It was the summer of 2012 when I drove away from my college campus for the last time. I recall the sense of endlessly expanding opportunity that swelled in my chest as I looked out over the bay. I thought about how far I had come in just a few years—so far from where I had thought I’d be when I moved to Boston in 2008. But for the first time, I was proud of what I’d achieved, and I couldn’t wait to see where the future would take me.
It had taken me a while to find my stride. I was overjoyed to be accepted to a top music school when I was seventeen; but after five difficult semesters that extinguished my passion for performing, it was clear that it was time to close the door on that chapter of my life. Once I had transferred to a public university, I quickly nailed down two new majors: psychology and sociology. I found myself eagerly raising my hand for question after question, falling in love with the feeling of being good at something without having to exhaust all of my energy just to scrape by, as I had felt in my music program.
I raced through a double major’s worth of credits in just two years, determined not to waste any more time; and after just a year, graduation was already on the horizon. I was afraid to lose my momentum. I couldn’t even picture what life would be like outside of school. I wanted to spend just a little more time in this safe, predictable, fascinating space.
I began the process of applying to graduate programs, certain that no matter what kind of career I decided to pursue, a master’s degree in a widely relevant field like psychology would aid my success. I was accepted to five programs, and I chose one that packed an entire degree into just two semesters. I assumed that future employers would see how quickly I had completed two degrees as proof of my work ethic and potential for success. I was impatient to get on the right career path and achieve as much as I could at the youngest possible age.
However, as it turned out, the program was perilously stressful, sucking my reserve of passion dry and jeopardizing my health. It was my unwavering belief that a master’s degree would help my career immensely that got me through that deeply challenging year. In between attending classes and composing my thesis, applying to jobs helped me to stay focused on the light at the end of the tunnel. The first careers that made me feel invigorated were in college admissions and academic advising, where I could use the insights I’d gained from my challenging academic tenure to help younger students to find the right outlet for their talents.
My applications were met with radio silence, however. With no direct experience and a superfluous master’s degree, I was beaten out by the recent grads who had always known what they wanted to do—whose resumes were a straight line of accomplishments, not a circuitous trajectory. I networked like crazy in the academic world; and though I found a handful of kind mentors who extended a hand to me, nothing could make up for the fact that I was over-educated and under-experienced. A personal letter of recommendation from a college admissions director couldn’t even get me a “no thanks”—just the silence that I would come to know well over the next year. Unless I had demonstrated a steadily growing passion for the same career from the time that I was in college, they weren’t interested.
As I walked across the stage to accept my diploma with no job prospects waiting for me on the other side, I didn’t know that I was entering a period of unemployment that would last an entire year. However, I was far from alone: In the month that I graduated, 1 in 10 Millennials was an unemployed recent grad.
—
Millennials were told a story about higher education that was no longer true by the time that we graduated. To gain acceptance to good colleges, we packed our schedules with high-level classes and extracurricular activities from the earliest possible age. Any college degree would be worth the hard work; jobs were waiting on the other side of the most expensive four years of our lives. Not just jobs, but jobs in the field we majored in, making use of the knowledge that we’d worked so hard and paid so much to learn, with an upward trajectory and a living wage.
After the pomp and circumstance of graduation had faded, what did we find? In the decade after the Great Recession:
- 1 in 3 recent grads had lost faith in the idea that hard work and a college degree lead to success.
- Nearly 1 in 2 college graduates had full-time jobs that never required a degree to begin with.
- On average, we carried $33,000 in student loan debt, which we had to begin paying off as soon as we found steady jobs.
- At the time, 32% of Millennials had to move back in with their parents after graduation.
- 8% of 18- to 29-year-olds were unemployed by the midpoint of the decade—down from 15.4% one year prior, 3 times the national unemployment rate.
- By the end of the decade, graduates were more fortunate to enter a market with lower unemployment rates and higher starting salaries than in years. However, companies didn’t plan on hiring recent grads at the same rates.
- Now, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and recession, Gen Z recent grads are being hit by the same wave of unemployment and underemployment that Millennials faced after graduation.
When we applied for entry-level jobs, we discovered that “entry-level” was a clear misnomer. These positions were entry-level in salary and responsibility, but hiring managers sought two to three years of experience on top of a relevant college degree. This was particularly true in cities like Boston, where the market was oversaturated with unemployed recent grads, all desperately competing for the same mediocre jobs. Our competition for these open roles also included the not-so-recent grads, who already had the requisite two to three years of experience under their belts, but also couldn’t find roles that would give them the titles and salaries that they deserved. How was it, I often wondered, that I couldn’t get a job without work experience; but I couldn’t get work experience without a job?
“When there are many more applicants than jobs, employers tend to impose overexacting criteria and then wait for the perfect match.”
