New College Grads + Rate of Depression/Anxiety (computer science, skill, masters degree)
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I wish someone would do a study on the rate of depression/anxiety in recent grads (within 3-5 years of graduation) now vs. what it was 5-10 years ago.
Many years ago "they" said that you NEEDED college to get a job. Now even with a college degree it is hard to find a job.
I graduated from college in 2004 and 2005 (BA, teacher cert.), I've been looking in many different fields that I'm qualified for and am having no luck. It's safe to say that my rate of depression/anxiety is climbing.
It certainly is depressing, especially if you have large amounts of student loan debt. You might consider getting another degree in a better field, but the student loan debt you already have could trap you. What is even more depressing is that your degree quickly loses value and you become increasingly unemployable in your field over time. From the perspective of a (well-to-do) hiring partner, the economy is on fire and jobs are everywhere, so if someone couldn't find a job in their field shortly after graduation, they must be a real loser.
It's very frustrating. Also, the notion of "meritocracy" is very much ingrained in our culture and people seem to hold that belief religiously. This means that people will assume that you're a bum or a loser or that you didn't work hard enough or weren't good enough if you couldn't find work in your field. You might feel ashamed being around your family, especially if everyone else is upper middle class. You could essentially lose your desire to be around family, too. It could become too painful whenever anyone asks you what you do for a living.
It's even worse if you graduated with a professional degree or an advanced degree with great expectations only to find a glut of people in your field.
4-year graduates are the new high school grads. You need a Masters degree or higher in a demanded profession, and you need to be very good at what you do.
That is so depressing! You put your blood, sweat and tears into earning a degree and can't even find a job! I really feel for you! Maybe you should look at other states or areas to find the perfect job for you! I wish you luck and hope everything pans out well for you.
Heck, I'm a student in a demand field (Nursing) and I'm still afraid I won't be able to find a job when I graduate!
4-year graduates are the new high school grads. You need a Masters degree or higher in a demanded profession, and you need to be very good at what you do.
Well, I don't know about that, but it is that a lot of employers are asking for a BA/BS + 2-5 years of experience. There are few entry-level jobs out there. Old problem that everyone wants experience, but no one wants to give it.
Well, I don't know about that, but it is that a lot of employers are asking for a BA/BS + 2-5 years of experience. There are few entry-level jobs out there. Old problem that everyone wants experience, but no one wants to give it.
True dat. "Experience" will kill you in Michigan, Indiana, or Ohio, where the supply of entry-level grads is high, so you can expect low pay and maltreatment by the boss. Been there, done that.
Are you willing to move to find a job in your field? Sometimes that's what you have to do.
I suspect that a great many graduates would be willing to do that, but the fact remains that, nationwide, if there are too many graduates produced in certain fields, it doesn't matter where you want to move to.
Also, employers tend to favor local graduates or people who at least have some sort of connection to an area over people who are conducting a long distance job search. "You ain'ts from dese parts, whys do you want to lives here?" The employers are afraid that people won't like the new city/state/area and thus they'd prefer to hire locals. Perhaps they're concerned that after acquiring a couple years of experience folks will jump ship for a job in a more favored location the first chance they get. (I know of one professional field where that is a huge concern.)
I wish someone would do a study on the rate of depression/anxiety in recent grads (within 3-5 years of graduation) now vs. what it was 5-10 years ago.
Many years ago "they" said that you NEEDED college to get a job. Now even with a college degree it is hard to find a job.
I graduated from college in 2004 and 2005 (BA, teacher cert.), I've been looking in many different fields that I'm qualified for and am having no luck. It's safe to say that my rate of depression/anxiety is climbing.
