Unless you’re summa com lucky, have the networking connections of a Rockefeller or are a top student majoring in engineering, computer science or finance at a top-tier school, chances are you will face periods of frustration, self-doubt and failure in the days, weeks and months after that happy day. It can be a long countdown to getting a real job and you can’t ease up until you do.
Frustration on a large scale is what sets the millennial and upcoming generation Z apart because it’s hard to get a good job out there. Okay, we all know the transition from university to a career has often been rocky. Unemployment has generally been significanlty higher among people 20 – 24 than the overall unemployment rate. Finding your first job has always been somewhat of a Catch 22. You need experience to get a job, and your need a job to get experience.
But today, what’s always been a dilemma, in the new economy has become a crisis.
It’s not that the new generation isn’t working hard to find a job, but maybe they’re not doing what’s needed for the reality of today’s job market. You’re competing with other new grads and more experienced job seekers willing to accept beginning-level salaries. And you can be squeezed out by financially strapped baby boomers who are retiring later.
After all, a young job seeker, even one who’s had some good internships, can’t compete that well with a candidate with years of experience and extensive contacts. No wonder so many college seniors and new grads feel anxious about their future.
What’s a newly minted B.A. to do?