—The New York Times
I considered a number of career paths that year. I’d identify a job where it seemed like a master’s in psychology would be an asset, then throw all of my resources into getting any open role—because what else could I do? College admissions. Academic advising. Market research. Human resources. Teaching. I had a handful of interviews, but I hit the same wall every time: An unnecessary master’s degree was no substitute for work experience.
My degree had become a liability, giving hiring managers the impression that I wanted a better title and salary than applicants with a bachelor’s degree, but qualifying me for absolutely nothing. Racing through school hadn’t helped me one bit. While I had been taking summer classes to graduate as quickly as possible (and for what? This?), other students had been getting internships. They racked up work experience, transferrable skills, and glowing recommendations, all of which resulted in real job offers. Where I had believed that a master’s degree in a subject like psychology would help me wherever I wanted to go, nothing could replace actual work experience.
—
There’s nothing like protracted unemployment to make you realize that your identity is completely up for grabs, changing at the whim of the circumstances swirling around you. The longer that you go without a job to anchor your identity upon—as dangerous as it is to let a job to define who you are—the more that you lose sight of the unique spark that separates you from the competition. As an unemployed recent grad, it’s incredibly easy to fall victim to the belief that you don’t have any noteworthy strengths or valuable qualities. If you were extraordinary in any way, you inevitably wonder, wouldn’t you have found a job by now?
As the months crept by, I began to forget what I was trying to prove to hiring managers in the first place. Everything that I had ever achieved had lost its meaning. Did I have any tangible proof that I was particularly good at anything? What differentiated me from the anonymous people that were getting jobs over me? Was I somehow broadcasting, “I AM UNQUALIFIED AND SLOWLY LOSING MY SANITY” to every hiring manager that I interacted with? If I was the person that I had always believed I was, why was opportunity after opportunity slipping through my fingers as I desperately tried to hold on?
“The longer you’re without a job, the less likely it is that you’ll get called back for an interview—by the eighth month of unemployment, the callback rate falls by about 45%.”
—Forbes
I had always been able to rely on my intuition. I always knew when I had done a good job, or when I had left an impression on someone. I’ve never been one to overestimate my own abilities—if anything, I’ve always been too hard on myself, reluctant to internalize a positive view of myself without a great deal of unbiased, unprompted feedback. However, this was an unusual circumstance, where mixed signals were coming from every direction. Nearly every hiring manager candidly expressed that they thought very highly of me, and that I stood out from every other candidate in recent memory. Their comments seemed entirely genuine—if they didn’t sincerely feel that way, after all, they needn’t have said anything. However, when this was inevitably followed by rejection, it was impossible not to call my own perception into question.
What I came to realize was that each of us needs to do two things during the hiring process. The first is to leave a lasting impression. Take every opportunity to make a personal connection and give a coherent sense of who you are, why you’re there, and what working with you would be like. The second is to convince them that hiring you is not a risk. Display that you’re fully qualified and committed. Visualize yourself from the hiring manager’s perspective, figuring out how to market your most attractive qualities to them, while reassuring them that any gaps in your resume should not concern them. Articulate why this is the position that you want—this job title, at this company, over any other. Reassure them that if they make you a job offer, that you’ll accept it, give it your all, and stick around for a while. Convince them that hiring you benefits them as much as it benefits you—otherwise, why would they hire you, and why would you accept the job?
I feel certain now that none of the rejection that I endured as an unemployed recent grad had anything to do with me as a person. When it came down to it, hiring me seemed risky.
I’d had interview after interview where I’d been given every reason to believe that the job was all but mine. I’m sure that I walked into those interviews with the same insightful, determined, enthusiastic demeanor that has gotten me every job that I’ve wanted since then. But there was no clear narrative tying together each of the entries on my resume into a cohesive picture. With no real work experience to vouch for my skills or reliability, I was a risk. As they brought in other candidates, their tangible qualifications held more weight than my ability to connect with each person that I spoke to, or to tell a convincing story about my passion and potential.
When it came time to make a decision, I can picture each hiring manager holding my resume in their hands and thinking, “I genuinely liked her; I believe in her as a person; and I wish her all the best. But we need someone who’s a sure bet, and there’s just too much uncertainty here—we’d better keep looking.” After weeks of speaking with me, however, they should have had the courtesy to turn me down. They shouldn’t have strung me along, wanting to keep me as an option in case they didn’t find anyone less risky, until they forgot that no one had actually told me that I hadn’t gotten the job. Even being blindsided with a rejection would have hurt less than waiting weeks and weeks for job offers that never came, my daydreams of what my life would be like at each job slowly fading as the time passed and all I heard was silence.
—
It was this pattern that kept me in a constant state of purgatory. I had always just interviewed at a promising job or had applied to a position that I was certain would lead somewhere. I was perpetually killing time, avoiding getting tied up in anything long-term so I would be available to start working the moment that a job offer came through. As irrational as it might seem, the more time that went by, the more terrified I became of getting an offer and having it rescinded in the blink of an eye because I did something wrong.
