Plonkee, my colleague from “across the pond”, e-mailed me recently with a question about the recession. She wonders what job prospects are like for recent (or soon-to-be) college graduates. Unfortunately, with unemployment at its highest rate in a generation, prospects are not good. And those who are unhappy in their current positions are reluctant to quit because they’re afraid they won’t be able to find a replacement. Last week, for example, Jill shared the following story:
I am wondering how to handle the ramifications of the ailing economy. I recently agreed to accept a job with my current employer that extends my responsibilities and gives me full-time work instead of just part-time. I know I should be grateful that I’m not out of work, but this job is not what I want to do as a career. Since I made this decision, I have been unhappy.
I am a recent graduate and can’t find work in my field except temporary jobs with no benefits and less pay. I opted not to pursue these due to the fact that they were temporary only — no possibility for permanent employment. I just don’t know what to do.
I don’t want to be stuck at this job that I accepted, and which makes me unhappy, but I don’t want to jump into anything that isn’t as secure as this. Are others making similar compromises? How are they handling it? Do you or your readers have any advice?
Even though the job market is rough, keep in mind that people still retire, transfer, or get fired regardless of the economic conditions. Job seekers — employed or unemployed — can use the same techniques to increase their chances of securing a job, or transitioning into something more meaningful.
- The first step is to network. Let everyone you speak to now that you’re looking for work. (Well, don’t tell your boss, obviously.) Get your name out there and increase the number of people who are helping you find a job.
- Now is a great time to schedule meetings or informational interviews with people who are doing the type of work you want to do.
- Keep a positive mindset. Be that person who is optimistic despite the realities you face.
- Be ready to talk about yourself. Identify three to five talking points that highlight specific marketable skills you will bring to the work place. These highlights might include strong communication and interpersonal skills as well as a strong work ethic.
- Create projects in your current workplace that you can complete and profile during your job search.
- If unemployed, volunteer in the type of work environment that matches your goals. This will keep you updated on the current technologies and terminology,
allow for networking, and build a portfolio of work samples.
As you establish and maintain a strong network, you will learn about open positions before they are publicized outside of the business or organization. Stay informed by keeping up with local news and read your area Business Journal. Keep updated with association sites connected to your particular industry of interest. Know who is laying employees off or who is actually hiring. See if you can utilize the career development or career services office of your alma mater or the state employment division.
One of the most challenging aspects of being under-employed or unemployed is mental attitude. Hiring managers can sense when someone feels down-and-out, and will avoid bringing those candidates into the workplace. It’s a negative cycle that can quickly snowball to the point of permeating all areas of your life (finances, relationships, health, spirit, etc.). Seek help from trusted friends and family to prevent your challenging employment situation from defining you in a negative light. Remaining confident in who you are and what you have to offer will be refreshing to the employer when that “right fit” job is discovered.
This advice is great, but I think it would be useful for Jill to have feedback from people who have first-hand experience. Do you have any tips for finding a good job in a bad economy? Should Jill remain at a job that makes her unhappy? Should she take a risk and look for something new? Should she go with a temp job? What’s your advice?
GRS is committed to helping our readers save and achieve your financial goals.Savings interest rates may be low, but that’s all the more reason to shop for the best rate.Find the highest savings interest rate from Ally Bank, Capital One 360, Everbank, and more.
This article is about Ask the Readers, Career
Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by American Express. Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of American Express, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by American Express. This site may be compensated through American Express Affiliate Program.
Discover is a paid advertiser of this site. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accurate information. See the Discover online credit card application for full terms and conditions on offers and rewards.
SEARCH FOR RECENT ARTICLES
Now is the time to get ready, to prepare yourself for when the sun comes out from behind the clouds and the economy gets rolling. People who are hunkering down and not taking a look around stand a good chance of getting left behind when things turn.
Personally, I hate my job. With a passion. I have been saving up and am shortly quitting my job, moving 400 miles back South/home, working part-time, and getting myself prepared in a year’s time to go grad school.
If you have a family, if you have crushing debt, be smart about it. But I have none of these and a fair amount of $$ saved up.
Chase the dream or you’ll kick yourself when you’re 50, wondering “what if”.
Don’t limit your potential for success and happiness solely out of fear of taking a calculated risk that many are too afraid to try.
loading....
Providing the full time position brings in more than the part-time one did, my advice would be to stay put. Especially if it’s a job that seems to be pretty secure.
I’ve known of teachers in our area being pink-slipped left and right because they had multiple subject credentials instead of single subject credentials. People who thought they were secure in their jobs, but with severe financial difficulties in our State (California) in the end, their credentials weren’t adequate.
