<p>^^^^^
Truth.</p>
<p>Each generation goes through a period like this. Similar to Garland, I graduated college in 1976, and no one I knew found a decent job back then. My boyfriend and I worked on a demolition crew, tearing down old houses. I found other part-time work and finally landed a good, solid full-time position in 1981.</p>
<p>Things were far worse in the Great Depression, although my guess is that most families have not passed down these stories. Only this year did I sit down with my own father and ask him about those years. I was very surprised to hear him say that his parents, both University of Chicago graduates, moved back in with his grandmother. Two years later, another aunt, her husband (an engineer), and two children moved back into the same house, living on the top floor. When I asked him how long he and his parents lived in his grandmother’s house, he said, “From the time I was in first grade until I graduated high school.” So that was around ten years, the full length of that depression.</p>
<p>You can’t control when or where you are born, and you can’t control the economic cycles you live through. But you can shape your own perspective, attitude, and behavior during these times, and try to take whatever form of work comes long.</p>
<p>I am a Millenial. I am aware of the stereotypes we are accused of; some are true, many are false. Those do not bother me. What bothers me are the double-standards we are supposed to meet (pre-2008: “go to college if you want a good job.” post-2008: "get any job!). What bothers me even more is how we are supposed to out-compete the Gen-Xers who have more experience than us.</p>
<p>We are probably just as educated as previous generations. Our work ethic is perhaps not as strong as that of past generations. But our ability to recognize BS when we see it, is second to none.</p>
<p>It makes sense that there is a severe shortage of jobs for those joining the job market. There is a shortage for everyone, and there are many underemployed people I know. Private businesses are seeing a drop off which translates into less work for everyone, so they are not hiring just as most companies are not. This is what downsizing does. So anyone without the experience or expertise is going to be especially hard.</p>
<p>Around here, there are not many kids working, and those that are get little or no pay, and often less than full time hours. My son’s friend was thrilled to get a paid job at an attorney’s office, set up months ago, and was deeply disappointed that it’s only for a few hours a day, 3 or 4 days a week. There isn’t enough work for her, and not much extra money either. Another young lady I know was told that a position she thought she had at an animal clinic was told that it was eliminated. They did not even want her there on a volunteer basis. </p>
<p>The kids who have jobs have some special skill that not that many others have. Mine are lifeguards. That certificate opens up a whole category of jobs for them. The camp counselor jobs were filled quickly this year mostly by recent college graduates, friend and relatives of those running the programs, teachers, other moms looking to earn some extra summer money, counselors in training working for free, and lifeguards. There aren’t enough of those certified to lifeguard that those positions can be filled by the previous mentioned categories. They had several job possibilities and picked the one closest to the house so that transportation costs are the lowest. They also get extra hours for rec center events as they are offered to pool staff first, and private lessons. Many of the summer camps need life guards, essential if swimming is part of the program. </p>
<p>For those who are out of school, my advice is to look at some community college courses that can get you into a specialty field. Something that can get you certified quickly, something in an area or field you can enjoy and having some overlap with your studies. Nurses are in demand everywhere, for instance, and can often name their terms. The RN program is a selective, long process, and not a good choice for this purpose but other health care related fields have high demands for those specifically trained. </p>
<p>A friend of mine who was divorced after many years, took some courses to become a tech with MRI machinery, for instance. That got her a job almost immediately. Not the job she wanted, and not the pay she needed, but that was not going to happen with her hiatus from the job market. When she got her foot in the door at a medical center, she was able to bide her time, look for positions that paid more that she was qualified for, and even took a course or two to make her even more desirable. It took her a couple of years, but she did get pretty much, not exactly, what she wanted. She had a library sciences degree that just did not have many job openings in this area. She’s still actively looking and has upgraded her resume in that field but she makes too much in her current job to make the shift even if something opens up there. The pay would be a lot less and she needs the money.</p>
<p>My friends’ girls took medical transcription at a community college which netted them nice paying jobs. A young man got certified as an air traffic controller while he worked part time and is now in airport management. These kids were all looking at min wage positions if it weren’t for their “hooks”. Yup, hooks count for jobs now and you gotta get 'em where the needs are. </p>