I largely couldn’t tell you how I spent that year, and it infuriates me how much time was wasted. In that open expanse of time, I could have traveled; I could have recorded an album; I could have turned my love for writing or photography into an impressive side project. But instead, I slept too late; I watched TV; I planned my wedding; I scoured job boards. My day-to-day life was too grim to confront in conversation, so I rarely talked about it with my friends. I argued with my boyfriend over what, exactly, I did all day—could I be applying to more jobs? Were there any connections that I should be leveraging to find a lead or two? I couldn’t handle having to answer to someone else about the menial ways that I wasted my days, just wanting the entire period of time to be over. Were our roles reversed, I know that I would have asked the same questions and gotten equally frustrated when nothing seemed to progress.
It’s undeniable: Unemployment is miserable, and you should do everything in your power to bring it to an end as quickly as possible. However, you have to accept that you’re stuck here for an undetermined amount of time—so you might as well pass the days in a way that makes you happy. You can’t be applying to jobs every second, so compromise by finding a productive way to relax. Take advantage of the fact that you don’t have daily obligations filling a majority of your schedule—that may not be the case again until you retire. Start a blog, volunteer, take an online class, start a business—anything to pass the time in an enjoyable way, get you out of the house, and add new skills to your resume. When you do score an interview, you’ll be able to say that you’ve been doing something to better yourself, with the secondary benefit of making a gap on your resume less suspicious.
You should also listen to me when I say that you must develop a routine. It will keep you sane. Even though there’s nowhere that you need to be, don’t sleep until two in the afternoon. Don’t stay in your pajamas all day. You will begin to feel like a ghost. Set an alarm, get out of bed, get dressed, and go to a library or café with free Wi-Fi. Treat your job search like a job in itself, completing all necessary tasks as efficiently as you can between certain hours each day. This limits the stress of the job search to a set time and place. You don’t want to associate your home with the misery of doggedly applying to jobs that you never hear back from. You also want to keep your job search from taking over your free time. You need a break, even if it feels like you don’t deserve it, because every second that you’re not actively searching for jobs feels like wasted time.
If the opportunity arises, get to know the people that you see every day, whether it’s a barista or someone working on a laptop next to you. Make plans with friends, and talk honestly about what you’re going through—you’ve got the time, and they likely have some useful leads. You may not want to talk to other people because your reality is too depressing, but trust me on this one—you need human contact, as small as these interactions may seem. You need to remember who you are in society. You are not a ghost in pajamas with nowhere to go all day while everyone else is at work. You may be an unemployed recent grad right now, but that does not define you. You are who you’ve always been—smart, capable, friendly, and filled with potential.
—
After the longest year of my life, what finally got me out of the “unemployed recent grad” bucket and into the work force? It was a call from a recruiter who had seen my resume on a job board, and who got me into the temporary writing position that jumpstarted my career.
Here’s where I divulge my secret to finding a job, no matter who you are: Do not spend a majority of your time applying to jobs online.
It might sound counterintuitive, but bear with me. HR programs have taken the human element out of looking through resumes, since online job postings made it possible for hundreds of applicants to apply directly to a single open role. When you submit your resume, the software quickly scans it for very specific keywords—and if it doesn’t find them (or simply can’t read the font or format that you’ve chosen), a human being will never see your resume. There are theories on how to tailor your resume to be more easily read by these programs; but trust me, there’s a better way.
Ready? Here’s the solution: Apply. Through. Recruiters.
Do this in two ways: First, post your resume to Monster and Indeed, and update your LinkedIn profile with keywords that are relevant to the type of job that you’re looking for. Next, answer the calls and messages that you get from recruiters. If you don’t like the initial job that they’re calling about, don’t hang up! Tell them what you are looking for, from your ideal title and salary to the location and type of company. Second, if you have a company in mind that you’d love to work for, or have found a job posting that sounds promising, search LinkedIn for the company’s internal recruiters or HR personnel and contact them directly. Send them a message explaining your relevant qualifications and strong interest in the open role.
The key is to bypass the step of sending your resume into the ether and hoping that someone eventually looks at it; rather, you’re sending it straight to a human being who will actually review your qualifications and consider you for the role. You’ve displayed your strong interest in the position, which will always work in your favor. Meanwhile, it’s in the recruiter’s best interest to find a match for the role; so if you’re qualified, they’ll do whatever they can to help you to get the job. Always have a handful of recruiters that you contact as soon as you’re looking for work so that they can start rustling up new opportunities to run past you. If you’re interested in any of the jobs that they send (many of which haven’t made it to the job boards yet), they already have a working relationship with the company, so they can submit your resume directly to them and start talking you up. In addition, they have good intel on what it’s actually like to work there based on past clients they’ve placed. Your chances of getting an interview are so much higher, it’ll seem like a miracle. (Here’s the best article I’ve found explaining the entire process of working with a recruiter.)
