Jillian DiBlasi English 0701 September 17, 2013

Social Capital on Education

Social capital is something specific about a person that enables him or her to benefit from it, whether it is opportunity, money, or permission. It is something that increases status or value within a person. There are three general types of capital which include economic, social, and cultural. People can usually categorize themselves into one of these three capitals. Race and gender are two extremely common forms of social capital that people benefit from. Education is another example of social capital that is not as common. It falls under all three categories of social capital. The subject of education relates to most people living in the United States because almost everyone gets a basic education, kindergarten to twelfth grade. Attending college is a question that most people ponder if it is right for them or not. College is the next step that counts the most in the workplace and can affect your future drastically. In todays economy, a college degree is essential for earning a high paying job.

College graduates have a better chance of finding employment. It is a wellknown fact that unemployment rates are very high within the United States. It is a problem that is constantly trying to be fixed. The one thing that will never change is that a college degree looks better than the average high school degree to most employers. Although it is not proven for every employer, most prefer hiring an employee that has

earned a college degree. Higher education provides an advantage. It all starts with a resume. When looking for any job, it is important to have impressive quality on ones resume. Higher education may be the deciding factor between two potential employees. According to the author of Economic Benefits of College Education, David R. Witmer, claims that the college degree will be required at the threshold to the same good employment as is the high school diploma now (Witmer, 515). In other words, he is saying that the college degree will become a requirement for resumes in the future. A college degree can provide certain job opportunities and help a person win the position they are applying for.

College is inevitably one of the best decisions a person can make when trying to get his or her foot in the door. Going to a college or university can help students make lifelong friends and working partners. Networking is a term that is commonly used to describe this development of relationships. People that students may encounter at college, such as professors, may very well know someone who can help these students get a job. Internships are arguably the best tool a student can receive because in most cases, they provide a job directly out of college. It is the ultimate way to get a foot in the door. Knowing people can help tremendously in the competitive working industry. College helps make and keep these important bonds.

Fast growing industries, such as education and health services, require at least a bachelors degree. As fast growing as these industries are, there is a lot of competition within these professions. It is important that when looking for a job in these areas, proper education is acquired. A college degree may not even be enough to obtain one of these

high paying jobs. Some employers look for even more education so it is very important to take education seriously when looking for these types of high paying jobs. The more education one pursues, the more choices of not only jobs, but higher paying jobs their future holds.

There are more job opportunities for those with college degrees, than those without them. Most of the time, those job opportunities are higher paying. Yes, there are jobs that do not require a college degree. But the question is why settle for those types of jobs when there are so many more job opportunities when it comes to having a college degree? It is uncommon for the average person to receive as many different opportunities and be paid as much money as a person who earned a college degree. The more education a person receives, the more money they earn in their lifetime (***statistic). There are ample degrees you can earn. Obviously, the more work put in, the more is gained, whether it is knowledge or money.

According to a College Power Bulletin, there are abundantly less unemployed people who have higher education; the less schooling a person has, the more likely they are to be unemployed (College Power Bulletin****). There are very few instances where people who did not go to college, or particularly do well in school, earn more money than people who do go to college.

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When applying for a job, the extra years spent on education can help a person get ahead of the game in a way.

Going above and behind the average high school diploma, does not only help you in the workplace, but it also helps you in the long run. Not most people would reject someone who took the time to educate themselves. There is no harm done to someone who works to get the degree they want, so they receive the high earning pay that they deserve.

Works Cited

Economic Benefits of College Education David R. Witmer Review of Educational Research , Vol. 40, No. 4, Science and Mathematics Education (Oct., 1970), pp. 511-523 Published by: American Educational Research Association Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1169743