Spring Grads-- Employed yet?
 

I'm not, grrrr..... but oh well. Got another rejection letter today. Just wondering how everyone else is making out.

What is your degree in?

i graduated this spring. i have a decent paying job, but it's temp and has nothing to do with my degree. i am a graphic designer but the job is correcting backorders for parts repair. we work with companies around the world.

i am hopefully going back to school in the fall for more stuff and to kill time. it depends on the job. they may keep me on or i will get dropped and will find an internship somewhere else.

I've had a billion interviews but, alas, nothing. I've always gotten the 2nd interview for every company I meet with. The even cooler thing is that I have always been one of the top people under consideration for the job. Unfortunately, I'm never THE top person. It's just disheartning because I get so far in the interview process only to be told every time, "It was down to just a few people and you were one of those people but we've decided to go with someone else" or "It was between you and someone else but the other person has more experience so we went with them." It's like a catch-22; companies want to hire people with experience but how can I gain that experience if they're not willing to hire me? grrrrrr.
In the meantime, I work at a retail store. The most aggravating thing is that I know my management is less educated than me and I feel I could do their jobs better. But, it's the only thing I've got right now so I just suck it up and hope that I'll find something else soon.

Still doing a lot of interviewing/sending out resumes and stuff.

I'm working as a preschool teacher still, and doing babysitting on the side; but it's not at all what I want to do, I can't really take it for much longer.

I'm a NYC Dept. of Education employee! I'm in an alternate certification program for Education called the NYCTeachingFellows. I will have my very own classroom this fall. :eek: Don't know the school yet just that it will be in the Bronx. Right now as part of our training I'm helping out in summer school @ PS85 :)

Not employed yet, but that's by choice. I'll be entering graduate school in the Fall, but I'm taking a summer school course starting Monday because...well, I hate just working during the summer.

If I don't go back now, I'll never go back.

I still have not found a job yet, but I am planning on going back to school in the fall. Unfortunately, all of the schools I have applied to have been dragging their feet for grad and second degree programs. I guess I could find a job if I really wanted one, but I refuse to work a low paying job now that I have my degree.

Nope, I'm off to grad school in the fall. I do still have my part-time job from college.

Same here, I'm going straight back to graduate school. Although most of my friends graduated with jobs in their field, this current administration hasn't been too kind to the arts; it makes more sense for me just to go back and get my M.Arch as soon as possible.

FFFFF****!!!!!$$$$$$$$

Just got another rejection email! What's up with that? I feel like such a serious loser! I can't take it!

I'm really sorry to hear that :(

I'm sure I don't have to say finding (and keeping) a job right now is extremely tough.

My boyfriend who graduated with an IT degree in August 2002 just recently found his job this past February.

My older biological sister was lucky to find a job right after she graduated this past December, but she just recently got laid off as her company is closing their Texas office. :(

I had been part-time job hunting since January and just got a job earlier this month.. so it's pretty crazy that it's even hard to find part-time work.

Keep your head up girl... you're not a serious loser! The job market just really sucks right now :(

Not yet-- it's my fault though, I have to get more on top of applying for jobs... I never thought I'd be out of college looking in the NYTimes classifieds... the worst is I've been shopping more because of my free time and I'm thinking I need a part-time job while I look for a full-time one. The worst part is that I graduated with a journalism degree (broadcast) but I want to work in the entertainment industry with a movie studio. I've had all of these internships, yet I feel like I don't have the skills I need.

I graduated this spring, and unfortunately I do not have a job either. I've heard a lot of teachers get hired in August, so I am crossing my fingers, but I may end up subbing for another year.

I got 2 offers and work at an investment bank as an analyst. I don't know how much passion I have for it so I might not be there too long before applying to some sort of grad school.

-Rudey
--I want all of you by The Verve Pipe is cheesy but I like it a lot.

Finally just found a job! It's been almost 3 months of looking.
I got a job as a marketing coordinator. Although I want to do marketing, the job I will be doing is not my "dream job". But, it's a job and hopefully it will give me something I can put on my resume so that in about a year I can find my dream job.

