Despite investing heavily in his education, a man from the USA cannot find a job. His university degree seems to have no value on the job market.
The 43-year-old American Dan Colflesh made the decision in 2015 to pause his professional career for academic further education, as “Business Insider” reports.
A step that he combined with the hope of improving his career prospects. But the reality he faces after earning his degree is different. The U.S. job market doesn’t seem ready for Colflesh, who “worked his way up in some companies but always failed to get promotions because he didn’t have a college degree.”
After graduating from a community college in Massachusetts and the University of Massachusetts Amherst with degrees in physics and political science, Colflesh now finds himself in a paradoxical situation.
Despite the high investment in education and the associated debt, the millennial is still having difficulty finding a job after three years: “Nobody will hire me. “My bachelor’s degree is almost worthless,” he tells Business Insider.
Since then, Colflesh has written more than 100 applications, but without the desired success. Intermediate periods of exhaustion and personal circumstances such as an injury did not make the process any easier. In addition, his diagnosed autism could contribute to his difficulty establishing social networks and gaining acceptance from employers.
The demands of the labor market have changed and Colflesh is convinced that “you now have to have a lot of experience” to find a well-paid job. His attempt to score points with tailor-made CVs and cover letters, even for positions that do not require a university degree, has so far been unsuccessful, reports “Business Insider”. Even recommendations from employees didn’t get him interviews.
Despite the difficulties, the American continues to work on his job search and is examining various application strategies. “I’ll keep looking, no matter how dark it gets, because I have to,” the 43-year-old told Business Insider.
While he continues to look for a job offer, his fiancée and his mother support him and his daughter financially. In addition, investing in cryptocurrencies and loans helps him finance his living.
Despite the low unemployment, the difficulties that Americans experience in their job search are symptomatic of a trend in the American world of work. The father is one of many men in the USA who have difficulty finding work or have even given up looking completely.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of men ages 25 to 54 working or looking for work has fallen from 97 percent in 1950 to 89 percent in January 2024, Business Insider reports. It hits particularly hard those who, like Colflesh, should actually have better opportunities on the job market thanks to a university degree.
A completely different fate is experienced by 26-year-old American Mitch Marie, who has already had 17 different jobs at her young age. She doesn’t have any difficulties like Dan Colfesh in finding a new job. The young American would like to continue applying to other companies until she finds the position that best suits her expectations.
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