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Most STEM grads don't work in STEM jobs

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Re: Most STEM grads don't work in STEM jobs

#21
post #7

> The Census Bureau reported in 2021 that a paltry 28% of STEM grads are working in these supposedly in-demand, highly paid and important STEM jobs. These include diverse sectors such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and energy, but about half of STEM jobs are in computers, and tech firms typically complain the loudest of STEM shortages. I’ve long suspected that the whole “STEM” education movement is a way for big tech…

>STEM reality: we got you to confuse an ad for a search result 0.5% more often.

That couldn't be more false. The vast majority of STEM jobs do not pushing ads to people., only FAANGS and such which are a minority of the total STEM jobs.

Re: Most STEM grads don't work in STEM jobs

#22
I say this with 90% sincerity: I thought this was STEAM now?

But with all seriousness... I went to university out of high school in 2005 to get a mech engineering degree but never finished because I liked to party too hard and web dev was easy and paid better than most people I knew with entry-level engineering jobs.

Flash forward to now as a non-trad student and I'm in my 400-level coursework. It's all easier than it was, 100%. "We only need you to pass the FE" is what they say. I'm getting a 3.7 GPA by just showing up to class and doing the homework they assign. It wasn't like that ~20 years ago.

Makes me wonder about the quality of the graduates we're cranking out even at ABET-accredited schools.

Re: Most STEM grads don't work in STEM jobs

#23

They tend to all become BDRs or Consultants from my circles. Academia-Research trauma is tough too

I wonder if some just realize that they don’t like STEM. Maybe they only studied it for family or social pressures, or they heard that engineers can get paid a lot.

Anecdotally, I feel like some of my classmates had no interest in engineering. They seemed to stick around for the money or the benefits or the clout. But if landing a job in the industry became more trouble than it’s worth, I don’t see why they wouldn’t turn elsewhere.

Re: Most STEM grads don't work in STEM jobs

#25

STEM students can't apply for internships because they are on site and will not pay for relocation, will not pay for housing, and rent leases rarely will do short durations. Most grads get those because their family+friends had the resources to help them be successfull. Living in a large city with stem jobs and having an extra room. As housing capital is squeezed so is the nation. The trend is not improving, many oth…

For chemical engineering internships it was customary and expected for the employer to provide housing as well as some relocation money, in addition to wages.

I think lack of housing assistance is generally true of the sciences (biology, chemistry, etc) but less true for engineering. Computer science internships seem to be highly variable and not have any established industry-wide norms for internships.

Re: Most STEM grads don't work in STEM jobs

#26
post #22

I say this with 90% sincerity: I thought this was STEAM now? But with all seriousness... I went to university out of high school in 2005 to get a mech engineering degree but never finished because I liked to party too hard and web dev was easy and paid better than most people I knew with entry-level engineering jobs. Flash forward to now as a non-trad student and I'm in my 400-level coursework. It's all easier than i…

> thought this was STEAM now?

What's the A?

EDIT: It's the arts [1]. It looks like a classical education.

[1] https://theconversation.com/explainer-whats-the-difference-b...

Re: Most STEM grads don't work in STEM jobs

#27

STEM students can't apply for internships because they are on site and will not pay for relocation, will not pay for housing, and rent leases rarely will do short durations. Most grads get those because their family+friends had the resources to help them be successfull. Living in a large city with stem jobs and having an extra room. As housing capital is squeezed so is the nation. The trend is not improving, many oth…

[deleted]

Re: Most STEM grads don't work in STEM jobs

#29
post #22

I say this with 90% sincerity: I thought this was STEAM now? But with all seriousness... I went to university out of high school in 2005 to get a mech engineering degree but never finished because I liked to party too hard and web dev was easy and paid better than most people I knew with entry-level engineering jobs. Flash forward to now as a non-trad student and I'm in my 400-level coursework. It's all easier than i…

> thought this was STEAM now? What's the A? EDIT: It's the arts [1]. It looks like a classical education. [1] https://theconversation.com/explainer-whats-the-difference-b...

Arts

Re: Most STEM grads don't work in STEM jobs

#30
post #22

I say this with 90% sincerity: I thought this was STEAM now? But with all seriousness... I went to university out of high school in 2005 to get a mech engineering degree but never finished because I liked to party too hard and web dev was easy and paid better than most people I knew with entry-level engineering jobs. Flash forward to now as a non-trad student and I'm in my 400-level coursework. It's all easier than i…

> thought this was STEAM now? What's the A? EDIT: It's the arts [1]. It looks like a classical education. [1] https://theconversation.com/explainer-whats-the-difference-b...

An asinine addition to an already asinine acronym.
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