Jobs After College: Do They Exist?

I made it! I finally found my dream job! I can finally move out of my parent’s house… said no college graduate ever. That may not be true for some recent grads that pulled some strings with their brother’s friend’s mother’s SOMEONE who had that secret inside connection.

But a majority of talent goes unnoticed. Most of those 4.0 perfectionists are sitting at home desperately job hunting. You say you graduated Summa Cum Laude? What’s that, a fancy Starbucks latte?

Reality is graduates aren’t finding jobs, no matter how smart or talented they may be. Here’s a look at some top reasons college graduates have trouble finding jobs post-graduation.

You need “Experience.”

Well that makes sense. But isn’t that what entry-level positions are for? Most internships won’t even hire students without experience… so where do employers expect us to find it? Someone please tell us where the experience train is because we would love to hop on that…literally.

“I graduated almost two years ago with a BFA in Photography and fine art and no one wants me because they want at least 3 years of experience in an “entry level” position,” said Ramapo College graduate, Jordan Potts.

You are forever an intern.

So, you were lucky enough to land an internship during your undergraduate career. That means you’re going to get hired after graduation, right? Wrong. Many companies like to keep you around as long as possible without pay. And that job offer you’ve been hoping for the entire time starts to look less likely as time passes with no paycheck.

“I keep getting internship offers instead of offers for entry level positions which is fine but my fear is that I’ll be interning for the next two or three years while still looking to get hired for an entry level position,” said Victoria Martinez, a senior fashion merchandising major at Centenary College.

Need a Masters?

Ever realize you’re not going to find a job unless you get a master’s degree? Don’t you wish someone told you that when you declared your major? So do we.

“I decided to get my masters in microbiology. It’s a more practical field [than biopsychology] and there are jobs available. Biopysch is very hard to get into with just a bachelors,” said Max Lucci, a graduate student at Wagner College.

Competitive field

Sometimes you don’t even need grad school to find a job- your field may just be competitive. Be thankful you don’t need one- a master’s degree costs a pretty penny. Patience, determination and hard work will land you a job, you may just have to wait a bit.

“I’m not doing grad school because it’s not really necessary for what I want to do. But in my desired field, you have to be extremely good at what you do if you want a job right away. I’m clearly willing to work hard from the bottom up, but when I graduate undergrad, I’m definitely going to have to work a couple jobs on the side,” said Keri Pringle, a senior TV Production and Broadcast major at Seton Hall University.

Don’t feel discouraged! If you work hard good things will come your way, it just takes time. Keep an open and realistic mind about your career and use it as motivation to boost your resume in your undergrad years.

Image: Fox News