With so many businesses cutting back, taking losses, and so forth…having full time work is a good thing, and perhaps this person should use this time to save and plan for the future…even if it ends up being years before they can find a new position. If things were to get as bad as the great depression, having a good, solid job is better than having none at all.
loading....
Here’s the blueprint for right now:
1. Have your career plan
2. If you’re in a job that doesn’t fit your career plan — it will work out. It’s NOT the end of the world. Work like mad to keep your current job — it’s gold. It’s going to keep you going until something better comes your way. Also work like mad to make your next opportunity.
3. Don’t forget, if you’re just getting started, you are going to start at the bottom. The rest of us did. That’s where you’ll start. You may not be doing what you want. Suck it up and do it anyway until something better comes along.
My first job out of college was as a secretary. Hated it. Made peanuts. Moved on when I could. It took about 10 years to achieve a “comfortable” salary level. Don’t expect the world to work differently for you. If it does great, but then you’re going to have to go out there and do something remarkable to short cut the career curve.
4. Save a little all along the way, so you’ll get the freedom that comes with having enough money to make risky choices.
loading....
One of the pieces of career advice I always heard was to really figure out what you are here to contribute to the world – I believe the quote from What Color is Your Parachute is ‘Where your greatest joy and world’s greatest need intersect.’ (paraphrased quite badly, very likely).
I never really believed this advice. Then a few weeks ago I got really frustrated at applying for jobs I was uninterested in that were advertised (as well as the multiple unadvertised ones that my networks sent me). I decided to figure out what my passions and skills were and how to apply them to today’s needs. For me that means applying my research and marketing skills to greening businesses. And wouldn’t you know it, I have multiple opportunities at a much higher salary now that wouldn’t have existed if I hadn’t stepped back a bit and thought about my passions and interests.
(I would second the ‘have some savings’ part, though – at least one of my opportunities involves being written into a grant which won’t be awarded for 2 months.)
loading....
When I graduated in 2003, I couldn’t find a job. I temped for a year (surpisingly, with only one week interruption between gigs … in Michigan, which wasn’t so sweet even back then) before getting hired in full-time to pay bills. Sort of. I struggled for another couple of years, but kept volunteering. Finally, a job opened up where I had been volunteering.
loading....
One thing disturbs me about Jill’s post and that is her statement that she can’t find work “in her field”. It makes me believe that she’s taking a very narrow view of the field. I tend to be something of a pie-chart slicer and would submit that no job is truly outside one’s field. There’s always a percentage of overlap in the skillsets a job demands and the ones the individual hopes will become their stock-in trade. Embrace them and highlight the successes they’ve become in future interviews and you’ll watch the degree of overlap between interest and assignment grow throughout your career.
loading....
Take those temp jobs! I took a one week temp job in the past, they brought me back for a second week, and wound up hiring me full time. Turns out that company filled EVERY full time position by hiring temp workers first to see if they would work out. That way if they didn’t want to hire them they would just let the temp contract expire.
I’ve since learned that this is pretty common, at least for entry level workers.
loading....
i too graduated into the reception of 1991. when i went out to interview after interview for an entry level architect, i was told that they wanted people with technical expertise, not ‘designers’. i worked as a temp receptionist at a large company and told everyone there that i was looking for a job in my field. one of the engineers at this large company was married to an architect, and HE was very very busy, so she made him hire me. i was thrilled to get a job, but the work he had was tenant improvement work, simple renovations and the like. I wanted to do ‘great’ architecture and i was at times unhappy. however i used that time to take on as many challenges as i could and by the time the economy turned around and i found a different job in a slightly more design oriented place, i had managed to get a lot of the technical skills that got me hired. Furthermore, from working in a very small firm, i got to do a little of everything. Fifteen years later i’m still drawing on what i learned at that one accidental gig….
loading....
@ JB, #48: I am so sorry that all happened to you… And it could happen to any of us. Please take care.
loading....
@ Lexy brings up a great point for those early in their careers:
Peace Corps —
I left a lucrative consulting job (that I loved, in my field) to do Peace Corps and thought that my career would take a hit — it took a little while to find a job afterward, but when I did it was perfect for me & I had almost doubled my pre-PC salary.
After living in Africa for 2 years, I gained great perspective on what it is I actually “needed” and my view of money has helped me embrace a frugal lifestyle.
