Illinois......are you staying or leaving? (Chicago, Worth: college, to live, law)

[damba]

Originally Posted by MSchemist80

For a very good reason, the private sector treats them like crap. It is a staffing agency infested race to the bottom. I still get calls from staffing agencies wanting me to go work for them for no benefits and $15-20 an hour especially from "our client in Lake Co or Abbott Park Illinois" [Abbott labs/Abbvie]. I don't think they hire any scientists directly. Believe me I could fill pages with such job ads. A lot of the stats I've looked at says less than half of science grads work in science after they graduate as a result.

The fact companies are having a hard time getting highly intelligent highly educated professionals to work via a lousy agency for lousy pay and no benefits does not mean there is a shortage.

There is no 'broad brush stroke' to explain STEM employment in the absolute sense of the opinions shared in this thread (and others @ C-D). The BLS actually has a fairly decent article explaining why the situation is more nuanced. See here:

https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2015/ar...es-and-yes.htm

[MSchemist80]

Originally Posted by damba

There is no 'broad brush stroke' to explain STEM employment in the absolute sense of the opinions shared in this thread (and others @ C-D). The BLS actually has a fairly decent article explaining why the situation is more nuanced. See here:

https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2015/ar...es-and-yes.htm

This article is more concise
https://scienceprogress.org/2009/12/...their-wallets/

OK, it’s official. A new study funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation has now confirmed what professors have been saying privately for years: the brightest American students aren’t going into science and engineering careers nearly as often as they used to.

But the reason is not, as some people say, that young Americans lack the smarts or the skills to succeed in those fields. Instead, it appears that longstanding U.S. policies have destroyed the incentives that used to attract many of the nation’s best young minds into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (the so-called STEM fields).

“It’s a labor market story,” not an education story, says one of the report’s authors, Harold Salzman, of the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University. Rather than staying with STEM for graduate studies or a first job, many of our most able college graduates are now opting out of the pipeline that the nation used to count on to carry gifted students into STEM careers.

But the new study reveals an ominous trend among the scientifically gifted. Although the numbers of young Americans studying STEM in high school and college are as strong as ever, the very best of those students, as indicated by their SAT scores and college grade point averages, are less likely than in decades past to stay in STEM when they leave college.

[NealIRC]

Originally Posted by IrishIllini

I think it's unfair to assume it's always the individual. I don't know when you entered the workforce, but it's very difficult to even get your foot in the door these days. People EXPECT you to work unpaid internships in addition to graduating from a top notch school where you paid ~30k+ a year for four, five, or even SIX years. I worked unpaid internships all four years of undergrad. It wasn't until I had graduated that I found an INTERNSHIP that was willing to pay me. It took my six months to find my first job where I started off making less than $30,000 a year. Thankfully I was debt free and able to live with my parents, allowing me to save most of it. Many people don't have that option.

Landing a job is a lot of luck and even more of who you know. Some people don't have the connections or the guidance of those who have built successful careers and networks. Some people will do essentially everything right and still get screwed.

Ya... I'm sure a lot of people with high paying jobs got it through networking.

Originally Posted by FAReastcoast

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't the blame for these issues lie with the individual? I can think of dozens of reasons to put blame on an individual for having trouble finding work.

I think you guys are talking about 2 different things.

But you are right when it comes to minimum wage jobs. A lot of people fail the drug test and background test.

Seems like for higher-pay jobs, more networking is involved.

But that was my question some threads ago - what did upper class White people do when they were unemployed, or if they even had any unemployment gaps - has been so far proprietary information.

[NealIRC]

Originally Posted by MSchemist80

For a very good reason, the private sector treats them like crap. It is a staffing agency infested race to the bottom. I still get calls from staffing agencies wanting me to go work for them for no benefits and $15-20 an hour especially from "our client in Lake Co or Abbott Park Illinois" [Abbott labs/Abbvie]. I don't think they hire any scientists directly. Believe me I could fill pages with such job ads. A lot of the stats I've looked at says less than half of science grads work in science after they graduate as a result.

The fact companies are having a hard time getting highly intelligent highly educated professionals to work via a lousy agency for lousy pay and no benefits does not mean there is a shortage.