<p>A cousin got his certification in HVAC, something he knew nothing about but the course was available at the time he could go, and is now working for Carrier, after a year or two of repairing heating and air conditi systems. He had a psychology degree and did not want to go further in the subject, really did not want to go back to school. Now he’s going for a MBA from Villanova, I believe, and the company is helping him pay for it. He graduated before this economic down turn but could not find any decent job for the first two years out of college, and got his HVAC job which at least paid a self sufficient wage when the unemployment rate sky rocketed. He’s been moving upward during a time when people are losing jobs and it’s because he has special skills and certifications.</p>
<p>I always tell kids on this forum not to pan community colleges… They can be your saving grace in terms of getting you a decent job.</p>
<p>I’m not sure if I can agree with the statement “best educated generation ever”</p>
<p>how about “most hyped generation ever” 
(because of the internet/social media etc…)</p>
<p>It doesn’t matter whether they are the best educated generation ever. I think the point is that many of these kids despite an excellent education and academic success are finding that next step a difficult one. Not news in that it’s that way for most recent college graduates but since theire is a job crunch right now and the kids just out of college are at the bottom of the heap in experience, there are going to be more than the usual number of kids under and unemployed. </p>
<p>It’s a tough situation for parents and kids. Having a kid back in the house after s/he has been gone for most of the last 4 years living pretty much the way s/he chooses, is not fun. Yes, you love them and it’s great they’re back home. But without a job and money that they want, they are not going to be in the best of moods. And they still are in that rude, nasty, crazy stage of their lives which can be a major source of friction. If I could afford it, I would get a place for my oldest. It’s gotten better (knock on wood). but it’s still not a great situation for us or for him.</p>
<p>Remember that “educated” is not synonymous with “intelligent”.</p>
<p>right, but “intelligence” is contrasted from “educated”, in that intelligence distributions are much less volatile from generation to generation, while education is.</p>
<p>I, too, graduated in 1978 and was from Michigan in the middle of a horrible recession with the 'best, the biggest, the brightest, the most well educated" college classes ever for the time. Competition was fierce for first jobs. Because of a great internship I landed my first job in a town I had never considered only to have my father yell at me over the phone because he had “paid for a private education” and my starting salary was half of his (non college educated) secretary. But oh well…it was a start. My company paid for my MBA and there was a two year period when I wanted to live alone that I worked a second job. My kids aren’t going to get much sympathy from these 50+ parents. They will find a job. It may not be in the town they want to be in. It may not pay what they want it to pay. They may have a few tough years financially, but they’ve heard the drill enough times that I’m really not too worried. Us 50+ parents are going to be retiring as soon as we can and jobs will be there for them to move into just as occured for “us.”</p>
<p>Here’s one thing to remember as you read about people switching fields and want to suggest your newly grad (with a BA in humanities or something of that sort) to do the same- You can walk the horse to the water, but you can’t make him drink it. Especially if they have loans already and just can’t take out anymore. This includes me.</p>
<p>It’s a tough bullet to bite to being in this position today. I applied over 25 jobs in my field and nabbed 6 or so interviews in the last 14 weeks. I had to admit that the number was pretty good in relative of things. They were impressed with my educational background and insights but cited the lack of work experience as the major reason. If they had an option of hiring a more experienced person, they wanted to take that person.</p>
<p>It certainly has been an adjustment for me to be back home with my parents after being pretty much on my own for the last 6 years. I look at my stuff from my apartment sitting in an empty room and wonder how I ended up here. Of course, there is much more to my story of my plans not working out the first time around and needing to take a year to try the process again. I get along with my parents but it’s really all the little things like how I like to prepare my food and when I like to do my laundry that take adjustment for everyone. It is also demoralizing for me to be at home with my shiny resume and no one wants me.</p>
<p>My family is so proud of me for having graduated from Colgate and Michigan, even though they knew that I took out loans to pay for my MA from Michigan. I ask them in a suggestive way if it was all a mistake for me to jump straight into graduate school instead of working for a bit to gain some experience and pocketing some money. They say of course not especially that a MA in my field is quite helpful. And the market was declining in 2008 anyway.</p>
