To provide a balanced view of your obviously skewed opinion,
there are many graduates who work tirelessly to earn their keep,
and continue to stay relevant in their respective fields.
The current market has changed. Hard work no longer guarantees job
security. While the younger generation of grads may consider
themselves more 'mobile' compared to middle-aged and earlier
forties staff, there is still a need to continuously 'prove'
yourself.
This is especially so in the private sector, in industries such as
aerospace, manufacturing waffer fabs and pharmaceutical. It's not
enough to deliver on your product, one has to deliver faster,
better and cheaper products annually to demanding customers who
expect price cuts and discounts.
Graduate positions in such industries have a high attrition rate
because the pressure-cooking environment is simply not worth the
pay companies are offering. Managers can make or break their
future. Knowing exactly what your boss needs can play a key role in
career advancement. A wrong second-guess can snuff out your future
plans. Boot-licking is discouraged and only value-added services
are demanded.
Yes, a degree opens many more doors than others, but ultimately, it
is simply a passport to your new career, just like a diploma and an
NITEC cert. The pendulum can easily swing the other way and those
that underperform will surely face the axe.
To single out graduates for this kind of behaviour is as naive as
the current cold war between polytechnic and JC students over which
institution of learning is 'better'.