College Graduate don't be scared

I just finished reading an article about how new college graduates are not needed or wanted by anybody on msn.com. Although recession is a bad time for new graduates and finding a job I would like to add that new graduates already are stacked against. From my experience I have realized that I was the one who failed finding a job right out of college and no one else like I claimed at that time. I am going to describe my story and hope someone will not commit the same mistakes as I did.

I graduated out of college in 2002 and by then I had relied on my dream job I would secure right out of college. Soon after graduating I found out that finding a job without experience is not going to be easy. I interviewed for every job I thought was worth my time. After six months I realized that I have bills to pay and a new wife to support I gave up and took a menial job stacking coolers at a convenient store during nights. I hated the job but it was good to have some form of income. Six months later (a year after graduating) I got a job as a data entry person at a refinery paying $8/hr. I went to work everyday hating the job but it was better than stacking coolers. I was noticed in a meeting, making suggestions, and was asked by a foreman to elaborate. They soon asked me to implement my suggestions. I impressed the team and was moved to a different department. All this time no one at work knew I had a masters degree. While working a night shift and having a conversation with one of my colleagues he informed me there is a position for a network engineer at his wife's workplace. I applied and through referral I was hired. That was my first real job and slowly I kept getting promoted or moving a new job. I am happy to say after 7 years I am making $40/hr and my credit rating improved from 490 to 750.

I have realized through time I was wrong in college for not making any new associations that would have opened up new opportunities. I would like all the young people out there to have fun in college but also make good friendships and connect with people that could help you in opening job opportunities. Good Luck!

What is your news source?

I am starting to wonder if people still think or if they are just passive listeners, colleagues from work, friends I hang out with, people I meet at a bar and the list goes on. I have yet to find a person who dissects the news they hear or atleast have an opinion on it. Instead all I hear is rhetoric about what they heard from John Stewart on the daily show, or Glenn Beck on fox news. What part of the "talk show" do they not understand? I guess it is not their fault they can't distinguish between opinions and news.

Long gone are the days when people tuned in to the daily news in the evening where reporters just read the stories people no longer spend time reading a newspaper. Instead they click on a link on the internet, watch and/or listen to a talk show expecting to get details of the latest current events. When will they realize that the talking heads on TV or radio are just speaking their opinion instead of reporting news.

This culture in today's world is so prevelant that even reputable TV stations and reporters have come down their levels to start dishing out opinions instead of reporting news. There is no nonbiased news anymore there is always a political spin to the story being reported. Their political affiliations drive the stories these days.

I only wish we lost technology for a few years where publishing a story is not so easy. So the real reporters will actually perform their duties properly and research the story before they broadcast it for ratings. Better yet, I wish people would start thinking for themselves instead of letting a TV personality influence their thoughts. Is that too much to ask?