When to give up on finding a full time job after college?
For the past 6 months, I’ve been seeking professional and administrative employment. I graduated in May with a B.A., had extra circulars, leadership roles, experience working for several professional offices, et cetera.
I never make it past the second round because I’m over-qualified or under-experienced. They always choose someone with more experience. So, how to get a job with moderate experience? Vicious cycle?
Will companies actually hire a college grad? (San Fran)
I have been applying for entry-level jobs. Anything that is attractive or not. I’ve had 4 interviews so far. My resume has been critiqued and my references are perfect. My resume is on craigslist and I apply for jobs that way.
I just need to know when I should switch gears and do part time jobs to get by instead of relying on savings and parents.
March 29th, 2010 at 11:54 am
i had the same problem in the same city but it didnt take me THAT long. what kind of jobs are you applying for? are you applying for jobs you just think you are qualified for? you might need to lower you expectations a little in order to get that work experience and then you can move on.
March 29th, 2010 at 12:23 pm
well you need a job, so keep looking. it’s frustrating though, i know but you have to apply everywhere. good luck, im looking for a job too.
March 29th, 2010 at 12:25 pm
When YOU decide to give up has to depend on what YOUR own thoughts and feelings are regarding the situation. Here are your options:
1. Go back to school and get a Master’s Degree, PhD, etc. While in school, do some internships. You’ll increase your debt, but you can at least fall under your parent’s health insurance policy. Plus, you’ll increase your potential income after gradution.
2. Take a low paying job while continuing to search for a “real job.”
3. You can’t make up experience, but you can certainly “dumb” yourself down so that you are not overqualified. Make a dumb-version of your resume and try that.
4. Start your own business.
March 29th, 2010 at 1:11 pm
You really need to keep trying. I know the whole cycle about ‘too educated and not experienced’. There will be some company who will give you a shot. You just can’t give up. Just give it time.
March 29th, 2010 at 1:46 pm
You’re in a tough market. Talk to someone to see if you are looking propertly. You might not be looking the right way. For example, if you are just sending out resumes, you’ll never get a job. It’s normal for it to take 6 mos to a year for a new grad in a tough market.
Without anymore info, I can’t help you.
March 29th, 2010 at 2:42 pm
San Francisco is the toughest job market in the country. Everyone wants to live here. Graduates from the very best Ivy League schools all over the country all recruit for entry level corporate jobs and move here, so you are competing with recent graduates from Harvard, Yale, MIT, etc. And our economy is still not completely back on its feet after the dot com market crash. There are still former dot com presidents working at Starbucks all over the city, so there are hundreds of experienced candidates for every professional position.
You may need to seriously consider some options to get around the local San Francisco job market to jump-start your career — like take a job out of town (Sacramento, Reno, Phoenix, Portland, Seattle, or… the horror, the horror… even Lost Angeles) for a year or two, then come back when you have some good experience on your resume. A lot of my friends have had to resort to things like that. It’s not you — this is a tough town, and with a cost of living index that puts you below the poverty line if you are making less than $65k per year, being unemployed here really hurts. Part time jobs sure don’t hurt with the financial picture, but probably should not go on your resume unless it is career path related and you have been in the same place for six months or longer?
March 29th, 2010 at 3:25 pm
You don’t give up. Highly qualified, seasoned professionals are out of work too. The economy in Silicon Valley (I live in San Jose) is improving, but it is still pretty bad.
Employers aren’t just looking for the “smart guy out of college”, they are also looking for “the seasoned profressional who can step right in the job with little training”.
I would suggest taking an “entry” job. What I mean by that is: if you are an engineer, don’t go for the engineer manager jobs, go for the entry level position and work your way up.
If you are asked why, with your knowledge are you applying for that kind of position, you tell them,”it is important to me to learn everything I can about a company because I dedicate myself to it completely. By starting at the entry level, it gives me more opportunities to contribute to the success of the company and allows me room to grow with the support of an experience staff.”
Even though you are right out of college, you have no or litle real-world applicable job skills. You need to gain more general skills by working your way in.
There are also many fields that require a higher degree. Professers, for example, would never be considered for a position unles they have a minimum of a masters or a Doctorate..
But the real botton line is, there are ALOT of people out of work. I, personally, was out of work for over a year and I have over 18 yrs of experience….
Don’t give up, keep trying, 6 months out of work is nothing and is fairly typical.
March 29th, 2010 at 3:34 pm
That is the scenario all over the US