This week, I'm going to be on a panel for an event at the USC Business School. And, I'm sure the big question will be: what's the job outlook for venture capital and private equity?

Unfortunately, my response won't be too optimistic. M&A is soft and the IPO market is soft. Moreover, if things continue, it's a good bet we'll see fewer venture capital deals.

All in all, it means fewer job opportunities for MBAs.

In fact, with the meltdown of Bears Stearns Cos. (NYSE: BSC), the firm is actually nixing some job offers for MBAs (which is a pretty rare thing). Although, they will still get their signing bonuses and relocation fees.

Interestingly enough, according to a recent piece in BusinessWeek, it looks like that MBAs that enter the workforce during tough times wind up having diminished compensation over their careers. In fact, it could mean millions of dollars.

The solution? Funny enough, it may mean staying in school until good times return.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements. He also operates DealProfiles.com.

The Commerce Department reported July consumer spending numbers this morning, and as expected, consumers picked up the pace during July. Spending during July rose 0.4%, matching what analysts had been expecting to see.

What surprised analysts was the degree to which incomes lifted in the month. July saw a 0.5% rise in income, which was the best move in the past four month.

While it is great to see spending on the rise, we should definitely be cautious to read too much into the July figures. Consumer confidence has been eroding in August, so do not be surprised if July's increases wind up being temporary as the mortgage meltdown has started to weigh in on every one's mind.

When I graduated college, the idea of having my parents negotiate a job offer for me would have sent shivers down my spine. Apparently, this current generation has no such qualms.

They call them "helicopter parents," and according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, they are annoying some of the biggest names in corporate America including General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE), Merrill Lynch & Co. (NYSE: MER) and The Vanguard Group.

What's even more shocking is that the hiring managers are ACCOMMODATING these overbearing people. They are taking a page from the U.S. Army, which now targets its advertising to prospective recruits. The world has certainly changed since I graduated college in 1991 and not for the better.

If I were a hiring manager, I would immediately revoke any job offer for those who had their mom or dad act as their agent. That is ridiculous.

If you are unable to speak for yourself when you graduate college, something has gone terribly wrong. Do today's twenty-somethings expect mom and dad to fight all of their workplace battles for them? When does it stop? This isn't healthy for either parent or child.

Helicopter parents are the types of people who would wrap their children in bubble wrap to protect them from all of life's disappointments. They make sure that no kid gets cut from a sports team and that everyone gets a trophy. These days, there are no winners and losers.

Unfortunately, life doesn't work that way.

What this market needs more than anything else is its own theme song, something that accurately reflects the current mood of investors. Here are a couple of ideas: "Upside Down" by Diana Ross, "Love Rollercoaster" by the Ohio Players, "Enter Sandman" by Metalica or "Sugar We're Going Down" by Fall Out Boy. None of them seem quite right though. If anyone has any suggestions, let me know.

Getting back to the market, stocks are headed down again. ADP Employer Services releases its report at 8:15 a.m. Eastern time, that may show that companies in the U.S. added 100,000 jobs in February, the slowest pace of increase since September, according to Bloomberg News. The Federal Reserve releases its beige book at 2 p.m. today. Meanwhile, stock futures are trading down.

How about "Signs" by the Five Man Electrical Band for the market's theme song?

In other news, Nikko Cordial Group's largest shareholder rejected Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) $10.8 billion buyout bid as too low. Several other big shareholders including Chicago-based Harris Associates made the same complaint, according to Bloomberg.

Dell Inc. (NYSE:DELL) in considering offering the free Linux operating system as an alternative to Microsoft Corp.'s (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows. Consumers angry at Dell's poor quality machines now have an alternative to Microsoft's mediocre software.

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has privately questioned recent testimony about Sirius Satellite Radio Inc.'s (NASDAQ:SIRI) acquisition -- not a merger -- of XM Satellite Radio Inc. (NASDAQ:XMSR), according to the New York Times. Martin questioned Sirius CEO's Mel Karmazin's claim that subscribers would get more programming for the same monthly rate.