This is well worth an hour of your time, whether you be a recent grad, a young job-hunter, or a student with graduation in your upcoming future (juniors and seniors, I’m looking at you!). This program is an hour from yesterday’s Kojo Nnamdi Show, an show here on the Washington D.C. NPR station WAMU. It’s titled “A Slow Start for Young Workers” and host Kojo Nnamdi talks with a panel of experts and callers about the struggles we recent grads are facing in this tough job market.
While national unemployment hovers around 10%, unemployment for 16-24 year olds in America is twice that. We’re feeling the pinch as employers have their pick of the litter and can turn us down for more seasoned, experienced workers. But not all is lost – there are some things our generation brings to the table that employers would be remiss to exclude from their office. Kojo, the panel, and the callers discuss all this and more.
The experts on this show are:
- Howard Ross – Diversity consultant; Principal, Cook Ross
- Julianne Malveaux – Economist; President, Bennett College
- Katherine Stahl – Executive Director, American University Career Center
They touch on many aspects of our job search struggles right now, and also a few of the advantages we actually have. Give it a listen, and let’s discuss it in the comments.
Listen now to “A Slow Start for Young Workers” from The Kojo Nnamdi Show on WAMU.
Have you experienced difficulties, unemployment, or underemployment in the current job market? (I know I have!)
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16 responses to “Listen: Graduating and Job Hunting in the Recession” 
I’m really sorry to point this out but we are technically out of a recession. The U.S. economy has been picking up its pace mark from a year ago. What we are in right now is an over saturation of workers. Everyone is going to college these days, so simply having a college degree will not cut it in the market place. If companies are in a situation where they are able to hire people, they want older and more experienced workers, rather than individuals fresh out of college. There are simply not enough jobs for qualified individuals. Sorry, but I hate it when people call this a recession. It is a whole new bag of worms that America has barely seen the likes of in the past, and should be termed something else.
HM, you’ll notice that I never said in my post that we’re in a recession now, just about the effects of graduating in one. A lot of people, like me, graduated a year ago and are still having trouble with unemployment and underemployment. But you’re right – unemployment is high and a college degree is not enough.
On the other hand, there’s talk of this being a “double dip recession,” which would mean we’re actually still in the recession, waiting for the second dip to hit. Now that is truly scary to me.
Must be a really tough time for recent grads. However I didn’t realize it was that bad. Twice as much unemployment for 16-24 year olds compared to the national average as you said.
Recent grads are being hit the hardest, and it’s not hard to see why. When you’ve got two good employee applications in front of you, one from a fresh grad and one from a seasoned worker, who do you pick? I wouldn’t blame an employer for picking someone with more experience, or someone who has a family to feed and is less likely to quit.
But, it leaves us youngins with a problem: can’t get a job without experience, but can’t get experience without a job. The show touches a lot on getting free internships, but my question with that is always: how are you going to pay for that? Not all free internships are offered near where Mom and Dad live, and most college students don’t save up money for after graduation to live off of if they have to take an unpaid internship.
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There are jobs to be found but you may need to change your focus for awhile or start your own business.
Wow, I have yet to hear about a double dip recession, but that sounds absolutely terrifying. Honestly the best way to get experience is to open up your own business like Jim stated. I actually dropped out of college my junior year to start my own company after accounting studies became really redundant. I know it was a bad move now, because I didn’t have a degree. However, two years into my company and I’m making enough to enjoy life and go back to school for a degree. My cousin is about to graduate from Maryland Univ. with a marketing degree, and he started his own consultancy last semester. He’s gotten some small clients in and around Baltimore, and he is paying off some of his tuition bills with the income. But the main thing is that he can now say he was a lead marketing consultant. That looks huge on a resume. I guess it kind of matters what your major is. If you’re business or finance related, try starting a business with a couple of friends in the same situation as you and head up the finances of the company. Believe it or not students of the late 60ies early 70ies also had the same problem. A small portion of those individuals started up their own companies and are now living comfortable lives. Another bit of advice is trying to look for jobs abroad, or with the government. I can feel your pain about not being able to find a job, and I wish you the best. The market is in a correctional phase, and the jobs are sure to bounce back soon. Plus, retirement for baby boomers is around the corner (if they didn’t have their 401ks whipped out).
Agreed, HM. My current job is something I have because I started this blog (as a business) in 2007, so I’m well aware that it helps to work on a side project while you’re still a student. Thank you for your encouragement – all the best for you and your business, as well!
I graduated in May and had a job within 6 months…I started it last week, but was hired in early December.
The best advice anyone ever gave me was: the job you get will not be posted on any website.
Jobs today come down to WHO you know and what connections you have. The best investment you can make is start asking around. You will not believe who some people know, and with unemployment so high, many people are willing to put resumes in the backdoor to help out a connection.
I was working retail for $10/hr 20 hrs a week when by chance I got a phone call to place an order from the father of someone I went to high school with. He turned out to be the head of the biology department at the local (huge) state university, and his passing around of my resume turned up interviews for SEVEN unposted jobs, of which I was offered four.
Make a linkedin profile, and get asking. You really wouldn’t believe how far connections can stretch. I do have a small etsy store on the side, but that’s really just for fun now.
Am I making what I would have four years ago? No. But when the economy recovers, I’ll be all set to move on, and in the meantime, I get very generous benefits.
I’m sorry to hear that the only way to get good job is to make connections. It is always a problem for recently graduated to find a job of dream but career is like a stairway – one should start from the bottom and move upstairs improving skills and knowledge, getting experience and developing qualification.
Getting a job after graduation is always a challenge for students, and is even more so during an economic down turn.
I think it is best to take advantage of campus career resources,i investigate healthy industries, realistic job search expectations, etc.
Recession or no recession, the point is that it is still difficult to find a decent job after graduating, especially if there are other thousands of people with the same target as you. It was never an easy thing to do and if you had higher expectations, it was mission impossible. I had a lot of luck that during my last year I got a job by pure luck that helped me later as a reference. I am sorry that I discovered your article so late, though.
They are now saying the recession ended in June 2009. Well the unemployed would likely disagree. We have job stats based on specific skills and geographic location at http://www.odinjobs.com/US_job_Market_overview.html
The only real security anyone can have is starting their own business.
True – There are more people in the workforce than before and this makes it harder to find a decent paying job.
True – The recession is still going and the economy still stinks big time. Regardless of your political party you know it’s true.
True – A college degree doesn’t pay what it once did.
The solution – Start a home business, start working for yourself and end the cycle of always working for someone else.
I graduated 2 years ago and have solved the problem of not having a job by leaving the country! Have spent the past 2 years travelling and gained more experience (and had more fun!) than would have been possible in the States!
I draw nearer to graduation and this makes me nervous because of this fact. I know plenty of people who are having troubles getting jobs, especially in my area. It’s a shame.