What would you do, in my place, after Undergrad?

[zerozerozero]

Okay, I graduated from a state school a few months ago (August 2008 ) with a 3.3 overall GPA, and 3.85 major GPA (BA in economics). I wasn't able to land a job offer while at school, and have been living at home since graduation, futilely looking for a job, mainly focusing on the (now-collapsing) financial sector, but also looking at retail management, since I have three years of retail sales experience concurrent with my time during undergrad.

I've submitted many resumes over the major job sites, and have not been successfully contacted by a firm. At this point, I'm pretty tired of being back at home, and I just want to find a job so that I can move out and be on my own.

While at home, my parents have agreed to pay for my college loans, and other expenses like my car payment and such, but have said that if I move out I am responsible for all of my own expenses. I really want to be able to move out, and do my own thing without having to consider the filter of my family, but I don't really know where to go from here. Submitting my resume doesn't work, cold-calling firms doesn't work.

It feels like I can't succeed, given the current job market. I know that I am a pretty shy guy, and that I don't take failure well at all. In high school I never failed at anything I tried (academically straight As, and total success in extra curriculars) , and have never failed at getting a job offer from a job application. Suddenly, I'm not getting the same success I'm used to, and it sucks, and I'm not really used to how I should react. Mostly, I have delved into watching political news, and not getting anything done. Admittedly, I never got the expereince to be able to react to failing at something, so I feel paralyzed by it.

My heart feels like I am the ultimate failure, even though my brain knows that unemployment numbers have millions of other people also unable to find a job. I guess that it might feel even worse if I couldn't use economic statistics, but it still feels pretty low.

I guess I just want to know: what would you do if you were in this situation? I know that once I find a job, I can move in with a buddy from high school and share expenses, but I need a job in the first place to be able to take advantage of that. Would you move to another area entirely? or is there a job search strategy that I am overlooking? or am I not even asking the correct question?

Any advice or help you can offer is very much appreciated.

 

[Alpha1851]

Re: What would you do, in my place, after Undergra

Do you know anyone; have any contacts at all that can help you? An old prof who can recommend you? An uncle who knows someone who is hiring? Networking goes a long way.

Take another look at your resume. Should you re-vamp it? Do you have work experience? If not, would volunteering/interning short term at a firm somehow lead to job opportunities?

Are you applying for jobs outside of your specific degree concentration? If businessy firms aren't hiring, but maybe you could try career counseling or something else instead.

 

[zerozerozero]

Re: What would you do, in my place, after Undergra

@Alpha 1851: Sure, I've got a few old profs who've written recommendations for law school and such, but I had wanted to spend a few years in the workforce, earning cash before doing that.

@Ryder11: Honestly, I was hanging out with a couple friends a few weeks ago, regretting not entering a masters program for this semester. I really thought that I would be, well, hireable, and able to be productive for a few years. I want to do Teach for America next year, but I need something to do this year, without spending my entire year in the same room I spent middle school/high school in, upset about being completely unproductive.

 

[midnight81]

Re: What would you do, in my place, after Undergra

I think you're lucky to be in a position where your parents are paying off your student loans while you live there. Enjoy it while you can because, trust me, I wanted to get out as fast as possible too and sometimes just sticking it out for a while can be incredibly beneficial later on when you don't have nearly as much debt and can actually afford to have a life outside of your parents.

As for advice, I agree with Alpha. Definitely review your resume and think about ways to improve it, volunteer or apply for internships (now, living with the 'rents, is the best time to have an unpaid internship and a lot of companies are always looking for free help). Also good - networking. Try to find ways to interact professionally with people in your preferred industry if you can and you might find someone(s) who wouldn't mind referring you for a job. Informational interviews are good ways to do this too. Just don't be too overzealous and always be professional and respectful of someone's time if they are offering to give you advice. And make sure you do your homework before meeting with them. Nothing is more annoying than someone at an informational interview who is asking the basic questions that you could find on google.

If I think of anything else, I'll come back and post more, but for now, those are some good tips.

 

[midnight81]

Re: What would you do, in my place, after Undergra

Oh - the one point I wanted to say and I didn't say it. Grad school - it only works for certain types of jobs so just be careful. Make sure a grad degree will benefit you and not just be "another degree" because then you're just adding loan debt for no reason. On the one hand, a masters degree wil show you are serious about the industry you are going into, but on the other hand, if that industry is more impressed by experience, internships are your way to go.

