‘Altruism Meets a Weak Job Market’
According to the Wall Street Journal, recent college grads are giving up on trying to find a decent job in the currently crappy job market, and are opting instead to spend a year or two working and/or volunteering for one of the following world-improvement organizations:
Peace Corps
AmeriCorps
Teach for America
Jesuit Volunteers
WorldTeach
The applicant and enlistment numbers for these organizations have been increasing over the past few years. The Peace Corps numbers for 2007 were the highest they’d been since the 1970s, and Teach for America has had a 36% increase since last year.
The job market does kind of blow at the moment, but I think a large part of what drives the twenty-somethings to do what they can to change the world for the better is that they are a pretty aware generation as far as the plight of their fellow man goes. As good as this stuff looks on a résumé, I find it hard to believe that huge increase in low- or no-pay enlistment is due to a bunch of shiny newly-grads wanting to add some stellar bullet points. I think they might just be nice. In which case, I’m very impressed.
Further Reading:
Why Teach for America
College Grads Are Not Just Chasing the Almighty Dollar
Obama: Can We Get a Little Service Here?
2 School Entrepreneurs Lead the Way on Change
Posted by Alexa Harrington