<p>Thus, I am much more of in this category which focuses on master’s students. [Well-Educated</a> Job Hunters Still Stuck - WSJ.com](<a href=“http://online.wsj.com/article/NA_WSJ_PUB:SB10001424052748704699604575342751927334436.html]Well-Educated”>http://online.wsj.com/article/NA_WSJ_PUB:SB10001424052748704699604575342751927334436.html)</p>
<p>Instead, I am considering doing non-paying internships in my field to gain work experience on top of a PT job to earn some cash. How’s that for a bitter one to swallow? But if I really want this, I’m going have to do what I can.</p>
<p>ahhh. these articles always make me feel very uneasy. trusted adults need to NOT tell children that they can do any job they desire…and I know my objection to that is no original sentiment, especially lately. how can anyone not feel a little bit bad in their stomach telling such a lie? I am not at all saying it is malicious, because it’s undoubtedly satisfying to give a child hope, but now that I am 20 and watching my peers’ struggles I have another perspective on the “dream big” messages.</p>
<p>I like cptofthehouse’s plan about community colleges and specialized skills. I think that could work out for me personally really well.</p>
<p>I think the problem is less that the job at Panera may not be what us Millenials want to be doing and more that we quite literally can’t afford to work there. Coming out of college with thousands of dollars in loan debt only to take a minimum wage job is only setting someone up for heaps of hardship.</p>
<p>It used to be that investing in a college education was a wise choice, not a risky one. I think that might be changing.</p>
<p>It used to be that investing in a college education was a wise choice, not a risky one. I think that might be changing.</p>
<p>It used to be that students attended an instate university and went to work after getting a BA, instead of automatically thinking of grad school/private colleges.</p>
<p>
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<p>My older daughters loans were about $15,000 for a degree from a private LAC. ( met 100% need) However, she had an educational award from Americorps for roughly $5,000 that covered a good chunk of it, and since she has lived with roommates since senior year, she has been able to pay on her loans without a problem.
I don’t know how much savings she has- probably not much, but as she doesn’t have a car- she also doesn’t have all the expenses that go along with that.</p>
<p>Some families are not great about cutting expenses or teaching their kids to live frugally.
I really wonder about someone who uses savings while employed to pay for living expenses.
*
They may be edumacated- but they ain’t too smart.
:rolleyes:</p>
<p>Jordan Hueseman, 25, accrued roughly $100,000 in student loans at the University of Denver earning a bachelor’s degree in international business and a master’s in business administration. On the job hunt, he found his graduate degree sometimes hindered more than it helped.</p>
<p>$50,000 a year for a BA? not very much thinking about if that is a good business decision, no?
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-denver/761949-university-denver-financial-aid.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-denver/761949-university-denver-financial-aid.html</a></p>
<p>“I think the problem is less that the job at Panera may not be what us Millenials want to be doing and more that we quite literally can’t afford to work there.”</p>
<p>If one has debt and no other job prospects, how can one afford NOT to work at Paneras?</p>
<p>Emeralkity, that is absolutely right! Ha, ha. Got a good chuckle out of that parting shot. I’m surprised that the business major did not take accounting courses or go into another niche where there is still a need. Kids I know with a CPA are not working at Panera’s.</p>
<p>One comfort derived by many from all of this is that there are a lot of kids in this situation together. I remember my husband feeling humiliated and upset when he could not find a “decent” job after college. Graduated with honors from a top 25 university, and ended up working in lab as unskilled tech for little more than minimum wage. He was netting more in college at a similar job, with more prestige throuhg work study. What really hurt was that there were kids out there making a living wage. Not a whole lot, but way more than these days because of the shut out of jobs, but still, we all know a goodly number of peers who had good paying career track jobs. Which really made you feel small as you waited on tables, sold insurance, or did anything to bring in some money. </p>
<p>My recent college graduate is living hand to mouth which was expected given his chosen occupation. Poor, starving artist is a cliche and classic through the ages. However, many of his high school classmates who came from high powered families with connections and went to top selective schools, were top students are not gainfully employed either. A lot of them working as non paid interns. Particularly those with with impressive sounding positions. They are biding their time until the employment markets open, and they’ll have gained the expertise and experience to snag a good job when that happens, I have no doubt. But for right now. they are not earning money. </p>
