Since the current recession began there have been a flurry of back to school sales pitches but the reality is that the job outlook is dim for new graduates. As companies large and small grapple with staying afloat during this season of tight purse strings, that means hiring new graduates is more of a luxury versus a necessity. As such mid size companies are expected to hire 11% less new graduates with bachelors degrees, while large corporations are expected to hire 4% less new graduates with bachelors degrees. So what this essentially means is that promise of opportunity via education is more of an opportunity for school systems to generate revenue via selling degrees than it is for students that obtain degrees these days. In short, a college degree is essentially more or less a hope ticket synonymous to purchasing a lottery ticket. You know, you put a buck in and hope you win. Except with a degree you put a whole bunch of bucks in and hope you can get a job. I would hate to have the job of explaining to hard working graduates that have done everything right and can't find a job with exception of flipping burgers and ringing up orders as cashier somewhere. Those jobs are readily obtained without a college degree so why shell out the bucks?

On the brighter side for college graduates, if you are on a PHD or MBA track things are looking good for you. New PHD graduates can expect a hiring increase near the tune of 20%, while MBA graduates can expect a hiring increase around 11%. If you are on a masters degree track other than in Business Administration the jury is still out on your job prospects. So why the spike in interest with PHD and MBA graduates? Generally speaking these type of economic times call for more focus on theory and/or research and development, which lends nicely to PHD tracks. The knowledge acquired via R&D is then transferred over to corporations to derive creative business strategies to develop and market new products and services which of course lends nicely to MBA graduates. So a college degree can certainly be beneficial if you are on a PHD or MBA track especially if you attend a tier one college or university. Then again, since scholarships are always limited you will have to weight the benefits to cost. In the end the job outlook for new graduates is somewhat dim especially for bachelors degree new graduates but for advanced degrees such as a PHD or MBA things are looking a lot better. Just be sure to pick the right college or university to maximize your opportunities.

At this point in ball game, it's no secret that a job shortage has meant a huge push to go back to school in hopes that upon graduation the economy will have recovered making gainful employment possible. Right? Maybe - the more important question is - will a Liberal Arts degree help you get employed?

All things considered, Liberal Arts programs (amongst others) are facing heavy scrutiny in terms the actual job market worth for the holder of a liberal arts degree. As a result, college administrators are faced with defending the value of a liberal arts degree. With what position? The position that liberal arts will provide the student with the life skills required to work with people - in other words - help the student get the job indirectly. Certainly life skills or people skills are an essential element in any workplace environment. The million dollar question is - does such soft skills override the need for hard skills or competency in your career field or profession?

Of course, the short answer is that it depends on your occupation. Otherwise, it would be like saying its better for your doctor to have bedside manner than it is for your doctor to accurately diagnose and treat illness. Of course in an ideal world we would prefer both, but this is not an ideal world. So it might be worth your while to look into the marketability of a given career field before jumping in head first, regardless of whether you could receive a Federal PELL grant or borrow via a Federal Student Loan. Of course, it goes without saying that being burdened with student loans with employ ability issues is like buying a car with no engine. Would you really want to do that? Probably not. So the verdict is still out on whether or not a Liberal Arts degree will help get you employed.

Perhaps you've noticed that online degree marketing has been ratcheting up while the jobless rate is still high? While there are good online degree programs out there, you should do your homework before buying into the sales pitch. That's exactly what it is for some of these programs - a sales pitch. Keep in mind that these so called Universities are for profit; their primary goal is to sell degrees. It becomes your problem if you can't get a job after completing their program.

In case you haven't heard, a student from New York actually decided to sue her school for what she says is lack of fulfillment of the job placement program of the school. In her case, it wasn't an online degree program. At the same time, this furthers the point...if you attend a traditional university or college and students are walking away feeling like they are left holding the bag - what more could you expect from an online degree program, whereas you don't even come in direct contact with the school or any of its administrators. Do your homework folks before signing up on some of claims out there. You don't want to be stuck with student loan debt while the school snickers about the fruitless degree they sold you. In many cases, a certification may be all you need. Moreover, there are a good bit of economic stimulus funds allocated for training/re-training and certification for the unemployed. So remember - the fact that online degree marketing has ratcheted up while the jobless rate is still high is anything but an accident. It can be a good opportunity for some, would be students, as well as a black hole for others  - so do your research first.