Researching the Societal Norms of Education and Their Effect on Individual’s Work Career Success

​Success is one’s career is also limited by the opportunities given. Employment opportunities are not only limited by educational status but the evolving market. As jobs become available at certain times, the required level of education for each position follows. This creates an influx or fall in the quantity and/or quality of education needed for jobs in a certain time frame to be filled. As said in paragraphs above, education affects economic growth, and it is also observed that an economy's status influences changes in the job market influencing the education standard for jobs. An example is shown from Viadero, “A highly skilled workforce can raise economic growth by about two-thirds of a percentage point a year,” (Viadero). The article highlights the cause-and-effect of education, the job markets, and the nation’s economy have on each other. The American Psychological Association supports this as, “… various programs are not well tailored to the needs of adolescents and young people.” When talking about job markets for young individuals (American Psychological Association 130). Due to the ever-changing job market, employment opportunities are a major reason as to why educational status affects millennials careers.

It is a common conception that one’s education level creates a successful person. Mike Rose, in his essay “Blue-Collar Brillance”, debunks this theory. Through his anecdote he states, “Intelligence is closely associated with formal education-the type of schooling a person has, how much and how long-and most people seem to move comfortably from that notion to a belief that work requiring less schooling requires less intelligence.” (Rose 572). His statement derives from the personal account of seeing his mother encounter this stigma as a waitress. Since Rose grew up in a blue-collar family, his point of view of education’s relation to career achievement is relevant. His real-world example of his mother illustrates that education status has no relation to one’s capability in being successful at their job. Rose states, “…my mother learned to work smart, as she put it, make every move count.” (Rose 570). Rose explains his mother’s characteristics and work ethic that create her success, not her level of education. This story goes against the societal expectation in our world today about educations link to success.

The differing backgrounds of individuals directly impact their ability to access educational resources. The American Psychological Association focuses on the differing paths one must take to achieve higher education status. As supported by, “About one-half of high school graduates in the United States do not go on to college, and of those who do, less than 25 percent obtain 4-year degrees.” (American Psychological Association 125). The common expectation of everyone receiving a high education level is unrealistic. This quote proves it cannot always be obtained for an abundant of reasons, ranging from low income to ethnicity backgrounds. Rose builds on this idea, giving evidence to this by telling a story about his uncle who did not have the privilege to attend school, “… Joe Meraglio, left school in the ninth grade” (Rose 572). Rose follows up this story with his uncle’s success despite him not having a degree in higher education, “…he moved from working in the assembly line to supervising the paint-and-body department.” (Rose 572). Rose proves through his uncle’s story, that hard work is valued more than a degree. The toxic cycle of this expectation is what influences the impact on individual’s inability to not be successful in the workplace strictly due to the “norm” of having a degree. Dweck develops this idea as she talks about expectations that result due to the mindsets of an individual. An example of this, “…he believed that education and practice could bring about fundamental changes in intelligence.” (Dweck 664). If a concept is created in one’s mind, it has influence on physical aspects of one’s decisions and performance in their life. The norm that education determines success creates a societal norm that equates success exclusively with an individual’s education level, even though not everyone has access to education at such a high regard.