I was making more 8 years ago than a friend that graduated from Duke with honors the year before. After a year of a mediocre administrative assistant jobs she went back to school for a medical degree. Crazy, four years of Duke to make 25% less than me with virtually no formal education...in a career I had only been in for a couple years. That sucks, especially when she has WELL into 6 figures of students loans piled up. During that time I knew of several mall store managers with business degrees making $10-12 p/hr. Four years of school for that?!

The last job I got laid off from I was making a hair under the national average for someone experienced with a 4 year architectural degree. The problem with jobs in my field is it rests solely on the economy and someone that designs or drafts for a living is generally the first to go. I don't make people money, I spend it lol! Twelve years professional experience using AutoCad and i've been laid off from 3 of my last 4 jobs over 6 years due to economic reasons.

The point is, nothing including any amount of education guarantees you a job. Especially in the peak of a recession. Companies today don't have the budget to risk hiring someone without experience, that includes new graduates. When the economy is up and there are expendable funds then companies are able to take the risk of hiring someone in hopes of progressing. A lawsuit happy person with a low GPA won't exactly be an encouraging candidate for a prospective employer! They don't exactly want a potential lawsuit on their hands themselves...