Next, if you’ve been out of work for a few months, it’s imperative that you start temping or freelancing for the time being. I say this for several reasons: One, it is ALWAYS easier to find a job when you have a job, no matter what it is. Two, you’ll develop transferrable skills that you can keep on your resume for years to come. Three, it’ll keep you sane and bring in some money while you continue your job search. Four, it’s entirely possible that your temp job will turn into a permanent job offer. Many companies start their future employees off as temps when they’re having trouble filling an open role and need to get someone in right away, but they want to test them out first. As an unemployed recent grad, you should absolutely take advantage of these opportunities. It could change the entire trajectory of your career—it did for me.
—
My first job began in June 2014, after a full year of unemployment and a year-and-a-half-long job search. I answered the phone one day and was honest with the recruiter about my complete lack of interest in the job that he was calling about. However, after this, I stayed on the phone and told him what I would be interested in. He would run new roles past me almost every day, submitting my resume for a handful before we found a match. It was a writing job in the marketing department of a tech publisher. He submitted my resume, the hiring manager expressed interest, I put together a writing sample, and I started work a week later.
I temped on the copywriting team for three months before being hired on a permanent basis, and was then promoted to team lead just seven months later. This not only jumpstarted my career in exactly the way that I had hoped my first job would; it also restored my self-worth. Less than three years later, I’m now the senior writer and editor at my third company. (Read more about how I came to be a writer in this post.)
What would my advice be to an unemployed recent grad? If you can’t find a job, or if your first job isn’t what you expected, don’t blame yourself. You’re not alone. We were all told that going to college was the necessary precursor to a successful career, but there was no plan to accommodate millions of new graduates entering the workforce every year. It’s not your fault—but I am certain that our generation will be the one to fix it.
Moreover, we need to take the shame out of unemployment. When good, smart people can’t find jobs, there may be steps that you can take to increase your chances of getting hired; but it’s socioeconomic forces beyond your control that are truly to blame. When unemployment is seen as a personal problem rather than a societal one, it drives us to wallow in isolation rather than making connections with other people—which is so often the key to both career success and happiness.
So if you’re an unemployed recent grad, try not to beat yourself up. Every day, strive to let it fuel your determination to succeed rather than eroding your self-worth. In addition to polishing your resume, searching job boards, and getting in touch with recruiters, spend time doing the things that you love. Don’t let this process obscure your identity, renegotiate your self-worth, or turn your life upside-down. Remember that rejection is rarely personal, even when it comes in unrelenting waves. Someday, you’ll look back on this as a difficult but ultimately finite portion of your journey. Though it may feel as though the world has dropped out from beneath your feet, you are the person that you’ve always been. Don’t wait for a job to define your value.
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Laura
Experience is so important. Grades are important too, but students have to find a balance between the two. It’s hard to maintain the right balance.
Robin
It really is hard! You’re trained all your life to get perfect grades so that you get a great job once you graduate, but now it’s becoming essential to find a way to get work experience AND do well in school. There are only so many hours in a day!
Nadalie
Hi Robin,
Girl, you are not alone! This could easily be my story.
*gasp*
I am a statistic, I think I literally am every single one of those stats you shared. They almost have my exact student loan amount too.
It’s a rough experience and we have to not let it get to us. It’s not us, it’s the system. An education system built around feeding the industrial revolution, which we are well pasted as a society.
The best we can do is take work where we can, but work on our passion projects and develop our entrepreneurial skills. Greater than any generation, millennial have the potential to do something great with the crappy hand we’ve been dealt.
That’s my approach anyways. I too have a master’s degree with zero employment prospects, so after I went to college got a post-grad diploma in public relations and communications. Then I worked for a few years, just to realize what I knew all along that I want to work for myself.
Here’s a link to my story: The Miseducation & Misemployment of Nadalie.
Thanks for sharing and letting others like us know they aren’t alone. History will remember us as a tough, badass generation. We can get through this!
Best,
Nadalie, It’s All You Boo
Robin
Nadalie, your comment alone made writing this post worth it! You’re so right about it being the system, not us – that was my major realization in researching this piece. I have continued to feel insecure about this period of my life because there was no proof that it wasn’t me – but dammit, these numbers prove it! I hope that helps you feel better about it, too. We’re part of a generation that was dealt a crappy, expensive hand (I wrote this and then looked at your post and realized you said the exact same thing, hahah!), but we’re making the best of it with ambition and spirit and passion, whether we’re entrepreneurs, corporate-ladder-climbers, or both. I just feel lucky to be on the other side of it, in a job that I love and that gives me the time and energy to have my own passion project on the side – and to have the megaphone (through this blog) from which to get the word out to others that they’re not alone.