After months of nothing I went from initial contact to getting a job offer from two different companies in the same two-week period. The first offer was from my second choice company, but my first choice company gave me an offer within a couple of days of the other. I'm going to be a claims adjuster for a relatively major auto insurance company. While this only marginally has anything to do with my major (physics), this should be good enough to get my life started and get me through a masters program so that I can get into the field I've always wanted (aerodynamics/astrodynamics). Good luck to those who are still searching!

I'm still looking... blaaaaaah!

I graduated in May from FSU with a BA in Theatre... and the desire to take a good five years off from theatre before I go back to grad school for Theatre Education. Over the summer, I was a camp counselor at a Girl Scout resident camp, so there was really no way to be interviewing or even job searching, and now I've been home for a week and am desperately looking for something to do. I don't even know what I want to do - something with kids, where I can play and have a good time. And hopefully get paid a lot, but that's not such a big priority.

I'm looking into Children's Museums and after-school programs and stuff, but nothing really catches my attention. And I REALLY want to be a Youth Counselor for Disney Cruise Lines (playing with kids while on a cruise... fun!) so I'm sending them my resume every week with hopes they'll realize I'm perfect for the job...

I have a boarding school in Massachusetts that I have to call on Monday, but the woman I'm trying to reach is never in her office... so frustrating!

If you're cute, I have an audition for you in Chicago that you can attend.

-Rudey
--Ladies, I still need an intern.

I'm still unemployed... I was wondering if anyone would take a non-paid internship for the experience and to get your foot in the door somewhere doing the usual grunt work but also doing the things you would like to be involved with someday. I don't have a part-time job now and I'd be spending money to commute into the city for this internship-- would you take it or would you pass it up and just concentrate on finding a full-time job?

That's exactly what a good amount of my friends are doing, especially if they live someplace close to a big city, which allows them to commute (they're living at home). Most are coupling it with a small part-time job, though.

If I wasn't going to grad school, I'd probably be doing the same thing.

Right now I'm living at home while doing a paid internship with a well known movie company in NYC. However, I am still looking for a full-time job. In the meantime, I'm getting some great hands-on experience and it will look good on my resume.

The economy just sucks right now. Most of my friends who graduated this past spring are either still unemployed and living at home or working part-time jobs. I only know like 3 people who have full-time jobs in their fields.

I took the unpaid internship because I'd be doing things I'm really interested in... yesterday was my first day, I actually get paid a whole $10 for the bus/subway per day. I'm interning 2 days/week, which still allows me plenty of time to apply for jobs... and I think I'm going to really like it.

Yeah! Finally got a job. I'll be working at the local FOX affiliate running cameras.

Hey, everyone's gotta start somewhere!

At Fox43? Well, congratulations on the new job! :)

At Fox43? Well, congratulations on the new job!

Haha, thanks! It is Fox 43, good job!

I'd just like to post that I'm starting to get very frustrated that I can't find a job!!!! I never thought it would take me this long... because I think I have a damn good resume. I'm starting to lose hope and thinking I should just start applying for jobs that I don't really want, just so long as it pays well. But then I know I'll be stuck somewhere I don't want to be... I don't want to settle! Anyone other recent grads feel my frustration?

Ther are plenty of people in the same position. I was up until a month ago, when I took a job that I would never in a million years have thought would be something I'd end up doing.

Guess what? I love what I do. I feel like it's important, and I can now PAY MY BILLS.

Don't shut yourself off from your options and DON'T BLAME YOURSELF. It's a rough market right now for everyone and jobs are harder than ever to find.

It really isn't you.

Advice From A Veteran
 

Gang, if you just graduated this past spring, it is WAY too early to give up hope.

I started looking for "gainful employment" as a grad-school-dropout in 1991. The same comments got thrown around: the economy is bad. Blame the big bad 'ole government. Someone else has better connections and it's their mission in life to screw you out of a job.

But the fact is, the first job is always the hardest because of the universal Catch-22: you need experience to get a job, you need a job to get experience.