Ya Aerotek, Momentum Scientific, LabSupport, all that. I almost never hear from them. Bout 4 years now, and Momentum Scientific only seems to have jobs that require 3+ years as a lab tech minimum with HPLC experience, so that's a no-go for me.

There was a time, I think, 2 times, a recruting company referred me to a place that I already interviewed.

A vegetable juice company in Bedfork Park, I once interviewed with them directly. Some half a year later, a recruiting company contacts me saying they think I'm a good fit and sends my resume over (I remain silent about already interviewing them). Another half a year later goes by, a 2nd recruiting company calls and sends my resume to them again...

Strange world.

[prhill]

Sad thing is people want to live here but can't as it is too hard too live here. I have know many who had to leave Illinois. I believe in 3 straight years Illinois has lost more people than all the other 49 states.

I know people who badly want to live in Chicago they loved it so much after visiting. But then they looked at rents and cost of living and taxes and were like DAMN! Paying high rents for a tiny room and not getting paid enough in salary here too pay for the high prices and taxes on everything. They love the city and want to live in it so bad but then see all of this and are like that is no way too live! It is sad that this is driving people out and keeping away people who want too live here.

I mean now a tax on grocery bags! That after just taxing sugar drinks! It never ends

[MassVt]

Chicago is still a pretty good bargain, compared to California and the Northeast ( specifically, Boston, NYC and Wash DC). Apartments are still cheaper, as are many starter/mid-level homes. It's getting quite bad here in Boston..

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by MassVt

Chicago is still a pretty good bargain, compared to California and the Northeast ( specifically, Boston, NYC and Wash DC). Apartments are still cheaper, as are many starter/mid-level homes. It's getting quite bad here in Boston..

People from Chicago who are against the city would argue that those places are far worse to live in. Most of the anti-Chicago people either head to Texas, Arizona, or some other place south. I know that many people who hate Chicago would NEVER consider living in the Northeast or Mid-Atlantic.

So you really come to learn that what they really hate is big city living and liberals. Which is fine. The more liberal and progressive Chicago gets the better. The city has been full of traditional Democrats for way too long anyway.

[compactspace]

Originally Posted by prhill

Sad thing is people want to live here but can't as it is too hard too live here. I have know many who had to leave Illinois. I believe in 3 straight years Illinois has lost more people than all the other 49 states.

I know people who badly want to live in Chicago they loved it so much after visiting. But then they looked at rents and cost of living and taxes and were like DAMN! Paying high rents for a tiny room and not getting paid enough in salary here too pay for the high prices and taxes on everything. They love the city and want to live in it so bad but then see all of this and are like that is no way too live! It is sad that this is driving people out and keeping away people who want too live here.

I mean now a tax on grocery bags! That after just taxing sugar drinks! It never ends

Big cities with lots of amenities mean higher taxes. It's rather like buying into a well-located condo building with dozens of included services, versus a house that's a long commute from anywhere. The fees might cause sticker shock, but it's worth running the numbers to see where you actually are at the end of the month.

[ForYourLungsOnly]

Originally Posted by EddieOlSkool

People from Chicago who are against the city would argue that those places are far worse to live in. Most of the anti-Chicago people either head to Texas, Arizona, or some other place south. I know that many people who hate Chicago would NEVER consider living in the Northeast or Mid-Atlantic.

So you really come to learn that what they really hate is big city living and liberals. Which is fine. The more liberal and progressive Chicago gets the better. The city has been full of traditional Democrats for way too long anyway.

Exactly. This is a tried and true story over and over again. Its always the same people who complain on and on about Chicago, and end up moving to Phoenix, Houston, or some other sprawled out sunbelt city (or they just stay here and complain all the time). These people are rarely moving to Philly, Boston, or NYC for a different big city experience...they are trying to get away from the big city, period.

[flamadiddle]

Originally Posted by ForYourLungsOnly

Exactly. This is a tried and true story over and over again. Its always the same people who complain on and on about Chicago, and end up moving to Phoenix, Houston, or some other sprawled out sunbelt city (or they just stay here and complain all the time). These people are rarely moving to Philly, Boston, or NYC for a different big city experience...they are trying to get away from the big city, period.

Not so sure of that... I for one love big cities, but do not like what Chicago has become. I lothe Liberals and actually found myself googling "the most conservative big cities" last night as I contemplate my future. I have no interest in being associated with a "Sanctuary City".