I’m off to read every word of your story now!! You rock!
<3
Anonymous
Girl, your point about how a job defines you nailed me right in the heart. I’ve been struggling with that through a few different career changes, and it’s so hard to let your identity naturally change with it. Thank you for sharing your story, I know it will resonate with many.
Robin
Thank you so much – I truly hope this post finds its way to someone who really needs it. That’s what makes it worth it to speak so openly about a very dark time in my life from which I still have some leftover insecurities. I totally get what you’re saying about struggling with your evolving identity as you change jobs – I’m in the middle of that transition too, and there are always some real growing pains as you figure out who you are in a new setting, even if you’re extremely happy about the change!
Victoria
What an amazing post. This was much needed. You wait your whole life to finish school and get into your profession only for there to be no work. The PLUS side about this is the enormous increase of young Entrepreneurs. Many of us are no longer waiting to be hired and are becoming our own boss! Keep up the great work!!
Robin
Thank you so much, Victoria – that really means a lot! It’s so true – I’m extremely lucky to have found a job that I love at a company that feels strongly about work-life balance and flexibility. It gives me the time and energy to work on my own passions on the side. I’m so happy to have met so many thriving entrepreneurs through this blog – it really does make me feel better to know that our generation is striking it out on our own and creating solutions where there were none before. I’m all about empowering people to do what they’re passionate about, whether it’s for an existing company, for themselves, or both!
Rose
I really appreciate your candid perspective on this topic! Far too many millennials are over-educated and under-experienced and have been misled if not outright lied to about their job prospects.
Robin
Thank you, Rose! It’s so true – I think a large part of it is the fact that the academic world has strayed too far from the business world. What you’re learning in school is so disconnected from what you’ll be doing in your career – you’re picking up content knowledge that’s outdated by the time it’s being taught in schools, when what you need are hard skills to help you to compete in the real world. At the same time, hiring managers can afford to be picky because there’s such a surplus of graduates to choose from. It’s going to be a difficult problem to solve!
Amanda
Thank you so much for sharing your story. I was also unemployed after graduating with my accounting degree. I had chosen accounting because I thought it would guarantee me a job. The few months I was unemployed was AWFUL. But in the end it helped my figure out that I didn’t truly love accounting.
Robin
Ugh, Amanda, that’s so frustrating to study something that you didn’t love throughout college because you thought it would guarantee you a job – and then to not be able to find a job when you graduate! I sympathize with that so much – I hope you found something you love in the time since!
Alice
That was a very interesting read, with great insight and advice. Thanks for sharing!
Robin
Thank you so much for reading, Alice! So glad you enjoyed it!
Danielle
Oh man yes. Although it was a little while ago (10 years) after I finished my student teaching (a year of paying to teach) I had a tough time finding a job, as did most of my friends who stayed in MI. It took almost 3 years of subbing before I finally found a job.
Robin
That must have been INCREDIBLY frustrating! Honestly, there are so many ways in which we mistreat teachers in this country – the phrase “paying to teach” should not even be in our vernacular. You have to really love it in order to stick it out, that’s for sure!
Kaycee
I can totally relate to this! I graduated in 2012 and it was so difficult and frustrating finding a job! I was finally able to get a job at my alma mater so that I would at least have that 2-3 year professional experience that employers are always looking for. I agree with your entire post…especially applying through a recruiter instead of online. So so so true!!!
Robin
I am SO happy that this was true to your experience – although I’m so sorry that you had to go through this crappy process, too! I hope you’re doing something you love now!
Daria
I will definitely share this post with my daughter who is a freshman in the BFA acting program at Boston University. Bet you understand her life right now! It’s tough out there and you took a circuitous road to get to your first job but I hope someday you’ll look back and realize all those experiences made you who you are and gave you invaluable experience as a person. Best of luck to you in your career!
Robin
Thank you so much, Daria!! I would love it if you would share this post with her – I do understand her life so well, just from a one-sentence description! It’s so important to get this message – both the solidarity and the advice – out there to students before they’re trying to find jobs. I want to save younger people from going through what I went through wherever possible!
Divya
I wish, wish, wish that I had this post – in my hand – back in 2009. When I, like you, was a recent grad with nowhere to go.
Eventually, in June 2010 – I went back to school and, fortunately for me, special education teachers are high in demand. But, I did end up moving back in with my parents until I was accepted to school. This was a particularly hard time for me. Not that I don’t love my parents oh-so-much and I adored the free room and board (and delicious home-cooked meals). But I was capable and smart and driven and I had just spent a crap ton of money graduating from a top public university and it felt like it was all for naught.
Love this post. Thank you so much for sharing and reminding us that, despite how we may feel, we are absolutely not alone in this. Your tips and suggestions will help so many!
