Some stories of landing that first job are hopeful, while others are
discouraging. These vignettes provide a sample of what life is like
after college.
"I graduated in May of '01 and got a job in July of '01 after a few
months of full-time job searching. It definitely helped not to have
another job, because job-hunting is a job in itself! I have survived
three rounds of layoffs at my employer and feel lucky to have been
hired before Sept. 11."
-- Anonymous
"I think I was better prepared with the job-hunting process than most
of my peers. By the time I graduated, I had already been through the
search and negotiation process with two different internships.
Finding a job in a bad economy was very difficult. With the high
number of quality candidates out there, companies are taking their
valuable time to interview and determine who is the best fit for
their position and company. This fact translates into the new grad
having to go through many different interviews and follow-ups to find
the right position. I think I went through about 10-12 good
interviews before I was offered the right position.
-- Anonymous
"I began looking for work in my field before my final exams but was
unable to find any related jobs. I am now teaching English in Japan
and am making more money than I would have in any entrance-level job
back home."
-- Anonymous
"It's been hard, I haven't even been able to begin a career. The
market is so bad, and many companies won't hire entry-level people.
It's been a very depressing year. I work as an administrative
assistant now, a job I could have done with a high-school diploma.
I'm happy to have a job, but it's not my ideal career path. I had my
resume posted on Monster.com, and the employer found me. I really had
no interest in the position, but it had been eight months since I
graduated, and I still couldn't get a job. So I figured I better take
what I can get."
-- Anonymous
"I haven't reached where I would like to be in my career. That is the
reason that I decided to go back to school for my MBA. Like others, I
went straight to college after high school and then applied for a job
when I graduated. When you really don't have an idea of what you want
to do when you graduate from college, you can sometimes run into
dead-end careers with no potential for advancement."
-- Anonymous
"As a single mother, I returned to college because I knew that I
could not support my daughter and myself on a clerical salary. I had
gotten laid off from yet another secretarial job and started by
taking two college courses. As I had attended a secretarial school
back in the early '70s, I had to start from scratch. What a mistake I
had made not going for my associate's degree! I took courses at the
local high school (which was used as an extension center for a local
private college). After the extension program had closed due to low
enrollment, I returned to that secretarial school, which is now an
accredited college. I obtained my associate's degree in paralegal
studies, which took me six years on a part-time basis. The road was
extremely difficult while raising a child on my own. I had a serious
leg injury, financial problems, child care problems, etc., etc. After
a year, I decided to continue on with my bachelor's. At times, I
wasn't sure what I was thinking! I attended a local state college
because my daughter was soon to start college as well. We attended
college (at two separate colleges) at the same time! Two tuitions,
two FAFSA forms, two different directions, two different course
loads! At times, it was a nightmare. I pushed myself to get through
each semester, each class, and sometimes, each day! I was working two
to four jobs, raising a child, attending school. I had to sacrifice a
social life, the chance to remarry, to have more children, the chance
to see family, etc. I set a goal that I would graduate by Dec. 2002
-- no matter what! It was a very rough ride toward the end, but I did
it! I completed my bachelor's with a 3.37 GPA! I sit here in
amazement knowing that I actually completed my four-year college
degree!!! Thirty years ago when I graduated from high school, it was
noted on my high-school transcript that it was unlikely that I would
ever be accepted into a college or complete a degree program! If they
could see me now!!!!!!!
-- Anonymous
"I am currently working full-time during the week and attending
graduate school at Rollins College on the weekends. My journey
started by doing a lot of research and networking. After sending out
lots of resumes and going on interviews, I accepted the position that
I have now. I am still at the beginning of my career journey."
-- Colleen Holuk, marketing specialist, Stromberg, LLC, 2001 Stetson
University grad
"Although I just graduated from college last May, I feel as if I've
been job hunting for years. I am looking to pursue a career in public
relations and am hoping to secure an internship position with a
professional sports team."
-- Anonymous
"I interned the summer before I graduated, and when I did graduate,
they welcomed me back. In a few months, I was offered a full-time
position with benefits!"
-- 2001 general-business major
"I went from not knowing anything at all about the working world to
being a successful sales director for educational software. I learned
so much about myself in college and then, as I have advanced in my
career, I have learned so much about how my talents fit into my
career."
-- 1998 English grad
"After graduation I worked a couple of fun jobs then traveled in
South America. Now that I am back, I am finding it very difficult to
find a career-type job."
-- 2000 geography grad
"My journey has been difficult. I have only been able to find jobs
that are temporary positions or vary in hours per week. Most
professional jobs require several years experience and/or a master's
degree. My current position as a substitute instructor for a two-year
university was a chance opportunity. I was unemployed and listed on
Workforce Oklahoma's available list of recently unemployed
individuals. Although the hours are extremely sparse, and I have to
once again live with my parents, I am at least chalking up some
experience. I am currently job searching for something more stable."