Also I was surprised to see how many volunteers were there explicitly to advance their careers (which were related to international development, agriculture, business, teaching, public health)
PC is good for you only if:
* You have no dependents
* Your only debt is student loans (which can be deferred)
* You have a college degree or significant work experience
A couple other things:
Internships — graduating from college is not enough to land your dream job. If you are in school and do not take advantage of internships you are cheating yourself & your future!
Whomever said go back to school needs to think twice — student debt NEVER GOES AWAY, even w/ bankruptcy and if you can’t make money from your first education investment, what says you will with your second?
loading....
(I haven’t replied for awhile, is there some new standard that makes the name/email slots type in caps even when I’m not?)
I agree with Dan @56. When I graduated from College, I was a soc/english major and an avowed marxist-feminist. But, alas, the only job I could find was as a sales assistant in a brokerage office, yes, the bowels of capitalism! However, in a few months I was able to convince the higher-ups that they should let me use my real skills: I started writing letters and other documents that did use my writing skills, and, of course, I was daily using my sociology skills to figure out what was going on in the office and how best to deal with customers.
Now, it’s true I didn’t stick with that job, and eventually went to graduate school, but like others mentioned, by also developing a lot of outside of work enjoyable experiences, I managed to be happy despite not working in my field at first. In fact, sometimes these days we look back on those days when we just did our jobs and went home and didn’t think about them again as a really nice time. When work bleeds into life it can get overwhelming, no matter how much you love it.
loading....
I can say from personal experience that having a degree is no longer a surefire way to get a job. It can’t hurt (unless they then use that to call you “overqualified), but it isn’t a huge help.
I almost got hired by a newspaper company during my last semester (this last fall). I didn’t get the job. Weeks later, they started doing layoffs. By then I had been hired by a different company (where I safely stay, and actually love it). It only struck me recently how lucky I was that I didn’t get that job. I would have been laid off before I had even graduated from college. What a way to start my career.
It will be hard for anyone to find their dream job in this economy, so what you really need is some lowered expectations and a new outlook. Look for jobs that may not pay as well but have a good benefit package (or have one at all), a stronger industry (health care/insurance/discount stores/car repair), etc. In a year or so, you can make that leap into your industry of choice. For now, just go for a job that doesn’t make you want to slit your wrists every day.
loading....
I have a friend that is working two jobs – that I know he doesn’t really like – so that he can retire early.
He’s actually getting fairly close.
That’s a bit extreme, because I feel he’s giving up today.
What I’ve learned is that there is no perfect job. There’s always something that will make you unhappy.
Know that you are young and you have your whole life ahead of you … do you know how many crappy jobs I’ve had?
But surprisingly, each one taught me valuable lessons that have helped me in my current career.
loading....
Interesting stuff. I’m really, really torn on this one. On one hand, I have a hard time recommending that Jill leave a job she knows is solid for a temp position that may, or may not, help her to find a more suitable job down the road. On the other hand, if she is really, really unhappy with this job, there’s a good chance she’ll end up leaving anyway, and she might be better off at least doing something she enjoys in the interim.
Frankly, this is the sort of dilemma I’d like to have; right now I’m working only part time in a job far from my desired profession.
loading....
I’m actually in the opposite position, believe it or not, where recession fuels my industry. My workplace had to hire 35 new people last month just to keep up! We have a hard time coping with the increased workload!
What industry? You ask?
Juvenile justice. Working with young delinquents in detention setting. So sad, unfortunately, but business is booming. Maybe people should consider studying social work!
loading....
When I graduated from college 5 years ago, it took me over a year to find a full-time job. Even then, it wasn’t the kind of job I wanted, but I was glad to have any job at all and I figured I had to make the most of it. I’m still at the same job 3 1/2 years later, and while I have a lot of work-related frustrations, I’m still glad to have any job at all — especially one that pays pretty well and is fairly secure! My advice:
1) You can learn things and pick up new skills from any job, even if the job is totally unrelated to your “dream job.”
2) Work hard and stand out as an excellent employee. Your boss and coworkers could be your future references and networking contacts.
3) Challenge yourself. Even if the work is boring, setting goals for yourself and striving to meet them gives you a reason to keep going.
4) Look for opportunities for advancement. Since I started working at my job, I’ve discovered potential career paths that I never considered before.
5) Learn about yourself and what kind of job you really want. My “dream job” now is very different than what I thought it was when I was in college. I actually suspect that if I had gotten the kind of job I was seeking when I graduated, I wouldn’t have liked it much.