<p>My friend’s very talented, excellent student, summa cum laude daughter got a great partnership track offer in 6 figures from a major law firm several years ago. She also got a clerkship to a prestigious, influential judge. The firm guaranteed her position and even added sweetners to the offer for her to work a year at the clerkship. When she completed it and was about to join the firm, she got another clerkship offer, and the firm again encouraged her to take it. This time she was not so thrilled since she was getting tired of not having money and was looking forward to fat paychecks as payback for all of those years of hard work. But they were adamant that it would be the best move for her to make, so she did it. Well, they also pushed her start date back twice after that clerkship ended, so she was stuck with a period of unemployment and an apartment that she could not afford without a job. It really put her in a dither, but then she discovered that the firm had released a record number of associates and were not taking any newly graduated law students. It was a sobering discovery. She is working there now, and says that things are much slower than any one likes. She was at the top of her law class. Most of her fellow classmates have not been able to find work as an attorney. Many are omitting the law school when applying for jobs. </p>
<p>She is also sitting on a lot of loans but having gone to a state school for UG, she is not drowning in debt. And she is also getting paid a big salary. However, she is not jumping into the housing or condo market at this time. Things are not so secure at the job that she wants to make those kinds of commitments. And those loans, even though they are not as high as many I have seen for ug alone, they are cutting into her very nice salary to a point where she cannot jump right into a luxury life. She’s still in her old apartment that she sublet for 6 months between the clerkship and job, and still driving her old car and doesn’t see a change in either situation for a while.</p>
<p>I guess the problem, NSM, is that with big loans accumulating interest while being deferred, those kids who are making so little that they cannot possibly make the payments are losing money on that end as well as making so little on the receive end. That really scares me. Neither of my guys are making much money, but other than the oldest’s car payment, they do not have debt. Even then, they are not doing that well economically. One cannot afford his own apartment, the other is scraping for change and food at the end of the month (he’s here right now, shopping my pantry and begging for some money, waiting for a check that is supposed to come today or tomorrow but is earmarked for the rent). Sigh. As a mom, it concerns me greatly. And they are very, very lucky in that we have a large house and the resources to be able to supplement them though not to the point of getting them jobs or paying for their own places to live or giving them cars.</p>
<p>"I guess the problem, NSM, is that with big loans accumulating interest while being deferred, those kids who are making so little that they cannot possibly make the payments are losing money on that end as well as making so little on the receive end. "</p>
<p>Still, they’d be in even worse shape if they weren’t working. If they’re living at home, they probably can pay some toward their loans as well as their living expenses. Doing this would be better than completely living off Mom and Dad because the graduates can’t find good jobs.</p>
<p>Competing against older workers with years of experience has put many Millennials on the losing end of job interviews. And while that’s typical of past recessions, the long-term unemployment characteristic of this cycle is forcing many older workers to seek jobs that would have gone to younger workers in the past.</p>
<p>In the Puget Sound area- while it is true that older workers are competing against younger ones- it often isn’t the older ones who are being hired.</p>
<p>Older workers are more expensive- more experience, & retirement coming up- younger workers are cheaper & they are not so interested in retirement or even medical benefits.</p>
<p>Yes they are not supposed to discriminate on age, but when they look at your resume and see when you graduated from high school/college- the interviewer may think * they are as old as my mom!*</p>
<p>I agree that the kids should be working. Some areas just don’t have much or anything available. I tell mine that they have to do something, anything. Can’t sit or lie around the house all day. However, if there are no jobs to be had, what can they do? </p>
<p>The kids around here this summer are not working as a rule. The number of summer jobs has been reduced drastically. My one son wanted to go live in Ocean City and work there, but after paying living expenses there would not be that much left. My boys were lucky to get jobs, but there are many, many unemployed here. My friend who lives in West virginia, has it even worse with the job situation. Her daughter is doing baby sitting gigs, but the money is poor and sporadic. She wanted to earn money for her college costs this upcoming year but has not found much of anything.</p>
<p>cpofthehouse, I totally feel your pain. I could have written this. I have no wisdom to offer, I only want to wallow in the misery of your company :)</p>
<p>"Having a kid back in the house after s/he has been gone for most of the last 4 years living pretty much the way s/he chooses, is not fun. Yes, you love them and it’s great they’re back home. But without a job and money that they want, they are not going to be in the best of moods. And they still are in that rude, nasty, crazy stage of their lives which can be a major source of friction. If I could afford it, I would get a place for my oldest.?</p>