Robin
Oh my gosh, I had no idea that you had been through so much to get to where you are now! And things were even worse in 2009 because of the economy – I can’t even imagine how tough it must have been. I would have gone back to school, too – and thank god you were interested in something that had job openings! I honestly would have moved back in with my parents too, had I not been in a serious relationship and living 7 hours away from home. I really think it’s such a smart decision for so many people – we’re all starting out our lives with immense debt, and it makes it so hard (and stressful) to succeed.
Thanks so much for your kind words – it was comments like yours that I was hoping to get when I set out to write this manifesto! It’s hard owning up to the dark times that you’ve been through, filled with depression and anxiety and insecurity and struggle, but it’s so worth it to connect with other people who have been through the same thing. Thanks for sharing your story. <3
Laura
I hate that these statistics are true, but they are! I think you leave college feeling so hopeful, but then you kind of get knocked down! You WILL find jobs, it just takes a lot of time nowadays!
Robin
That’s so true – thank you, Laura! Colleges should do a better job of preparing us all for the real world, both the skills that we’ll need to get hired and the attitude that we’ll need to survive the tough times… but hiring managers need to figure out how to work with schools and students better to make sure that the degrees that we all fought so hard to earn are actually worth something!
Kristin
I love love love this!!! I graduated and did not have a job. In the end I wound up in a totally different field than I planned on and I love it. Hang in there everyone!
Robin
Thank you so much, Kristin!! Honestly, (sadly,) I think it’s more common anymore to end up in a field other than what you studied in school than it is to end up in the exact career you intended when you were 19. I read an article while I was researching this post about how rare it is for hiring managers to pay attention to what your degree was in – they just care that you have one. It’s both good and bad!
colleen wool
It’s tough out there. My daughter has her masters. She still had a hard time finding a job.
Robin
It’s so counterintuitive, but apparently so common! Best of luck to her, it’s not easy but it’ll be worth it someday!
Erica @ Coming Up Roses
These stats are nuts…but so true. Especially as a recent grad myself, from my own and from my friends’ perspectives, it’s all true!
Coming Up Roses
Robin
Isn’t it sad when you find yourself wishing that stats weren’t true because you don’t want to live in that reality?!
Leah
It seems some things never change. I went through a similar experience when I got my Master’s Degree…in 1993. I was over-qualified, but under experienced. I took some terrible temp jobs to get by. So frustrating.
Robin
Ugh, I can’t believe this was a problem two decades before I went through it – that’s incredibly frustrating! I hope you found something you loved in spite of a rough start!
Jewels
It also took me a year to find a permanent position that would pay me a decent salary and provide me with benefits. I graduated with a masters degree and thought getting a job would be easy. I wrong so wrong. But I learn a lot about myself during that time and it helped me define myself beyond my career and pushed me to explore other interests… which ultimately led me to creating a blog!
Robin
Wow, you went through exactly what I did – so sorry that you had the same difficulties, although it does make me feel so much better to know I wasn’t the only one! (Which is exactly what I hoped for when putting together this post – to read others’ similar stories, and to let them know that they’re not the only one, either!) And same here – if being unable to find jobs that let us do what we love is what pushes us to start our own creative projects, then years down the road, you might just realize it was worth it!
Sam
This resounds with me. Looking for my first job out of college was the most frustrating, stressful experience of my life. Thank you for your encouragement.
Robin
Thank you so much for reading, Sam!! I honestly was not expecting this to be such a common experience – it’s reinforced my belief that our generation will be the one to fix this!
Tricia
Thank you for sharing your story. I know lots of recent (and even not-so-recent) graduates that have been in your same shoes. I’m sure your words will be inspiring to many!
Robin
Thank you so much, Tricia! I really do hope so – it’s what gave me the motivation to share my not-so-fun story!
Anonymous
I loved this post. As I am almost a college graduate and have no idea what my employment situation is going to look like yet. Thank you for sharing your story!!
Robin
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment!! I’m glad that my message could reach you at such a critical time – I honestly wish that someone had prepared me for what I was about to go through, if not to make finding a job easier, then at least to get me in the right state of mind.
Brittany
I definitely feel like there has to be a balance education and experience when landing that first job. I’m glad that you found something that you love now.
Robin
That’s very true – thank you so much, Brittany!
Anuradha Manjul
I can understand. But getting a job which you got because of your qualifications and then no one giving a damn about them is more painful
Robin
I think there are frustrations to every aspect of the job search, honestly! There are so many parts of this system that are broken, sadly.
Julia
Being unemployed after college is the worst! I applied to over 200 jobs and no one would hire me because I didn’t have the standard 2 years of experience in the workforce (even though I had countless jobs and internships in college). I finally landed an low paid internship right before I needed to start paying back my loans and accepted it because I was desperate, but it made it really unhappy and wasn’t what I wanted to be doing AT ALL.
