This is a difficult time for new college graduates. You are coming out of school in a time when unemployment is high and competition for jobs are higher. How is a young adult supposed to survive? Here are some tips to help you.
Keep learning
If you are able to get a fellowship or have other means to continue paying for college, it might be wise to get an advanced degree in your chosen field. This will give the economy more time to recover and give you a more competitive edge in the future. Remember, while people with bachelor’s degrees make more than people with high school diplomas, people with Master’s degrees make even more.
Do volunteer work
Just because you cannot find paid work in your chosen field, does not mean that work is not available. Doing non-paid volunteer work keeps you active in your chosen area, and keeps you up to date and gives you coveted experience that will get you a higher salary in the future. Volunteering can also help get you into graduate school and perhaps even net you a fellowship.
Get a roommate
Just when you thought you were finished with roommates, you realize that you probably can survive financially on your own without one. Hopefully your college experience has taught you how to choose and cope with a roommate, so you will survive. If you cannot stomach the thought of living with someone else’s bad habits and smelly socks, you may want to consider moving back in with mom and dad. Remember however, that you must contribute to the household, especially if you do not want to be treated like a child again. Of course, the thought of twenty-something’s going home to mom and dad causes a great deal of dissention.
Start a website
If you cannot find a job in your chosen area, try to launch your own. It can be as simple as a blog to show and grow your expertise, or it can be a full-fledged retail site. Whatever you do, make your spare time (especially on the internet) as profitable as possible. Keeping yourself occupied can not only keep you up to date in the marketplace, but it may even make you a profit.
Consider becominig a freelancer. Sign up for an account on Upwork and start writing. There are also numerous writing services so you might want to offer your writing services there too.
Settle for less
To be competitive in a tight job market, you may very well have to lower your standards on how much money you will take. When accepting a lower than prime salary for your first job, you may want to broker a deal for a substantial raise two or three years down the line when the company is doing better and you have proven your worth. You may even want to consider taking stock shares in exchange for a lower salary.
Keep searching for that ideal job. Do not give up. It may take a year, or even two, but a quality college graduate will find that perfect job and before long, this stressful post college period will be a distant memory.