Monthly Archives: September 2023

Ivy League Degrees Don’t Net Higher Salaries (Mostly)… Graduates Concerned about AI Impact on Jobs… Late Night Study Events Grow in Popularity

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Ivy League Degrees Don’t Net Higher Salaries—Mostly

Graduating from the Ivies isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. New research from Harvard shows that attending an Ivy League school rather than one of the best state universities leads to a statistically insignificant increase in earnings, a mere 3 percent, by age 33. The study indicates that the caliber of the student better predicts future earnings than the college attended.

However, the researchers did find that attending an Ivy had some perks. Doing so increases the likelihood that the graduate will land a job with an elite employer and attend highly-ranked graduate programs. It also boosted the number of grads who became part of the top 1% of earners by the time they were 33.

The study named a parent’s degree of wealth the best indicator of gaining acceptance to an Ivy.

Zinuka, J. (2023, July 27.) An Ivy League degree won’t boost your salary much compared to a good state school, a study finds. You’re just more likely to have an elite-sounding job. Insider. https://www.insider.com

Graduates Worry about AI’s Impact on Jobs

College graduates are voicing concern about their readiness to work in a world filled with AI, according to a new survey conducted by Cengage Group.

Over half of the 1,000 people surveyed said they worried about their preparedness for the workplace as a result of the rapid acceptance of generative AI. Nearly half who had jobs felt their positions were threatened by the new technology, while 55 percent said their roles could not be replaced by AI.  Six in ten respondents believed they needed to improve their digital skills.

The survey also revealed that employers’ hiring plans were being affected by the new tools. More than half said certain entry-level jobs and entire teams could be replaced by AI, and about two-thirds said current employees would need to upskill or reskill. Nevertheless, employers are prioritizing “uniquely human” skills in new employees such as emotional intelligence, negotiation skills, and communication, the study also found.

Nietzel, M. (2021, July 20.) AI is leading college graduates to questions their job readiness, according to new survey. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com

Late Night Study Events Grow in Popularity

More and more institutions are responding to students’ tendency to procrastinate around finals time by holding events called LNAP, or Long Night Against Procrastination.

The events began in Germany in 2010 but have spread across the globe. They typically include academic assistance from faculty, student volunteers, and writing tutors. Campus libraries open study areas and supply snacks.

An unintended consequence of providing late night help to students in the library seems to have the added bonus of reducing their reticence to venture through the library doors—many students find the wide variety of library resources overwhelming.

Some schools even provide therapy dogs during the sessions and other forms of stress relief. That’s a lot different from the days of pulling an all-nighter alone in a tiny dorm room.

Flaherty, C. (2023, July 18.) Long night study events: Less procrastination, more fun. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered/com

 

Improving Interpersonal Skills: E-Mail Assignment

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The isolation of the pandemic took its toll on college students’ interpersonal skills, and employers are finding they must help new-hires gain these workplace essentials. A recent Wall Street Journal article noted that recent graduates, who primarily communicate via social media, need to improve not just oral communication skills but also to effectively use e-mail. This assignment is geared to tackle both challenges.

 

Your Task. For this exercise, first read this post from Indeed.com and choose three of the areas listed in the article that you’d like to improve. Then, in an e-mail to your instructor, describe how you plan to work on attaining these skills.

Sample Student E-mail

Dear Prof. XYZ:

After reading the Indeed.com post about interpersonal skills, I have decided I need to improve in the following three areas:

    1. Teamwork. In the past, I have not been the best team player. I prefer to do things on my own so I can control the final product. However, after reading about the importance of collaboration, I better understand the need to work well in groups. This semester, I plan to improve my teamwork skills by not pushing my own agenda and respecting others’ input.
    2. Flexibility. I’ve realized that I tend to be inflexible; I’ve always wanted to do things my own way. I now realize being able to change course is important in business, and that I’ll have to change my mindset to be a more valuable, productive employee.
    3. Patience. Wow, this one really hit home. I’m extremely impatient, especially when I know I can get something done faster than those around me. To become more patient, I have signed up for yoga, which I’m told is good for people like me who just want to get things done as quickly as possible.

Now that I’m close to entering the business world, I can see how some of my personality traits could work against me. I’m glad to be aware of these liabilities before I seek a job.

Sincerely,

Student Name

Employers Say New-Hires Need Better Interpersonal Skills

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From effectively handling e-mail to casually conversing in an elevator, new-hires—many of whom experienced at least part of their college experience online due to the pandemic—are entering the workforce without the interpersonal skills to prosper. Interpersonal skills refer to the various ways people work with and relate to others. They include the ability to communicate effectively, collaborate, manage time, and think critically, and experts say these skills can be learned.

Employers have noticed that since 2020, many new grads struggle with basic interpersonal dynamics such as reading social cues or behaving appropriately in meetings. The young workers have difficulty connecting with others, managing deadlines, or presenting in front of others. Experts say these issues are a direct consequence of having inadequate in-person mentoring and valuable on-the-job learning due to the pandemic.

The problem is so widespread that many college career centers have met with local employers to warn them that new graduates will require explicit instructions on the basics, including how a first day on the job may look, what to wear, and even what to do for lunch. Some colleges have responded to the situation by requiring their business students to take classes on interpersonal skills as elementary as introducing oneself by using a first and last name.

Employers are responding by training their newbies and providing the advice that can help them succeed. Warner Bros. Discovery, for instance, created a presentation on office behavior, dress codes, and interpersonal work relationships. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), the professional services firm, has had to coach new workers on wardrobe choices, especially for client site visits because new workers were dressing too informally. The company has also had to specifically define why a professional image is important, knowledge that used to be obvious to workers. PWC even began year-long onboarding process that covers topics such as making social conversation and impromptu public speaking so participants learn to come across authentically instead of awkwardly.

Hirers have also noted that new workers need guidance on collaboration. KPMG’s new-hires go through training in which they learn how to deal with conflicts in groups and even the basics of talking to colleagues, such as maintaining eye contact and avoiding jargon. And although the newest generation of workers is considered to consist of digital natives, Gen Z workers have not learned how to respond to and manage e-mail, other firms complain.

One thing is certain. Since over half of recent grads prefer to work in person full-time, they are going to need to grasp the nuances of the workplace—or they won’t thrive in it.

Discussion

  1. Why is eye contact important when conversing?
  2. Why are deadlines so critical in the workplace?
  3. How did the months of taking online classes affect your ability to be a valuable employee?

Ellis, L. (2023, June 16). New grads have no idea how to behave in the office. Help is on the way. The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com