Robin
Omg, I’m so sorry you went through that–that sounds incredibly frustrating and stressful! So glad you’re doing something you love now!
Umberta
It’s true that experience is becoming more & more important. And job market can be a difficult one. But as you said having a routine & invest free time on activities you enjoy can help a lot!
Robin
It can! It’s all about finding a balance between applying to jobs and staying sane by doing something you enjoy in the mean time!
Marcie
I was in that same boat when I graduated in 2005. It took forever to find a job that didn’t require 2-3 years of experience in my field. And salaries were slashed and the competition for each job was so fierce.
Robin
Ugh, I’m so sorry you went through that–and I can imagine that it didn’t get much better over the next few years because of where the economy was at that point. Hope you’re doing much better now!
Casey
Wow – loved this post! For starters, you’re an excellent writer. Kuddos! Secondly, I loved how honest you were about the struggles of unemployment. Will definitely share this post. Oh and PS – I’m your newest facebook follower:)
Casey | http://www.frenchblissme.com
Robin
Thank you so much, Casey–you made my morning! 🙂
Cassidy's Adventures
Oh wow, I so needed this post today. Thanks for sharing your story. I’m graduating from university in May and I’m freaking out. It’s like nobody wants a recent grad. “10 years experience please.”
Impossible!! Ugh!
Robin
Ahhh, I wish you the best of luck! Things seem to be a lot better than they were a few years ago–the 2016 grads that I know have done very well! At least you’re thinking about it beforehand so it won’t be a huge slap in the face once you graduate.
cindy ladage
It has been a long time since I was job hunting, but this information is valuable whether you are a recent grad, or a freelancer seeking writing gigs. Your article should be a must read for every new graduate. If you haven’t, you should submit it to your college publication for students to read.
Robin
Thank you SO much, Cindy–that’s an awesome idea!
Amanda
I think so often the pressure we put on ourselves is more than society and this article really reminded me of that. You talk about shame and I SO SO SO agree with that and I also would throw in that often times when one is fired there is a stigma behind that as well. Great article and I appreciate that you were personal and it’s a gentle reminder that we are not alone. xxx
Robin
Thank you so much, Amanda – that means a lot! It’s so true, dealing with being unemployed on top of the shame of being laid off must be the WORST.
Joscelyn
Ah, I totally wish I had this knowledge before going to college! Fast-forward several years and still paying on student loans, I’m not even working in my field of study. This has definitely changed my perspective for my children’s future. So glad I stumbled upon your blog!
Robin
Thank you so much, Joscelyn!! So sorry you had to go through that 🙁
Rachel Ritlop
This is awesome Robin!!! So on point! I earned my master’s degree in counseling and one of the reasons I was quickly hired/successful while in school and post grad is because I had experience in the field going back five years! You cant just have the degree, you need the experience. Also love that you gave some tips for using recruiters! It makes a huge difference!
Robin
Thanks so much for reading, Rachel! And I feel like we both ended up in a really great place, even if we don’t directly use our degrees, so it’s hard to say if it was all worth it… but it does resolve with time and hard work!
Anonymous
YES. I especially appreciate how you address the need to take out the negative stigma surrounding unemployment.
Robin
Thank you!! That’s actually what motivated me to write this article in the first place–I felt like it was something that has never been talked about, but is SO important and universally felt!
Evi Figgat
YES. My husband has had two six-month periods of unemployment. It happens, and it is not abnormal.
Robin
Ugh, so sorry you guys are dealing with that!! It SHOULD be abnormal–but not a source of shame!
Smitha147
Very effectively written post. It will be valuable to anyone who usess it, as well as myself. Keep doing what you are doing i will definitely read more posts.
Robin
I’m so glad you found it valuable–thank you so much for taking the time to read it 🙂
Anonymous
Hi Robin,
Thank you so much for this amazing post! I feel more hopeful about my future after reading this.
I am a recent grad and have a Masters Degree in IT from one of the best universities and yet I am having a very hard time finding a good job. The past couple of months have been depressing, to say the least. I have always been a very bright student throughout my life and always ranked among the top percentiles since my school days. But during these hard days, I started questioning all of it and my own worth. I lost most of my friends, often have attacks of loneliness and constantly deal with frustration and sadness. I have a huge student loan which doesn’t help my situation at all.
But I have decided the best way to get out of this is to keep moving forward and give my best effort in whatever I do every single day. Your tips in this article are a blessing and I shall follow them into my daily routine. I hope to get a great job soon. Thanks again for this beautiful post!
Just one question: What can I do to improve the networking aspect and getting back or making new friends? I have shut down myself from the world as I feel ashamed in facing the questions from people regarding my employment status. Any advice is welcome.
Thanks a lot in advance!
