Beyond ridiculous

NEW YORK - A New York City woman who says she can't find a job is suing the college where she earned a bachelor's degree.

Trina Thompson filed a lawsuit last week against Monroe College in Bronx Supreme Court. The 27-year-old is seeking the $70,000 she spent on tuition.

Thompson says she's been unable to find gainful employment since she received her information technology degree in April.

This is simply ridiculous. When Information Technology started to collapse in 2000 I began thinking of a career transition (I was working as a software/hardware engineer recruiter). I went back to school and obtained a paralegal certificate. I attended a school certified by the American Bar Association to increase my credibility with potential employers. The school I went to advertised that they helped with job placement. However, I knew that it was all up to me to find a job suited toward my skills and impress potential employers with my abilities. The economy was in a serious downturn then, not as bad as now, but it was very slow. I found jobs on my own because of basic persistence. In the beginning I had to take contract hourly positions and finally in a year found something with more stability. I think people are expecting the world to be rosy if they get a degree, any degree, from any school. That simply isn't how it works. People need to take what jobs are there and work their up or into a position that they desire. Jobs don't get handed to people on a silver platter because they have a piece of paper. Suing the school because of her inability to find work shows she lacks personal responsibility. Employers will look at that.