Where Are The Jobs For College Graduates?
Short answer… there are none…
My daughter just graduated college and is currently applying for various jobs in her field. She is running into a serious issue, and that is this: there are no longer entry level positions to be had!!
photo: photologue_np via Flickr
Why is this?
Well, most entry level jobs nowadays are being filled as “internships”.
It’s a wonderful thing for businesses because they can fill their entry level positions with people who don’t get paid, but instead work for college credit. Good for them, bad for anyone looking for a start in their field of study.
Otherwise, entry level jobs are being filled by people who are underemployed, who may have experience in their field but working in a job that pays less for their experience level. And, if you have worked in an internship as part of your college study, don’t count on them hiring you afterwards. More than likely, they won’t want to hear from you again after your stint with them is completed.. and that is after they told you what a wonderful job you did for them.
So with all of these entry level jobs already filled, there really is nothing left for most new college graduates. They are forced then into service and retail jobs which do not utilize the skills learned in their college experience, and do not really give them the hours needed to support living independently AND paying off student loans.
On top of it all, the job application process nowadays is just horrendous.
These unfortunate college grads spend their days job hunting on the Internet, submitting their resume and cover letters to scores of online application websites..or Corporate websites. They press a button and their resume goes into a black hole.
They may not hear anything back from their application … ever.
If they are lucky they might get an email response months later. It’s atrocious.
Gone are the days when you would go into a Human Resource Department and talk to a live human being and hand in a resume, or schedule and interview for one of their listed jobs.
Gone are the days when you would have a phone number to call and contact live person in an HR Department and inquire about job openings.
Most Internet application sites tell you not to call or email after submitting your resume and information. The person to person aspect of job hunting is completely gone, leaving our young generation with much uncertainty and little encouragement.
If anyone knows anyone in the Music Industry or Entertainment Law .. let me know 🙂
Nashville, TN area is especially welcome.
About the Author
Judy Aron lives with her husband Michael in CT. They have three grown children who were homeschooled and are now successfully pursuing careers. Judy earned her Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Magna Cum Laude, with minors in Business Administration and Computer Science from the State University of New York at New Paltz.
Judy has been involved in politics for over 15 years. Judy has written many articles on various aspects of education at home and in public and private schools. She has been published in magazines and online, and has been interviewed on radio and in print.
She served as Vice President of Connecticut Homeschool Network (CHN) and was their legislative liaison. She now serves as Research Director for National Home Education Legal Defense (NHELD) providing parents across the nation with important information on legislative issues concerning parental rights and education.
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My advice for your daughter would be to take as much advantage as she can of the university’s alumni associations and connections. At my alma mater for example, there are multiple job banks for new graduates who get an automatic one year membership in the association. From one of those job banks–usually used by smaller businesses without corporate HR resources– you get a personalized interview process. In fact, after moving on from my first job out of college, I got 3 interviews in just 2 weeks.I would also recommend being willing to take something unrelated to her degree at first. I was a liberal arts major and struggled to find something in my field of interest right after graduation, but I began to branch out and consider other technical positions or other fields entirely. I ended up working for a fortune 500 tech company as an executive tech support agent- which gave me a wealth of problem solving skills that now really enhance my performance at my current legal administration job. The best thing a new grad can do is not give up and be very creative. She’ll find her way!