Finding a full time job in today’s market is a full time job
Jennifer McClelland | RSS | 3 Comments
After spending months looking for a job, I finally found something working as a sales associate at a local department store. I’m making $10 an hour and averaging 30-35 hours a week. With an hourly rate like that I’ll barely be able to make my car payment and student loan payment, but at least I’ll be able to make them.
It’s a difficult market to find work in when 80% of the graduating class of 2009 weren’t offered jobs upon graduation and with many of us still out there looking for work.
It really is a full time job to try to find something; in my case it turned from a search for a dream job to a search for a job where I could earn something. Employers really do have the upper hand in this market, they know that they can offer you less money and that you’ll be willing to accept it only because work is so hard to come by.
I recently found a website that said those who graduated with a degree in business administration (just undergraduate) are earning an average of $42,000 a year. I’m getting no where near that number. After taxes, I’m lucky if I’ll be earning $12,000. As much as I want the sales experience so I may be able to get a job somewhere else in the future, I don’t know if this is something that I really see myself doing. The truth is, I really wanted to be making at least $20,000 a year while I lived in my current house and I honestly find the pay of $12,000 a year a bit insulting for all the work I put into college. Yesterday while I was sitting in the break area watching the training videos someone asked me why would I even consider working at that store when I had graduated college and had a business administration degree. I could only say, “because I can’t find a job anywhere else.”
College graduates are finding work in some fields
The Pitch – Where are you finding work in the recession?
When can a job become a career?
Tags: degree in business administration, business administration degree, dream job
Rachelle | Fri, Aug 21 2009
Jennifer,
Keep your head up. This recession is only temporary and once the economy bounces back you will be able to find a job more suitable to your experience. I have a friend that was in your situation last year. She spent a year working at the Gap and at an unpaid internship and had graduated from a top liberal arts school. ($160,000 down the drain). Just two months ago she found a position at a non for profit. Still not her dream job, but it gives her more money and benefits. What helped was that she was at home and saving money. Whenever you can save, do it now while your expenses are low. Then when you make more money, you’ll already know how to live off of very little and you can save more.
BTS | Sat, Aug 22 2009
Rachelle is right. Definitely keep your head up. I actually know plenty of people who have nice experience and have had a good job in the past making well over $40,000. Yet, these same people are collecting unemployment, unable to find jobs.
Personally, I would spend the effort looking for more jobs before “giving in” thinking you can’t find a job. My friend faced the same situation a while back unable to find a job after graduation. He almost settled for a $20,000 job, but luckily landed a job at Morgan Stanley now making 5 times that. Don’t give up and keep trying.
Jennifer | Sun, Aug 23 2009
Thanks for the words of encouragement. I am still applying to see if there is anything else I could possibly do.