Even though the market isn’t quite as tough right now as it was during the peak of the recession, it’s still difficult particularly for new grads. They generally have little experience and their relying on the knowledge and skills that they learned in college to help them get the job. But the problem is that there are many individuals that have both a college degree and experience that are also competing for the same jobs.
New grads are going to have to expand their searches if they’re going to find a job. It’s now necessary for individuals to search out of state. While this may not be everyone’s wish, they must do it out of necessity if they are serious about finding a job. They need to start by immediately sending out resumes and cover letters, and they need to make it clear to companies that they are willing to relocate. They must spell it out in black and white, and mention if possible that they are willing to relocate without any assistance from the company, because that may set them apart from other candidates.
Since there are few jobs and so many people applying for the ones available individuals need to show the skills that they have but also set themselves apart from others. If the interviewer doesn’t remember them for something or think they’re special then they’ve failed and they definitely won’t get the job. So they need to be themselves but show the interviewer in a short amount of time who they are and what they can do.
And if individuals have expanded their search out of state but still aren’t having any luck, they need to look internationally. There are great opportunities for individuals that are willing to move to Europe or other countries. So make the job search very broad, because no one will know what opportunities are out there unless they look and apply for them. But in the mean time, keep in mind that different cities have various advantages and disadvantages such as cost. So it might help individuals to look at different cities and see how much living expenses are, because that can be a big deal if they’re extended more than one job offer.
Put in the time and do the research; so look at living expenses as well as what life is like in that city. Individuals want to enjoy living in whatever city the job is located in, so they should look at the culture and lifestyle of those cities and make sure that they’ll enjoy living there. Young adults are everywhere, but there seem to be higher concentrations of them in certain areas so individuals should consider the following ten areas in their job search for that very reason.
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| Infographic by Portfolio – View larger image |
Atlanta, Georgia
Average rent: $723
Popular entry-level categories: sales, marketing, customer service
Phoenix, Arizona
Average rent: $669
Popular entry-level categories: sales, customer service, training
Denver, Colorado
Average rent: $779
Popular entry-level categories: sales, customer service, health care
Dallas, Texas
Average rent: $740
Popular entry-level categories: sales, customer service, health care
Boston, Massachusetts
Average rent: $1275
Popular entry-level categories: sales, marketing, training
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Average rent: $938
Popular entry-level categories: sales, marketing, health care
New York
Average rent: $1,366
Popular entry-level categories: sales, customer service, marketing
Cincinnati, Ohio
Average rent: $613
Popular entry-level categories: sales, customer service, management
Baltimore, Maryland
Average rent: $1,041
Popular entry-level categories: sales, customer service, management
Los Angeles, California
Average rent: $1319
Popular entry-level categories: sales, training, health care
Even though a college degree can give you the training to get into the job of your dreams, just remember that even though you may have a college degree that doesn’t necessarily mean that you will earn a lot of money. In fact, there are many college grads that have spent a lot on going to college and then they don’t end up making much. So if they have a lot of student loans it can be difficult for many to pay them off.
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| Infographic by Keith Hampson – View large image |
Some low wage jobs according to 2010 data from PayScale shows that even with a bachelor’s degree, your wages may still not be high. For example, students in the following areas can’t expect to start out earning a lot or expect to earn much more over their career. For example, engineers and those in computer science tend to get high salaries while those in the following 10 fields can expect low salaries.
Social Work: although this is a challenging but rewarding career the salaries are not what bring people to this profession. They typically start with an annual salary of $33,400 and in their mid-career bring in $41,600.
Elementary Education: Elementary teachers are typically the lowest on the scale in comparison to junior high and high school teachers. But they do get the summers off. However, notice that specializing in elementary education instead of just earning an education degree means that you’re lower on the pay scale. Elementary Ed. majors start out at $33,000 annually and mid-career typically earn $42,400
Theology: People that study theology and choose that as their profession can’t expect to earn much money. They want to help people and they usually earn $34,800 and mid-career earn $51,500
Music: This is a great talent to have, plus they get to earn money for something that they love. Starting annual salaries are in the range of $34,000 and mid-career are $52,000.
Spanish: Knowing a language is great but having a degree in it doesn’t necessarily mean big money. Graduates in Spanish may expect to earn $35,000 as an annual starting salary and $52,600 half-way through their career.
Horticulture: This is a great career for people that want to use their creativity and want to work with plants and flowers in nurseries, or as florists. The salary starting is $37,200 and $53,400 mid-career.
Education: Teaching can be rewarding but comes with stress. However, there are a lot of opportunities available to educators. They can expect to earn around $36,200 and $54,100 mid-career.
Hospitality and Tourism: This sector took a hit with the economy but things are looking up. Although the salaries aren’t high and much is dependent on tips, there are a lot of perks that come with this job. Starting out in the industry may bring $37,000 and mid-career $54,300.
Fine Arts: The fine arts encompass a lot of different jobs but they can expect to earn about $35,800 starting off and $56,300 mid-career.
Drama: Although it can be difficult to make ends meet in this job, there are some that have actually made it. For example, Meryl Streep and Denzel Washington both have degrees in this job so they can be skewing the numbers upward but starting salaries are in the ballpark of $35,600 and mid-career is $56,600.
So here’s the dilemma: students are spending a lot for these degrees these days and not making much money after graduation, so are they really worth it? Well the honest truth is that it depends largely on the talent and drive of the individual student as well as how much money they have to take out in order to earn their degree. If they have to take out a lot of loans and they’ll be making these salaries then probably not, but if they can earn the degree without going much into debt then it probably is worth it. However, before making the decision, listen to the experts John Stossell interviews and then decide.
Find your degree using our degree finder tool.
]]>The report showed that while 60 percent "intend to leave" another 21 percent said "maybe, so I'm networking." And only 13 percent planned to stay in their current jobs. While the remaining 6 percent said changing jobs "wasn't likely, but I've updated my résumé."
This shows many employees are annoyed and frustrated with how the way they've have been treated through the economic crunch. The problem is that there are few jobs available; so many people are forced to stay in their same jobs that they hate day after day. The reality is that when there’s less money floating around there are also fewer jobs.
This means if you want a new job you need to update your résumé
to make yourself as attractive as possible to employers. But even when you do this; you are still going to face a lot of disappointment because there are so many people competing for a limited number of jobs. So you might be looking for an extended amount of time and you still might not even find a job.
However, if you have a job keep in mind that it is easier to find a job if you already have a job. This shows to employers that you're valuable and are able to hold a job. But if you lost your job or were laid off during the economic crunch then keep in mind that it's possible to find a job but you have to work even harder to get one than those who are currently employed.
So if you're looking for a new or a different job remember to be persistent. Make sure that your résumé is updated and it might be worth it to have others read your résumé and get some feedback. There are even firms that can help you write your résumé, because a good résumé is one-third of the battle.
Another great idea is to get more education. Sometimes you get cornered into a dead end job with skills that are company specific. One way to get a new job without taking a pay cut is by improving your education and skills. By earning a degree you improve your skills, knowledge, and will make you even more attractive to potential employers.
Education can help you get out of your current circumstances and on the path to success. It's a difficult market out there and you need to not only be doing what everyone else is, but to do more in order to set yourself apart. An education can not only improve your life, but get you into the career that you want and most likely lead to a higher salary.
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