 

[Alpha1851]

Re: What would you do, in my place, after Undergra

@Alpha 1851: Sure, I've got a few old profs who've written recommendations for law school and such, but I had wanted to spend a few years in the workforce, earning cash before doing that.

That's great, but I meant do you have any prof. who can recommend you for jobs by literally picking up their phones and making a call or two for you. Since you majored in business, I'm assuming that these prof. probably know a few hiring agents at the firms. Maybe their influence could help ya land a job. Any connection can help. If your hair dresser knows someone who is hiring, hit them up for help. A lot of us obtained our first jobs b/c we knew someone, who knew someone, who knew someone, who was hiring. For example, my state senator (who I campaigned for back in my younger days of high school) helped me land my first legal job. Hit everyone up.

I think most everyone struggles w/ landing their first big job. You're a brand new kid on the scene, with very little (if any) experience. I don't think the economy's downfall is the cause of your situation. It's always pretty tough starting out. Well, unless your Mom or Dad is a CEO.

 

[midnight81]

Re: What would you do, in my place, after Undergra

Originally Posted by Alpha1851
Since you majored in business, I'm assuming that these prof. probably know a few hiring agents at the firms. Maybe their influence could help ya land a job. Any connection can help. If your hair dresser knows someone who is hiring, hit them up for help. A lot of us obtained our first jobs b/c we knew someone, who knew someone, who knew someone, who was hiring. For example, my state senator (who I campaigned for back in my younger days of high school) helped me land my first legal job. Hit everyone up.

Agreed - I got my first job because a professor happened to work for the sister company of the one I was applying for and knew the VP of HR.

Also, Jasun I wouldn't necessarily assume that they are trying to hold his youth hostage or financially blackmailing him to stay a kid and live at home or anything like that. I know plenty of people who stayed at home after college for no reason other than it was free rent and they had bills but no job. I did the opposite - I went right from undergrad, to grad school, to my first job. I'll admit, I was miserable living at home even on those holiday and summer breaks we got...but in hindsight, I wish I had taken a few years off in between undergrad and grad, or just not gone to grad at all, and used the free rent to save and/or start paying off loan debt. Because now I'm in over my head and I actually have to live as an adult and I'm lucky to even get free food out of my trips back home.

Also, nowhere did he say that they are trying to keep him in the closet. When he mentioned the filter of his family, I assume he just means the natural filter you have to maintain when living as an adult with your parents.

 

[martin6]

Re: What would you do, in my place, after Undergra

Well, in a couple of months, I'll have to start paying back my student loans-- but other than that I'm in a really similar position as you are.

Keep networking like Alpha said, and keep submitting the resumes-- even to jobs you think you might not be perfectly qualified for. They might need someone (anyone) to fill the position and you just never know if you're the right guy...

Also take advantage of your universities programs. I went to a university career fair last month and I think good things are going to come from it.

 

[thewiz]

Re: What would you do, in my place, after Undergra

I agree with what Martin6 says and some of the other advice. I look back at my life and my education was in journalism and my first jobs were working for newspapers in Michigan and Colorado but I went back to school for criminal justice.

I thought I'd be a cop for my life but then found myself going into fire and becoming fire chief and Director of Public Safety. My work apparently was watched and I was asked to be an interim city manager. Sixteen years later and looking to do something different (along with coming out at the same time), a group with which I had volunteered for eight years asked me to become executive director (and move to Washington, DC).

Last spring I had started to do some consulting work for another non-profit group that I had been a member of for years. That led to them offering me a full time job heading up a new division and here I am!

Apply for jobs in other areas -- even some you don't think you qualify. I found, in hiring many people over the years, that people who were creative often were most creative when they did something they otherwise would not have attempted. A priest friend once told me that often life is like a balloon. Balloons don't like to be stretched but if they aren't, how would they reach the fullness of their potential? He said I needed to look at my life that way (which is when I was trying to decide on coming out and switching careers). Sometimes I felt like I would break but overall it has been good.....

Stay positive, stay upbeat and communicate that when you go for interviews....

 

[hummer7979]

Re: What would you do, in my place, after Undergra

If you do decide to go to grad school someday, make sure it's something really useful, like an MBA.

As far as finding work, there are definitely things you can do to increase your odds. The easiest and quickest way is to lower your expectations. I think a lot of people who have gone to college feel a bit entitled to a "decent" job, but really, if you're in desperate need for cash and you lower your standards, you shouldn't find it too hard to get a job. A friend of mine who is a college grad in electronic media works as a cashier at a food co-op. It's not much, but he gets discounts on quality food.

