The paper “Hard Times: College Majors, Unemployment and Earnings” is both a written a visual text as seen from its use of both methods in passing across its message. As a written text, the paper harnesses the use of headings to direct the reader to the point it intends to portray. On the other hand, the visual part of it involves the use of pictures and other images to give depictions of the intended message. The use of pictures such as coins to denote money in general and graphs to give a general view of things works as intended. Both words and images work together in passing information to the reader.
The paper was written by Anthony P. Carnevale and Ban Cheah. As authors, the two have vast experience in the area of education given that they work for the Center on Education and the Workforce. The same reason comes about as being the reason they handled the topic well. The fact also that they collaborated with among the best organizations in coming up with their work adds validity to their findings. From the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Joyce Foundation to the Lumina Foundation, the authors gathered enough evidence to support their point of view.
The text was written in the year 2013 as indicated by the date on the very first page. While it uses information collected and analyzed in the years 2010 and 2011, the paper was finalized in 2013. The authors speak from an advisory point of view. This is due to the fact that they advise those about to pick their college courses that not all degrees are created equal. They then proceed to back up their point of view by giving proven facts about the education sector and the workforce. With this, they pass across the message that they are in support of making wise choices as far as one’s degree course is concerned.
The intended audience in this paper is the student about to join college. This is due to the fact that the paper gives them a general (and detailed) view of what they are about to handle in terms of career choice. It is therefore an advisory to them to practice caution in settling upon the specific degree courses. It also warns the intended audience of the consequences incurred in making poor degree choices. In this case, they risk unemployment and thus a low quality of life.
One source of information is the American community Survey between the year 2010 and the year 2011. This source is a credible one since it has been relied upon to provide employment levels in the population for a long time. The other source is the Census Bureau. This, among all other sources, is the most valid source of information since it is the basis upon which government decisions are made. The other sources include the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Lumina Foundation and the Joyce Foundation. The three foundations have done research in many areas of society and are acclaimed not only in America but the world over. They are thus valid. All sources support the main argument that not all degrees are created equal since they provide information to that effect. In conclusion, the paper is useful not only to college-level students but to all with an interest in the workforce.
Works Cited
Carnevale, Anthony and Cheah, Ban. Hard Times: College Majors, Unemployment and Earnings.
