As the semester comes to a close, many students are thinking of their future. College graduates often seek full-time jobs that will lead them into full-fledge careers. Many, however, end up with jobs below their skill sets or remain unemployed for some time.
Although the economy is improving, the poor labor market continues to rain on college graduates’ career prospects. The lasting effects of the Great Recession today have pounded college graduates, even though it ended in 2009.
Unemployment obstacles for young people remain ever-present, as the workforce remains difficult to enter after students graduate from high school or college. The United States is on a road to recovery after millions were left unemployed after the recession. The labor force today is weak and job opportunities are limited when graduates settle for jobs that have suboptimal conditions.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in America is currently at five percent. This rise was unexpected, as the rate was at 4.9 just in February. The unemployment rate for young college graduates is currently 7.2 percent, an increase from 5.5 percent in 2007. The underemployment rate, the rate of which people work jobs that are below their skill level, is 14.9 percent, an increase from 9.6 percent in 2007.
Scott A. Eberwein graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas. After his post college job-search disparities, Eberwein thought to relay a helpful message through his book titled, “Cash Your Investment: How to Leverage Your College Degree Into a Great First Job.”
Eberwein wrote a book that would “provide something that isn’t necessarily out there.”
“I wanted that all-encompassing product, and I didn’t think it was out there,” Eberwein said. “We can all go to [the] campus career center, but I wanted that one resource that would catch on everything from mindset to different channels to finding a job.”
In “Cash Your Investment,” Eberwein provides readers with the tools necessary for finding the right job at the right time.
Eberwein diligently searched and strategically worked for a job, which he eventually acquired with an esteemed investment banking firm in New York City.
After beginning his career as an investment banker in New York, Eberwein eventually moved back to Texas to work in finance and business.
Eberwein said he viewed his book as a project. When he was in college, Eberwein had no blueprint on how to get a job post-graduation. Nearly eight weeks into his job search, Eberwein landed the job in New York. He wanted to create a “job search guide book,” to put the mass advice out there into one place.
The book uses Eberwein’s personal examples to carry across points. His most essential tip to graduates is in chapter one, Master Your Mind.
“A lot of students will go through resume and interview and not a much time spend on attitude and outlook,” Eberwein said. “I focused on that; what someone’s mindset is going into something. It’s something underappreciated.”
Eberwein said a person’s mindset, mentality, hunger, ambition and personal drive are the biggest determinants of one’s future success.
“I’m a firm believer of you get what you put into the job search,” he said. “If you’re calling company after company, [you are] bound to have success. The really ambitious ones really get the reward in the end.”
Once the final year of a student’s college career has arrived, fretting about grades is no longer a major concern; the search for what to do after college is. Whether its continuing education or finding a job, the process is not easy.
Senior therapeutic recreation major John Brown graduates in May and plans to pursue a master’s degree in public health. To gain leverage in the healthcare field, Brown is seeking jobs in a clinical setting such as a hospital or clinic. As a young near-graduate, Brown is facing delays and difficulties to get hired.
“The continued effort and time invested in filling out applications just to find out you weren’t selected or not qualified and experienced enough can become frustrating,” Brown said. “Employers are looking for credentials and students, for the most part, haven’t acquired those yet.”
Eberwein wants to teach others how to confidently secure a job right out of college.
“I had worked hard to get to that point, but simply wasn’t sure how to proceed.” Eberwein wrote in a piece in The Stanford Daily. “After picking the brain of a mentor and [others], successful individuals who had conquered their job searches before me and were already entrenched in great careers, I became much more adept at resume-writing, interviewing, and, ultimately, at getting my foot in the door of a top-shelf firm.”
Eberwein advises people to first approach a job search with a winning mindset followed by leaning on others who have already navigated the same path. The third tip Eberwein gives is to work on resume building and interview skills. He discusses ways of brushing up on the numerous approaches of searching for a job.
“My story had a happy ending,” Eberwein wrote. “You can achieve the same results. You can certainly master the tricks of the job search trade and, given the head start afforded by your academic pedigree, find your way to a top-flight employer. It takes perseverance. It takes aptitude. It’s not easy, but if you are willing to put forth the effort, you can no doubt write your own ticket and land a great career right out of the gate.”
