There may be quite a few years between them — and a difference of authority level — but on Sunday, May 19, Dorian Joyner, Sr. and his son, Dorian Joyner, Jr., will be on equal footing when they walk across the stage during Morehouse’s commencement celebration. The father and son duo will both be earning bachelor’s degrees from the college and both say they couldn’t have done it without the other.

“We used to have a support system,” Dorian Jr. told Atlanta 11. “Sometimes [my dad] would come to my room to ask about a problem or a class or a professor to take.”

It’s not surprising Dorian Sr. would rely on his son for help. The father began his college education back in 1984, but never finished. Then three years ago when his son was a freshman he decided to re-enroll.

“I said, ‘oh, you’re coming back to visit some of your friends?’” Dorian Jr. recalled of his shock when his dad broke the news.. “He said ‘no, I’m coming back to be a student.’ I said – can you repeat that?”

Although he might have initially been apprehensive, the father and son being on campus together turned out to not be an issue at all. Papa Dorian allowed his son to call him by his first name on campus and since the two have their own friends and schedules, they rarely crossed paths on the green. Now three years later, the pair is closer than they’ve ever been before.

“We’re Morehouse brothers,” the two said proudly.

As for their future plans, Dorian Senior plans to pursue a law degree and eventually become a judge, while his son has applied for the Peace Corps and hopes to spend two years traveling before attending film school.

Best of luck to these Morehouse men and congratulations!

I remember when my younger brother woke up one morning feeling that because he had his driver’s license, he deserved a new car. He first went to my parents and petitioned for his own vehicle. Of course, they looked at him sideways and asked him such reasonable questions as, “Do you plan on getting a job to pay your car insurance?” or “Gas prices are rising. How do you intend to keep gas in the car?” and even, “Your grades aren’t showing that you deserve a car. How do you plan on proving that you are ready to take on this responsibility?”

I suppose my brother didn’t feel like he should have to prove to my parents that he was deserving of his own car. Not only was he convinced that he was deserving of a car but also entitled to one. His next target was our grandmother. After badgering her and going on and on about how much he wanted a car and felt he should have one, she caved and brought him a fairly new BMW.

What should be noted most about this story is not how absurd it was that my grandmother decided to buy my little brother a BMW, but the fact that he truly believed that he was entitled to this car. He was in no position to financially keep the car up, put gas in it or do damn near anything for it, yet he was convinced that because he had his driver’s license, someone was obligated to provide him with his own vehicle. While this story may be a bit on the extreme side, many young adults within this generation seem to share a similar false sense of entitlement when it comes to things in life that should be earned.

I recently had a conversation with one of my classmates who happens to be a seasoned media professional in his forties with many years of industry experience under his belt. In an effort to pick his brain and get an idea of what employers are looking for from new graduates such as myself, I asked him what stands out the most to him when interviewing potential employees. He shared that his biggest problem with recent graduates in the job market is that many of them give off the vibe that says they believe that their potential employer somehow owes them something. “They walk in feeling as if they’re entitled to the job their interviewing for as opposed to realizing that they are competing for it and trying make the best impression.” He also shared that many are not willing to work their way from the bottom up. They come in fresh out of college turning their noses up at the work being offered, expecting to fall into some grandiose position and do all of this glamorous and fun work in their industry when the truth of the matter is that it just doesn’t work that way.

I for one, found his statements difficult to believe considering the state that our economy is currently in and knowing as a recent graduate how challenging it is to find work in your field. However, before I could even argue with him about it, I thought of other young adults like my brother or former classmates who merely made appearances during the semester and barely turned in assigned work, but expected to receive grades worth bragging about once the semester was over. I even thought of former co-workers who happened to fall in my age group who didn’t even put forth an effort to carry their weight as regular employees but felt they should be promoted to supervising positions.

In an interview with the CBS Early Show, Jason Dorsey, author of Y-Size Your Business, shared that in his experience working with millennials and interviewing them, “they would rather be unemployed than to take a job they believe is beneath them.” He also shared that some Gen Y’ers are lazy, but that they also “have a different work preference.” For example, many won’t show up to work on time, but are “willing to stay late. They’re also sending e-mails at 2 am. They just work differently.”

He also urged young adults seeking to enter the work force to take the jobs that they can get because staying unemployed for years and years after college graduation will only make entering the workforce more difficult. “You’ve got to take the jobs you can get now and get the experience, build your network, do these things that give you more options rather than holding out,” says Dorsey.

Do you believe that Generation Y suffer from entitlement mentality or simply just have higher standards?

Check out Jason Dorsey’s discussion of Gen Y in the workplace in a video after the jump…

Image: Hermera

A new study by Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance found that African-American college graduates say they are much more serious about reaching financial goals than previous generations.

