Is Careerism Necessary?

 I believe careerism is ruining college because students are given less of a chance to pursue true interests, develop personal (not professional) connections, and to focus on their own well-being. Careerism forces students to have a particular field or job that they are almost certainly doing, and students are molded into that occupation. This aligns with Paulo Freire's banking concept of education, where a student is "the adapted person, because she or he is better 'fit' for the world." (Freire 99). In an ideal society, college would shift away from careerism to allow students to find a career that will truly make them happy. 

However, certain fields are more competitive for because they pay very well, and who would not want great pay? In order to land a coveted internship or job opportunity, you have to make sacrifices in order to make that happen. This means that students must start earlier, which is why LinkedIn is heavily populated by college-age students. If colleges do not have the careerism approach, their students will easily lose to schools who "mold" their students effectively and early for the job that they pursue. Isabella Glassman presents a solution to careerism, which is "to prevent finance and consulting firms from pushing students to commit earlier and earlier." (Glassman 4). The problem with this is that if students commit later than most to a competitive field such as finance, they will have a lower success rate of landing an opportunity than students who began right away.

Therefore, I believe that main problem is what young adults perceive as successful. When talking about a professional who has a successful career, my mind immediately thinks about someone who has made a lot of money from doing their job. It is easier to go down a career path knowing that it is paid better, even if aware about the toil required, rather than using the college experience to discover work that gives you fulfillment but with uncertainty of your future. If students understand that money does not give a person happiness, they can spend their college years with less stress and they can develop meaningful relationships while finding a career they enjoy.