Another thing you can do is develop some marketable skills, especially since you have your parents' support now. An employer will hire you if you have proof that you can do something. For example, you could work as a junior accountant for a little while as a gateway to something more substantial in the financial sector. (Try searching junior accountant in your local craigslist.org section)

If you're into self-teaching, the internet is an awesome resource to acquire a marketable skill. One of the easiest to learn on your own (albeit not the easiest subject) is computer science. There are literally hundreds of video lectures on youtube. In fact, I work as a web programmer now and I'm completely self taught (my degree was in an unrelated field). It does take time though, but if it's something you become really interested in, self-teaching can give you a competitive edge, especially since IT is so prevalent. An economics major who can program is intelligent and useful (but most importantly, useful).

Video lectures on a variety of subjects:
MIT: http://www.youtube.com/mit
Stanford: http://www.youtube.com/user/stanforduniversity
UC Berkeley: http://www.youtube.com/user/ucberkeley
IIT: http://www.youtube.com/user/nptelhrd (LOTS OF VIDEOS)

Learning online might not replace the value of a separate physical degree, but it can supplement the one you already have. It's something to explore.

Good luck

 

[Swellegant]

Re: What would you do, in my place, after Undergra

First of all, zerozerozero, you are not a failure! You just graduated from college with a really decent GPA in a rather difficult major. Where's the failure in that?

The first job after college is always tricky. You have the chops on paper, but not in experience. Experience is the thing that larger companies are looking for, but they also want young people, and the young people with experience are few and far between.

My first advice is to find a youth jobs resource in your hometown (wherever that might be). If you lived in Berkeley, I could set you up with one, but I don't suppose you do... but there is probably one in your town, too. Most people think that such resources are just for the virtually unemployable, GED-holders with criminal records and three kids, but I know the voc counselors at my job would love to get hold of a real live college grad to add to their rosters.

Something to consider in your living situation: are Mom and Dad being buttheaded about what you do and where you go and whom you see? Are they limiting you in any really important way? If not, then stay a kid a while longer and let them pay the bills for now.

That way you can lower your financial needs and maybe find a good experience-building job for a lower salary. A really good worker who comes on board at a low salary/position and then shows a lot of initiative and reliability will move up quickly. That's what happened with my first job, I went to a little place where I had connections through school (the teacher's union) and was hired on as little more than a receptionist and file-clerk; but changes in the staff and my demonstrated abilities had me up to office manager and 75% higher pay in six months. And since it was a very small organization, the expectations were lower, so I was able to grow and learn a lot without being pushed into a mold as one is in the corporate-sized company.

Anyway, something to think about. Look for resources, and look for smaller jobs.

 

[drhladnjak]

Re: What would you do, in my place, after Undergra

Finding that first job can be tough in a cruddy economy, so don't be too hard on yourself. Here are some thoughts nobody else has mentioned yet:

1. Contact the career center at your former school. You may still be able to submit resumes and otherwise participate in recruiting activities as a recent alumnus. I just got back from attending a career fair for my employer where I collected lots of resumes. It also gives you the opportunity to ask questions and sell yourself in person.

2. Contact a temp agency. Yes, it's not the most glamorous work, but many temp jobs get converted into full time eventually if you turn out to be good worker they want to keep permanently. In the interim, it helps pay the bills and gives you something to do in between lazying around the house and sending out resumes.

 

[maxpowr9]

Re: What would you do, in my place, after Undergra

I can honestly say, I am an economics and finance major with an IT minor. I currently have a 3.33 GPA average.

I honestly think many of us graduating will not be getting jobs or will be underemployed. Several of my friends that have interned over the summer, and got job offers afterwards are already receiving pay cuts, as an incentive to not take the job offer since they cannot recend the offer (breach of contract).

I had a strong interest in financial planning prior to this but now I am leaning towards more economic research. I have kept in touch with a few of my professors and they have refered me to a few research centers for future work.

As for the whole living with your parents after graduation, in my humble opinion, as long as your parents respect you as an adult, it can be a good idea. You can save on a lot of expenses that would be accrued if you were living in an apartment or w/e.

Just remember, grades aren't everything. Especially with business students, the main reason alot of companies look at your grades is that in case they may help pay for grad school, any exams or other courses, they look at your grades as an indicator of how well you may perform on it (aka pass the first time).

Don't look at your life as a failure. Although Florida may not be the best job market currently, you are probably better off being underemployed now and atleast have a source of income than be unemployed.