Recent Graduate

I graduated in November. Have never been happier.

ftfy

It's a tough moment when you finish your undergrad and are faced with the prospect of actually going out and doing something with yourself. I was in your shoes 2 years ago, and it was scary. I quickly went back to school, so I don't have any useful advice.

Even so, I will say: Don't freak out about "the economy;" go apply for jobs. Someone will hire you. Life will be OK. Why would you despair?

Life may not be all roses immediately but just stay afloat and try to be happy with your life. A job and big bucks is great and all, but you can still be happy while going through tougher times

I should be in your shoes right now, but screwed up, so I've still got one final class to take care of this semester. I start an internship tomorrow, so I'll be getting another taste of the "real" world while still having the depleting cushion of undergraduate life.

I don't know what you're going into, but as an above poster said, just apply for jobs. It might not be what you really desire, but like chrono said, it's not impossible to be happy while still going through some tough times.

As someone completing a degree in the fine arts, I fully expect at least a couple of years where I'm maybe a couple months worth of no income away from crashing on someone's couch.

I'm in the same situation right now. I graduated last spring with a degree in Finance and I'm still having a hard time finding a job...

Im graduating in just 3 months. I'm not sure to what extent a degree in sociology prepares me for a career, but I can only wait and see. On top of graduating, Im moving by myself to Toronto...... after having lived the majority of my life outside a village of less then 500 people.

I've been out of school for almost 2 years now - it took about 18 months for me to get a sense of what I was doing.

I worked all through college and was employed through a temp agency before the Summer I gradauted ended...I earned $11/h in lower Manhattan and most of my colleagues graduated from excellent schools, some were Ivy League...all of us had $100k + educations. Despite having a sizable savings, I lived at home...it sucked, but you make the best of it. After law school ended in 2007 I was again forced home as there were no jobs to be had. After I was laid off in 2008 it was home again.

Education costs are out of control and the job market cannot absorb everyone who graduates from a degree mill or pay an entry level salary that would justify such costs. The only way to better yourself is to work hard and make your own good luck. Assert yourself and make an employer want to hire you as opposed to being just another fungible cog. I managed to land a good fed job, the $ sucks yet I am having a good time and it will hopefully be a resume boost. The worst thing you can do is despair and claim poverty as an excuse. If you are going to be poor when you are young embrace it and use it as motivation. Your accomplishments will be that much more satisfying. Four years ago my career counselor said I "should be making at least $80-$90kbefore bonus withing three years" of receiving my JD. Whoops! That said I am so happy to NOT be in school and receive a paycheck, small as it is, every two weeks as I believe I am moving towards something better. Yes, the secretary makes $25k more than me and the custodial staff make about the same but they are at their limits whereas I can potentially earn much more and, more importantly, have a greater beneficial effect on society. Even if the big bucks never come at least you should look back on your youth with some sense of fondness, I did not until I was past 25.

Graduated with a finance degree in '08. Been working for a great company, but in a dead-end, low-paying positin ever since. Planned on going to law school; a decision I have put on hold for now. Im currently considering Pharmacy school, which would mean 2 years fulfilling science prereqs (probably at a local community college with nothing but fresh-out-of-high-scool retards), then 4 more years of school. This seems to me like my best option for a stable, well-paying career, but is still far from a sure thing.

I graduated in May with a degree in Advertising, and a minor in Marketing. I am now working in the fashion industry, own a condo on the water, and will soon be getting my $8,000 tax credit and a new car. Thing's are going well, but I miss the college life quite a bit. Going out costs 4x as much now. Your friends are spread out everywhere and nobody has time to get together anymore because we're all working our asses off. Paying a mortgage blows nuts, but it has many more perks. Basically, graduating from college is inevitable and you have to make the most of it. Don't get down on the job market. There are plenty of jobs out there for someone who wants to work hard and has a positive attitude. Keep your head up, it's not that bad out here in the real world. Hah..

There are multiple factors at play which can cause problems for recent grads. People are so desperate for work, wages have been cut in many sectors. Why hire someone for 40 when they'll work for 35, or 30? From talking to people at various companies, it seems as though many employers are taking advantage of the crisis and using it as an opportunity to decrease salaries. You have heaps of students graduating, many with significant student loans, and little options available to pay them off. Look online, many entry level jobs for graduates are paying much less than the internships these people may have had. If you did well in school and have some experience, that will surely help.

Some perspective helps here. Your 20s are for paying dues, even if that means working 60 hours a week for $35K. You should still have plenty of energy to play around and have fun, which is another important aspect. Keep it simple, enjoy life.