For a while, most people have to do two jobs at once: one that pays the bills and one that gets you in the field you love and worked for. THIS IS NORMAL! AND IT CAN TAKE YEARS!!

I didn't walk out of grad school and down the street to a plush (???) office at MDACC. After dropping out of school I bounced around from contract lab work (karyotypes for a genetic diagnostics firm) to secretarial work to - gag - phone surveys for the Gallup Poll. This went on for a year before I got my foot in the door at Anderson. Even then, I started at the bottom of the lab rats (tech assistants) and worked for TEN YEARS to get the all-but-tenured coordinator position I have now.

So to make a long story short (too late...) it's OK if you're struggling for a while. It's normal. Everyone goes through it, regardless of their time and place. You guys are doing fine and it's OK to take a "transitional" job until you settle in to the one you love.

Positive job vibes coming everyone's way! I've been where you are and it does get better!!!

Adrienne
:D

Thanks lovelyivy84 and adduncan for responding. Leading up to graduation, all of my friends were like you're not going to have a problem finding a job because of my past experience, so that's why it's even more frustrating! My boss at my internship, (who's young and really cool and laid back) was like don't worry, you've got time. I guess I'm just getting anxious and I think about school and what I should have done differently, ie. change my major, since I don't want to really do anything in my field. But I'm not going to give up! (yet).

Anyone looking for a sales or marketing position?

Oh, and KerriMarie, I would try similar positions on other cruise lines. It is a little-known fact that other lines also have kids' counselors, but there may be less competition because they are not big names like Disney.

I'm also a spring graduate. I starting looking for a job two days after graduation. I graduated May 10 and got a job Aug.28. It was a long discouraging process. Luckily, I get paid decent and expecting an increase this coming year but my job responsibility will increase. I have a degree in Finance which I am not using just yet. Hopefully with this job I can get as much experience and move up to a better pay and apply to graduate school with workfoce experience under my belt.
~TCV

Still holding out for the "perfect job". I have the financial means to do so right now.

Might be substitute teaching for some extra green though:D

For the Spring '04 Grads
 

Congrats to those spring 03 grads who have gotten jobs recently. To those of you who will be graduating this year, look and learn from their woes. While I graduated from college in the boom time of the 80s, I saw a definate different in the people who started their job search during college and those who waited until graduation. My advice to you: get to know the people in your college placement office NOW. They'll have plenty of advice for you on internships, jobs, resume writing, interviewing, etc. Plus, companies who are really interested in recent college grads with little to no experience will recruit on college campuses. The jobs displayed on monster.com and int he newspapers are usually looking for experience.

Good luck to you. I know school just started but May/June is right around the corner!! :)

Quote:

Originally posted by ktsnake

I'm the same way-- though 2 weeks ago, I was like I'm just going to apply to some job that I don't want to do, but know I'll get! My mom was like, no don't settle, you're not that desparate yet.

1 of my friends who just graduated too is substitute teaching, he's always like I'm going to take my kids out to play basketball. His mom works at the same school that he does.

I just got offered a permanent position at a mrketing company here in Florida! It's great b/'c i get to work with my sorority sisters(who helped me get the job), 3 weeks for vacation AND 12 holidays off!

Yeah!!!

oops...meant marketing company

job hunting sucks
 

Let's see I graduated on Mothers Day, but I continue to be a lovely cashier at a grocery store cause I can't find anything. I have looked for my bachelors degree which is in Mass Communications, but I am having trouble breaking into broadcasting which I wanna do since I have no tape...long story why I don't. So I am thinking of using that Associates degree in Early Childhood Development and looking for a job in that field for now. I need something, I wanna get my own place!

May 8th is my day, 200 and counting till I walk the walk :) I have applied at Phizer, Ortho-McNeil, P&G, 3M, etc.

I hope to hear back, the first resume drop ended yesterday and I will find out within a few weeks if I'm invited to an on-campus interview. Please cross your fingers for me.

I just got another job at a radio station in York. Watch out-- I'll soon be a media mogul! If only one of them would turn into full time, that would be the greatest!