take a job they may be overqualified for because they have to live.

User Detail :  

Name : Tony24170, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Orthodox Christian, Age : 27, City : Washington, State : DC, Country : United States, Occupation : Analyst, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Emily25374]

Sometimes you get all the way through school, up until the last semester of your last year, and realize that you only picked your major because of what your parents said, what you thought when you were 18, etc. Plus, there are a lot of cases where what you decide you want to do when you are 18-20 or so is not what you want to do once you get older. Or there’s burnout, or there are some jobs that a person with master’s degrees can get that end up taking more of your time than you want to give (I have a psychology degree but recently took a job as a seamstress – I got my psych degree because I used to think I could never make money or get respect doing what I really love.)

User Detail :  

Name : Emily25374, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Methodist, Age : 24, City : Memphis, State : TN, Country : United States, Occupation : Seamstress, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Teresa24694]

Many people have already responded with various reasons why someone like your coworker would take a job he is ‘overqualified’ for. The best I can do is speak from my own experience. I’m still in college majoring in Spanish and Law Enforcement. When I leave school I want to be a police officer, and nothing else. Some people assume that by going to college and getting degrees that I want to have a more rigorous job, like a detective or FBI agent. Yes, these are paths I could take once I finish school, but those are not what I want right now. Most police departments do not require more than an associates degree, or even a high school diploma, to be a police officer so I don’t blame others for wondering why I’m spending four years at a university if that is my intention. I want as much preparation and qualification as I can get, and I know I can do this, so why not? My belief is that it’s better to have too much than not enough. Plus the fact that you attended college, to some employers, proves that you can deal with different types of people and that you are able to learn beyond what is necessary.

User Detail :  

Name : Teresa24694, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 19, City : Macomb, State : IL, Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[Melody]

I have a four-year degree in education. I taught for a couple of years, then married and moved to another part of the state, where I was never successful in finding a teaching position. Eventually I caught on that I would need to find something else to do if I wanted to earn a living–so I am now a secretary. I learned that not only do I love what I do now, but I’m much, much better at this than I was at teaching! The pursuit of an education is never a waste of time; I don’t regret for one minute earning that degree, and I am amused by people who think I’m ‘wasting’ it. On the contrary, I do apply many of the principles I learned in college to my current job, and to helping my children with their school work. Some people earn a degree simply for the love of learning, which is something to be admired and not scorned.

User Detail :  

Name : Melody, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 40, City : Kansas City, State : MO, Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, 

[Jenny]

Sometimes a job finds us. It may not be what we studied in college, but it feels right and we are able to derive personal satisfaction from it. Success isn’t always measured in the size of a paycheck, but in a job well done. Some people walk away from the field they thought they wanted to work in in order to do something that has value to them in other ways. Perhaps it’s less stressful, leaves more time for family, or the work is important because it is community oriented and helps other people.

User Detail :  

Name : Jenny, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 44, City : Red Creek, State : NY, Country : United States, Occupation : Library Director, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper class, 

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