According to the survey, a large majority (70 percent) of 18-to-34-year-old African American college graduates described themselves as either “disciplined” or “highly disciplined” financial planners. Only 47 percent of those aged 35 and older consider the same. But while young blacks say they are good planners, few of them (only 9 percent) actually have plans in place to financially prepare to live to age 95. Overall, four in 10 African-American college graduates (41 percent) felt financially prepared to live to age 75 while about one in four (27 percent) were prepared to live to age 95. At last check, US life expectancy is about 78 years old for men and women.

And it seems black men are thinking about finances than women, who are focused on lifestyle issues. Male African-American college graduates (52 percent) were more likely to have a financial plan in place to meet their financial goals than women (35 percent). Instead, more women graduates reported having plans in place to meet their spiritual, physical fitness and family life goals. The report states that 58 percent had a plan in place for their spiritual life compared to 43 percent having a plan in place for their financial life.

Do you think young people are more financially responsible than past generations?

source: usnews.com

For recent college graduates, this fall marks the first that they are not gearing up to head back to class for another academic year. While some may be in the throes of entry-level positions, others are still seeking employment. The glee that accompanied them as they walked across the stage and graduated into the job market has likely dissipated, wilting at the awareness that not only has the frivolity of summer ended, but they are degreed up without a job prospect in their grasps.

Though the Seattle Times reports that the job market is on an upswing for 2012 college graduates (citing a 10.2 percent increase in the hiring of 2012 college graduates over those who entered the job market in 2011), employment rates have yet to meet or surpass pre-recession levels. For many would-be professionals, the back-to-school season—a time that once signified a fresh, hopeful start for students—has ignited a bevy of post-graduate anxieties, including the following:

Should I go back to school, too?
Those who may not have considered an advanced degree in their field of study may consider waiting out the economic storm in the shelter of graduate school. While attaining additional education is not a bad idea, doing so for the sole purpose of killing time is not ideal, especially if it means incurring additional debt. Does professional success in a graduate’s field of choice require a Master’s or Doctorate degree? If it doesn’t, would-be grad students should determine whether they are quenching a natural curiosity and affinity for the subject matter, or if their hearts are not in it at all, in which case, graduate school can be a waste of money and time.

When does the living start?
Combing through Facebook timelines and seeing photos of friends’ vacations, their new cars or their newly furnished apartments are enough to make a recent graduate wonder when his or her turn is coming. While some may have avoided the economic fray and scored well-paying jobs in their fields, some graduates are awaiting the moment in which they can get a head start on their bills, move into a place of their own, and start living the golden young adult lives they dreamed of. This is where getting out of the comparison game is absolutely necessary. While wondering when their time will come, recent grads should take advantage of the joys that are within reach, like road trips, free outdoor concerts, community festivals and staycations. Volunteering is also a feel-good way to spend downtime from the job hunt.

What will happen when my student loan payments kick in?
Taking out a student loan to pay for educational expenses was a much easier concept when the idea of snagging a job or launching a well-paying career immediately after graduation didn’t seem like a far-fetched possibility. Now, with loan repayment plans starting six months after a student has graduated, tackling a hefty loan bill without a job can be disconcerting. However, recent grads shouldn’t be dismayed; private lenders and the federal government offer loan deferment and loan forbearance options that allow for a temporary postponement of repayment or a reduction in monthly repayment amount.

Should I make a switch and start again?
Fruitless job leads can tug at a grad’s insecurities, making him or her wonder whether that English degree was worth the sweat. Recent grads might be riddled with thoughts of taking a chance at another career field (by taking additional undergraduate courses to count for a second major, or becoming certified to be a teacher) or settling where they are because it’s paying the bills (like working the same waitressing gig they held down in college). This is often where the crossroads of chasing a passion and getting paid veer onto separate pathways, and new grads are yanked in a tug of war between likely playing the job search game longer than their classmates and determining whether they should start from scratch.

Am I Doing This Job Search Right?
After countless job interviews and an immeasurable number of resumes and applications submitted, recent grads wonder if there is something they’re doing to count themselves out of landing a new gig. Perhaps a seminar on interviewing and resume creation is in order? Many universities offer career counseling, training sessions and mock interviews with evaluations for its alumni at no cost. Face-to-face connections (like mixers and career fairs) are networking staples, but leveraging social media outlets like LinkedIn can also be beneficial for getting leads on jobs that graduates may not have been able to find elsewhere. Also, finding opportunities to fatten a resume without a “traditional” position can be impressive to employers. Aspiring writers and editors can start a blog or write for online magazines. Those with eyes on public relations careers can offer freelance support to small, local events and friends with businesses to tout.

The period of time after college graduation is one in which young adults are often rapt with life-changing decisions and thoughts on whether their choices have been correct ones. One piece of advice, however, applies no matter what path a recent graduate decides to take: Always keep moving forward.

wsone.com

Even with critics creating additional skepticism at the importance of a four-year degree and potential students hesitating to enroll fearing rising student loan debt, a new report shows that for African Americans in California, a college degree is worth the cost.

