Ried Rants

Okay, I know its tuff out there. In fact it is so tuff that I have heard of jobs posted on the Internet on craigslist.org are getting 400 resumes (for a part time file clerk position). Now what I am realizing is the food chain of work has been off kilter for some time. I know this because I have also heard of folks who hold MBA’s taking jobs at 27K per year.

As a result a person who would normally have that 27K job has now been displaced. That person may believe or be so desperate that will take a job that pays 15K. Which intern displaces the worker who is accustomed to getting 15K. That 15K person is now having to take welfare, unemployment, odd jobs, etc.

This current state of affairs seems to have bred a new species of employer and recruiter. This new breed believes that they need a candidate that has about ten times the education, experience and knowledge than what is actually required for the position.

In my daily Internet job post hunt I actually found a post on Career Builder for a Executive Assistant. Now I know that I am casting aspersions on a job title similar to the one I am currently searching for (Legal Assistant). But let’s face it this job title is a euphemism for “secretary.” We have so many politically correct (“PC”) terms for things these days its crazy to me. But that is another rant for another time.

This job post was for an executive assistant. A job that pays anywhere from 27-45K. Salary.com states that it pays $36,000 to $58,000.  This listing stated that the candidate needed a graduate degree.

Now I am a bit backwards when it comes to higher degrees. I am often unsure of how degrees are referred to. In my head I am thinking a graduate degree is a Masters degree, six years of higher education. I hefty tuition most likely in the high double digits or maybe even six figures.

So I look it up and sure enough degrees ascend in two year increments after high school starting at Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s then PhDs.

This employer wants a person who has an incredible amount of education and get paid less annually than their education cost. Can you say PSYCHO?