College graduate who paid 6-figure fortune for his degree can’t find a job
He went on, “I could easily get a part-time job in a Tesco [supermarket].”
But he wants “to use his degree,” he said.
He mentioned how much he spent to earn a college degree — and said, “I think the system is broken. More opportunities have to be made, but because of COVID and now AI, companies don’t want to hire. They’re looking to save money.”
Khaled Sharif, pictured with his family, said he could take a supermarket job, but he wants to use his college degree — arguing the costly system is “broken” as hiring slows in an increasingly AI-driven world. (SWNS)
He noted that he could go “back home” to Qatar — “but if you tell people you’ve worked here [in the U.K.], they instantly have respect for you, but it’s been really hard.”
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He said he suspects that when people look into his background and see that earlier on, he went to school in Qatar, “they instantly think I need sponsorship, even though I’m a resident, so I can legally work. I don’t think they read to the end of my application to see that I don’t need one.”
Life lessons
Sharif was born in Egypt and moved to Qatar at age four. He then moved to London in 2022, with a degree on his resume that he said is “essential in my culture.”
His mom soon followed to start her business, YallaCook — giving him residency.
He believed that London was the best place to be as a “global hub of business,” he told SWNS. He said that the job search has been demoralizing for him.
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“From the 500 applications, I’ve had 10 to 20 interviews. … They all say I passed the first one, but after the second I hear back in two weeks, and they say they’ve decided to move forward with someone else,” he said.
International students studying at Kingston pay an annual tuition fee in the region of $30,000 — and with cost of living incorporated, he estimates his degree cost him about $125,000.
Sharif, pictured here, said that out of 500 job applications, he’s had 10 to 20 interviews. He said he’s often gotten past the first round but then wasn’t selected after the second interview. (SWNS)
Having accrued work experience as a videographer and a photographer while working toward his degree, he’s continued to freelance in place of full-time employment, he said.
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He added that working for his degree “taught me a lot of life lessons but, honestly, I didn’t learn much. Everything I know content-wise is because of experience, volunteering and YouTube.”
He said that in retrospect, “I wish I [studied] filmmaking. But when I was thinking about it before, there were many fewer job opportunities [in that field] than [earning his degree]. I don’t think it makes a difference.”
As a result of his misfortune in the job market, he’s now started his own clothing brand, named Zoqué (“my style” in Arabic).
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He said that’s in order to combine his passion for presentable clothing and photography.
In the U.S., according to the latest figures from a variety of sources, the typical cost of a four-year college degree varies widely by the type of education, the school itself and the financial aid that may be given to the student.
For a private college in the U.S., the costs of a four-year degree can range from about $180,000 to $260,000 and beyond. (iStock)
For a public college for in-state students, the cost of a four-year degree can range from roughly $80,000 to $120,000.
For a public college for out-of-state students, the cost of a four-year degree can range from approximately $170,000 to $200,000 or more.
And for a private college, costs of a four-year degree can range from about $180,000 to $260,000 and beyond.
Kelly McGreal is a production assistant with the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital.
Article source: https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/college-graduate-who-paid-6-figure-fortune-his-degree-cant-find-job