The study, conducted by UC Berkeley research and the California Census Data Center, analyzed data from U.S. census, state funding for colleges and universities and average state expenses for social support programs and tax revenues. They then were able to find revenue and cost estimates for the state and individuals at various levels of education. Although college pays off for people across the board, African American students were found to have the greatest gains. According to the study, college reduces the amount of years African Americans will spend in poverty. Black students with a bachelor’s degree will spend six fewer years in poverty than black students with a high school degree.

“Education is a powerful payoff for this particular community as it is for all, but there’s a bigger impact here in terms of poverty and income,” Michele Siqueiros, the executive director of The Campaign for College Opportunity said to the North County Times. “In certain parts of the state, it’s really significant.”

Despite college debt and a troubling national economy, the lifetime earnings for college graduates across ethnic groups remains higher than that for high school graduates and has in fact increased over the past 30 years. For African Americans in California, lifetime earnings have grown 85 percent.

“One of the things I really like about this report is that education is not just a civil rights issue, it’s an economic issue,” Claudia Pena, statewide director for the California Civil Rights Coalition, said to North County Times. “There is actually a return for the state.”

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At one point, young professionals were said to be the least affected by the down economy, as older workers were being pushed out in favor of cheap labor and forced to rely on diminished retirement savings to survive. The fact that the young labor force would have time to build up their 401ks was seen as their saving grace but you can’t put money up for retirement when you don’t have a job at all.

That’s the reality painted by a new analysis of government data conducted for The Associated Press that has found about 1.5 million, or 53.6 percent, of bachelor’s degree-holders under the age of 25 were unemployed or severely underemployed last year. That number is the highest it’s been in at least 11 years.

“Simply put, we’re failing kids coming out of college,” said Andrew Sum, director of the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University who analyzed the numbers. “We’re going to need a lot better job growth and connections to the labor market, otherwise college debt will grow.”

Professional prospects varied by industry and region. For instance, demand is strong in science, education, and health fields, but dwindling in the arts and humanities. Median wages are lower for those with bachelor’s degrees across the board when compared to 2000 data, and sadly most future job openings are projected to be in lower-skilled positions such as home health aides, who can provide personalized attention for the aging population.

According to government projections released last month, only three of the 30 occupations with the largest projected number of job openings by 2020 will require a bachelor’s degree or higher to fill the position — teachers, college professors and accountants,” Yahoo news report. “Most job openings are in professions such as retail sales, fast food and truck driving, jobs which aren’t easily replaced by computers.

The Mountain West was most likely to have young college graduates jobless or underemployed—about 3 out of 5. Grads in the rural southeast followed behind, while the Pacific region ranked high on the list as well. The south, particularly Texas, appears to be the place to be right now. The area was was most likely to have young college graduates in higher-skill jobs.

In more sobering news, American workers are also struggling to compete with educated foreign-born residents for jobs and degree inflation as more and more young people earn bachelor’s degrees, making them commonplace for low-wage jobs, but inadequate for higher-paying ones. Sigh.

What advice would you give a recent grad trying to make it as a young professional?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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(AJC) — More than one out of 10 people in metro Atlanta is unemployed, but it’s not a bad place to live if you’re a recent college graduate, according to a new report.  Atlanta was ranked the ninth-best city in the U.S. for new grads on a list by Apartments.com and CareerRookie.com, which compiled the rankings based on several factors, including the inventory of jobs requiring less than one year of experience and the cost of renting a one-bedroom apartment.

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(New York Times) — The individual stories are familiar. The chemistry major tending bar. The classics major answering phones. The Italian studies major sweeping aisles at Wal-Mart.  Now evidence is emerging that the damage wrought by the sour economy is more widespread than just a few careers led astray or postponed. Even for college graduates — the people who were most protected from the slings and arrows of recession — the outlook is rather bleak.  Employment rates for new college graduates have fallen sharply in the last two years, as have starting salaries for those who can find work. What’s more, only half of the jobs landed by these new graduates even require a college degree, reviving debates about whether higher education is “worth it” after all.  “I have friends with the same degree as me, from a worse school, but because of who they knew or when they happened to graduate, they’re in much better jobs,” said Kyle Bishop, 23, a 2009 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh who has spent the last two years waiting tables, delivering beer, working at a bookstore and entering data. “It’s more about luck than anything else.”

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Are you a college graduate who’s been struggling to find a job? Maybe it’s not the man out to get you. Perhaps you’re doing something that’s negatively impacting your job search.

The Grio listed four ways that college graduates sabotage themselves out of a job. One of them was misusing social media to present yourself in an unfavorable light.

Check out the list to make sure you’re not playing yourself.