One of the most exciting, as well as terrifying thing to a college senior is the idea of jobs searching. Yes, we all want money. We all hate being broke, and I think it is safe to say that I can speak for all college seniors. I have to say though, this has got to be the most frustrating thing I have ever done.
Coming right out of undergrad, finding a job that pays decently is hard. You find all the jobs that meet your qualifications and crazy enough, there are next to none. The problem with entry level positions is that every position requires 2-3 years of experience. Logically how can a student that just graduated have 2-3 years of experience? This is the dilemma that I am running into.
Also any job that you want to do, either requires a master’s degree or 5-7 years of experience, which is obviously out of the question. So that is just frustrating in itself.
Now come to the fun stuff, I have been applying for about three months now, and I have not really heard back from any employers that I applied to outside of my college’s career and professional development office. This is not say I am ungrateful for those opportunities, but still sometimes it’s nice to find things on your own merit.
I spoke with a representative from the career and professional development office and I was told that most job qualifications are considered “pie in the sky.” By that, I mean these qualifications would be ideal, however, ideal is not exactly an option in the world that we live in. So I was told, shoot high, and apply for jobs that you may not qualify for on paper. I have, and so far, I am failing.
I was also told that most hiring processes take between three and six months, which is not great to hear. What kid wants to hear, “Oh, you did four years of school and now you might not have a job.” That is the absolute most frustrating thing you can tell me.
I understand that patience is a virtue, but it’s getting to be a little much at this point. I want to find a job so that I know what I am doing after May 14th. But I guess I shouldn’t rush the process, so for now I am just going to keep chugging along and hope for the best.