-- Jo Smith, substitute instructor, Murray State College, 2001
psychology grad from the University of Oklahoma
"Before graduation, I took part in some of the career services
offered by the university but didn't really go overboard. Now I wish
I had. I did the on-campus interview thing, but it was too little,
too late. When none of those opportunities panned out, I was left
with no job, and was forced to move back home. I took some temporary
work with a company back home with a family friend while flying or
driving around interviewing with anyone who would talk to me. Then,
around November, a company called me up that I had interviewed with a
few months earlier (they were not hiring at the time) and gave me a
job. It started off with full-time hours, but they were cut back, and
now I am part-time once again. I guess you could say I'm definitely
back in the job market."
-- 2002 marketing and Japanese grad
"Throughout high school and college I heard that the opportunities a
liberal-studies degree can afford one are endless. I majored in
anthropology with the intentions of pursuing graduate studies and
becoming a college professor. Shortly before graduation, I began to
question my major decision and life goals and decided to try out the
'endless opportunities.' I soon found these opportunities ended with
paraprofessional positions. I am now very upset with my education and
career decisions and feel trapped after only one and a half years of
work experience."
-- Anonymous
"After I graduated, it took many, many interviews and rejections
until I found a job that was remotely related in my field. I am not
totally happy with the job I have because I am not utilizing many of
the skills I acquired in college ... but nonetheless I am happy for
now. I am lookingfor a career that is much more involved in my field
of study. I enjoy technology and anything that works with
electricity."
-- 2003 electronic engineering technology grad
"In South Africa, affirmative-action laws reserve
managerial/leadership positions for people of color. This makes it
extremely difficult for Caucasian males to get jobs. As a result I've
had to start my own corporate training company. The difficulty in
finding work remains however -- most companies will not use
consultants unless they are black. This is pure apartheid -- just in
reverse."
-- Mario Teixeira, director, SolutionFinders, 2002 MA grad in
organizational leadership from Regent University
"Currently, I am a ninth- and eleventh-grade English teacher and
varsity football coach at a mid-sized high school in Arizona. My
journey started with graduation from high school, followed by a
two-year associate's degree. I then transferred to Arizona State
University and received my bachelor's. Meanwhile, I began coaching
youth sports and running summer sports camps, which allowed me to get
a varsity coaching job at the same high school I am at now.
Ironically, it is the same high school I attended. I student-taught
and did internships at the school where I work now. So for two years
before I graduated, I was on campus nearly every day, meeting
teachers, principals, students, etc. When it came time to graduate, I
had a job right away. I've been blessed."
-- 2002 English education grad
"I went to college part-time (sometimes full-time), while I worked
and raised a family. I had to drive two hours, one way, to go to
classes. I feel like my family missed out on a lot so I could get my
degree."
-- teacher, 1999 education grad
"Well, I'm 23 now. I live in Uzbekistan (former Soviet Union
Republic) I have a BA in economics and expect to receive an MA in
marketing this summer. I've always worked during my studies, mostly
in the advertising agent position. Both at a worldwide advertising
agency and from the client side. I started working on the first year
of my studies with Coca-Cola conducting a questionnaire. One can
think that it was a primitive job. Nevertheless, for me it was a
challenge. You can hardly realize how shy I was at that moment. And
suddenly I was put in a situation where I had to interview hundreds
of people every day on the streets. All of them had such a diverse
outlook on life. Some of them were very rude, quickly showing me
their low cultural level. But at same time, day by day, I learned how
to interact with different people successfully. Later I worked for a
regular press, attracting advertisers to put ads within countrywide
regular newspapers. Just before graduation, I interned at the
logistics department of British American Tobacco (parent company for
Brown & Williamson). The same year I entered a master's program and
quickly joined the worldwide ad agency McCann-Erickson. I worked on a
complex marketing project for Nestle, helping to promote a new
product on the market. I analyzed potential points of sale,
photographed them, made a catalogue, presented it for top managers
both from our and the client's side. Then I signed contracts on
installation of ad materials with the owners of shops, mini-markets,
etc. By the way, for the first time in my life I supervised a small
number of people. They were ad agents also, but absolutely without
any experience elsewhere. Now I am working at the Patent Office as a
junior licensing expert."
-- 2001 grad
"I experienced more rejection than I ever did at [the local bar],
that is for sure."
-- Charles L. Sano, ticket sales associate, University of Miami
Hurricanes, 2001 sports administration grad
"As many students are aware, a position in pharmaceutical sales is a
highly sought-after job. It was a long stretch to reach my goal. As I
understand it, many people look in this industry for years and still
do not land a job."
-- Lisa Wheeler, medical sales representative, Wallace
Pharmaceuticals, 1999 marketing grad
"The events of Sept. 11 changed my perspectives on my career goals
and pathways. I immediately decided to go back to school for nursing.
Now that I have been in the nursing program for a semester, I truly
believe that this change in careers has been a positive one."
-- 2001 psychology grad
"It wasn't easy. The economy seemed unforgiving, but I was relentless
in my search for the 'perfect job.' Networking was my in. As soon as
I graduated, I set up meetings with everyone I knew in industries of
interest to me. Eventually, I landed not one, but two part-time
jobs. One was an internship that provided me with PR and more writing
experience ... from there, I was hired in a full-time
marketing/journalism job for a large non-profit organization. The
skills I learned working there for a year prepared for the position I
recently accepted as the editor-in-chief of an online marketing
publication."
-- 2001 broadcast news grad