6) Remember, if it were supposed to be fun, they wouldn’t have to pay you to do it. I think a lot of people — especially college students and recent grads — make the mistake of thinking they will find a job that they will really love and enjoy doing. I think it’s important to find a job that interests you or gives you some occasional enjoyment, but every job has its ups and downs. Even those who love their jobs have bad days sometimes and have to do a few things they don’t like. The main reason to have a job is to make money to provide for yourself (and maybe your family) and allow you to do things you really enjoy.
loading....
Work-related frustrations are NOT worth it. Everyone who says “keep your job while looking for a job” is too scared to take a real risk.
When I quit my last job, I was totally fed up. I hated it and everyone kept asking me “where are you going to work?” or “what are you going to do?”. When I responded with “nowhere” and “nothing”, they couldn’t understand. Maybe 2% of the people I worked with were able to understand my reasons for quitting without another job waiting for me. Everyone else was too pre-occupied to worry about money, security, and all that other garbage which keeps them up at night.
If you quit your crappy job now, you’ll have much more energy and enthusiasm to find a new job. You’ll be much more upbeat and much more focused to find exactly what you’re looking for. You have to realize that working in a crappy job drains so much energy, it will prevent you from finding your ideal job.
In the end, you’ll understand that work is work is work. It’s not worth destroying your health and relationships for that.
loading....
Wow, so many comments! I wish I had time to read through them all – I’m making my way through them slowly, when I have down moments.
One question to pose to the “group:” There’s a lot of talk about doing what you love, but what about what you’re good at? Specifically, what if you’ve only found one thing that you really excel at (career-wise), but that career doesn’t pay a lot of money, and sometimes doesn’t even pay a living wage?
Now, obviously, everyone had a range of talents, some discovered and some not, but I feel like out of everything I’ve tried, the only thing that I’m really, truly, awesomely good at is being a stage manager for theater. But it’s hard to break into and even if you do, it’s doesn’t pay well. Should I pursue it anyway, or should I work on jobs that I don’t really like, and that I’m only marginally good at? It seems like some people were just meant to do certain things.
My approach right now it to have streams of income. If there’s another thing that I could say I’m good at, it’s writing, and I make a bit of money from that. I guess if I just do all of the things that I’m good at, in little chunks, maybe all together they’ll add up to enough money to live on. But the whole idea worries me. Sometimes I wish I was an engineer or something more stable… rather than what can be roughly described as “liberal arts talented.”
loading....
Solid tips– new grads or otherwise . . .
loading....
I agree with comment 67.
Why is that so many people are brainwashed into thinking that their current job is the best job they will ever have?
Most entry level jobs are crap. If you are starting to lose your mind and feeling crappy then by all means…QUIT.
Screw this recession. We shouldn’t have to go an early grave because we’re afraid. There could be another job out there that is ten times better.
loading....
oh, and if you are cursed with the ever famous arrogant “abusive boss” you should definitely find another job. even if it takes months and months and you’re living in a friends basement for a few weeks. whatever it takes – don’t let others destroy your physical and mental health!
loading....
Hi All!
I am new here! I hope everyone is dealing with this great depression better than I’ve been!
Those that still have jobs – just be appreciative that you still have a job. I am a professional and have lost my job almost 7 months ago and have done everything under the sun humanly possible to secure a new position. It’s been an extreme challenge for me! I am mostly upset because it’s not like I am a F*** up, stupid, sitting around doing nothing. I graduated with 2 BBA degress from one of the top 20 schools in the nation. Worked in my field for 4 years right out of school and was continuing to further my education while I was employed. Now, I have no job and no money. I am in my mid 20s. I support my disabled mother. I feel so low and a total loser that i can’t provide for my family. I am so used to being an over achiever that me being jobless is like the end of the world for me. I have been living on unemployemnt and some days I run out of money before the next check comes. That is when i would make sure my mother is well fed with good food and I would just eat instant noodles to get by and waiting for pay day. Anyway, I am not trying to play victim, but I feel so alone in this. I am known to be stong, confident, a social butterfly, even vain at times, but now I am known to be MIA. I am too ashamed to tell my friends that I’ve been laid off for this long. They would keep inviting me to places and I would make up so many lies and excuses why I couldn’t go. I would give anything to get back into the work force again. Even if that means taking a $30K paycut!
loading....
Alot of individuals on this blog are saying that it doesnt matter if you dont like your job but to me it does I remember working at a job being miserable day in and day out the stress affected me not only emotionally but physically and I had to go to the emergency room because of it you spend the majority of your life working so you deserve to be happy currently I am unemployed due to the recession and I really hope to find a job that I can tolerate I dont expect it to be perfect but I just want to do something thats I can stand to do everyday
loading....