I graduated undergrad in 1996 (about 10 years ago and at first I was very depressed. Then after having nowhere to live and nothing to eat I found one thing (a temp job, that lead to a little money, that lead to new resumes out in packs to the world in numerous areas (mostly entry level), took another job (that was beneath me, I thought), which led to an interview next door to that job at 7 A.M in the morning before my new second job from a resume I had sent out with an old batch, which led to the biggest career break of my life--which had nothing to do with my major, but some of its skill set. Many and even most people do not find jobs immediately nor ever in their field and usually just very entry level at first.
Reality is we learn a basic skill set, and that basic skill set hopefully includes taking a job that will pay the bills eventually no matter what that is and that leads to a raise or a new skill set and next thing you know you have a career and that may be close to your degree/or very far away, something 500 times more or less interesting. In the end most all struggle and don't get work in their field and if they do it may take years and many different routes. This is typical in my experience, with maybe exceptions in the computer science or financial fields (undergrad).
Every new generation think they have it the worst. You should have tried graduating from college back in 1975ish when even the most skilled and experienced professional people/workers couldn't find work, much less people straight out of college.
Be creative, if you are a trained as a teacher, look into corporate training entry level jobs, this uses much of the same skill set. Think skill set, not title and your world with be your oyster my friend and one day you may find yourself doing so well and enjoying your new gig you'll have a choice if you want to take that entry level teaching gig (from all thsoe resumes you sent out and new contacts you have intiated through visits to schools you want to work for) as you cash in your nice check in your nice clothes, standing close to your nice car, outside your nice new condo and think about how you really actually love what you do and might take that excess time and money and help challenged kids in someway and teach for free at night or on your weekends. What matters is then you have a choice and you are actually self sufficient from your own income and it shows to future employers no matter who they are.
This is kinda what happened to me atleast. I marketed my skill set and strengths. I also knew enough about myself to know my weaknesses and not lie about them and to sell my strengths. Learn to sell yourself. It is the best skill out there no matter what you do for a living. (You have to sell yourself to children as a teacher and also your ideas.)
Market dictates reality for those living in it and from that we can create our dreams. Dreams that come true create new dimensions and new ways of thinking and being. Don't teach much of that in college. It all takes ingenuity, hard work and the willingness to start somewhere even when it isn't intially what we envisioned. This is the cool surprise of life. All roads lead to where we are suppose to end up. So get on the road.
I suspect that a great many graduates would be willing to do that, but the fact remains that, nationwide, if there are too many graduates produced in certain fields, it doesn't matter where you want to move to.
Also, employers tend to favor local graduates or people who at least have some sort of connection to an area over people who are conducting a long distance job search. "You ain'ts from dese parts, whys do you want to lives here?" The employers are afraid that people won't like the new city/state/area and thus they'd prefer to hire locals. Perhaps they're concerned that after acquiring a couple years of experience folks will jump ship for a job in a more favored location the first chance they get. (I know of one professional field where that is a huge concern.)
Once you get great job experience and references you can get any job anywhere (with in your skill set and experience or even related to it), if you have the ability to sell yourself and can back that up. You have to let the company know you can start immediately though if needed and with little to no financial cost to them (I am not talking salary and benefits, but major moving costs or whatever. Sometimes people are calculating what it will cost them to get YOU there and they also do not know how you will adapt to a new city or town or whatever.) This is part of the selling yourself. Do they not teach this sort of thing in college?
Just do exceptional research on what sort of people and colleges these companies hire and sell yourself over that reality, make yourself more appealing. Reassure them why they do not need to worry about you adapting to the new environment. They are thinking this, so address it up front. Eliminate their concern before they know they even have it.
Yes, there is reality and then there is your busting past that wall. What you are talking about here is just foundational information about a company and goes to research to help get yourself that job. I blew all those foundations out of the water, because I did my research and sold myself in interviews all the way across the country in highly competitive markets. I also cost a lot more then my competition and won out. I told them why I cost more and how this benefitted them financially.
There is also a form of destiny. Sometimes we don't get jobs because we are not supposed to get them (Rejection is God's protection) no matter what we do. Accept it and move on.
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