Best wishes for all your endeavors! 🙂
Robin
Hey there, thank you SO much for taking the time to read my post and write this heartfelt comment. Reaching other people who are going through what I did a few years back is exactly why I took the time to relive how I felt then and consider the lessons that I’ve learned since. So I’m so glad that you found this and that it’s been at all helpful to you–it means the world to me!
That said, I’m so sorry that you’re going through this–I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. It was the hardest year of my life, and I really hope that it doesn’t last as long for you!
Here are some things that you should keep in mind:
1. Our economy is doing really well right now. Unemployment is low and tons of new jobs are being created every month–WAY more than in 2013, which is when I graduated. Also, the IT field is growing faster than any other right now–you made a wise choice! Those facts should make you feel super optimistic–the right job for you will open up before too long. You just have to find it and hold on until it’s yours.
2. You are a person with an identity that’s completely separate from where you work, what you study in school, and how many friends you have. I often felt like I was stuck in limbo, waiting to become the person that I wanted to be until I found a job that could tell me who I was. Decide who you are, and find a job that’s in line with your values and your preferences. I remember trying to be the most neutral, pleasing version of myself in interviews as job after job got away from me. Here’s what’s wrong with that: I assumed that I wasn’t getting jobs because I did something wrong in the interview, and I let that psych me out. Toning down my personality to try to be everyone’s ideal candidate took away what was memorable and unique about me–and that made my problem worse, not better. Don’t wait for a job to tell you who you are, or for a job offer to tell you that you’re worthwhile–you already are. Don’t let this process take that away from you–the things that make you unique are the most important competitive differentiator that you have.
3. I know exactly how awkward it is to answer questions about being unemployed in a social setting! One of my worst memories from being unemployed was sitting around the table with my in-laws and their friends, and having people who didn’t understand my situation telling me what I needed to do to get a job. It always feels like they’re implying that you haven’t gotten a job yet because you’re doing something wrong, don’t know what you’re doing, or aren’t trying hard enough. This used to infuriate me. But don’t let it further isolate you–instead, try saying something like, “I really appreciate your advice. If you don’t mind, I would love to talk about something else for a while–as you can probably imagine, this is all very stressful, so I’d love to take my mind off of it, just for tonight!” I wish that I had been more upfront about that with people who were genuinely trying to help, but it was just making me feel worse.
4. It’s crazy how hard it is to meet people when you’re not in school or working. I did the same thing as you: I stopped reaching out to the people who cared about me because I just couldn’t stand to talk about my situation anymore, but the isolation just made it way worse. In retrospect, I realize that I would have been far less depressed and gotten some much-needed support and perspective if I had maintained my friendships during that time–I was judging myself far more harshly than they ever would have. I never figured out how to meet new people while I was unemployed–being introverted, depressed, and isolated is a terrible combination. What I would recommend to you is searching LinkedIn for people in your field who have jobs that you’d love to have someday. Reach out to them and ask if they would mind meeting up with you for an informational interview, where you can find out how they got where they are and whether that’s something you’d be interested in doing. Here’s the key: Not only does this give you valuable information and social contact–if you make a good impression (which I’m sure you would), they will often be moved to help you find jobs or introduce you to other contacts in your network who might be able to help.
I hope this helps–please let me know if I can offer any more info. I’m here if you need me! 🙂
John
This really helped me. I graduated with my Masters in Information and Communication Sciences almost 9 months ago and I’ve still been unable to find a job. All my classmates have well-paying jobs in the field and I’ve felt like the black sheep who can’t show his face around them. I’ve been struggling so much with my own self-worth and feeling as if I’ve messed up my whole life essentially by trying to improve it. I’ve been stubborn in the form of not taking a job outside my field since that was the entire purpose behind going back and getting a graduate degree for me. I know that’s hurt me in my search and I’ve struggled on occasion in interviews with conveying any sense of enthusiasm or confidence because I imagine they see me the way I see myself. This article helps me by letting me know I’m not alone and that it does get better and happiness is on the other side as long as I keep digging. I know some of my comment may seem jumbled but I am truly thankful for people like you who tell their stories.
Robin
I am so thrilled to hear that this was helpful to you! I know how much I was dying for some confirmation that I wasn’t the only competent person to ever go through this at the time, so it’s incredibly gratifying to know that my story is being discovered by people like you.
I remember that exact feeling of watching all of the people around me find jobs and being so deeply ashamed that I couldn’t do the same. Even though I know I ended up in a different line of work for a reason, when I think about my former colleagues, I still feel a little insecure about the fact that I couldn’t find success in the industry I originally chose. For a long time, my master’s degree was a “fun fact” that I’d tell people about myself in a self-deprecating way–like, “Fun fact: I actually have a useless master’s degree that I spent the most stressful years of my life pursuing, and I never even use it in my day-to-day work!” But it’s the funniest thing: The things you’re passionate about always come back to you in some form. I’m a writer now, which had nothing to do with social science research for the first 3 years of my career… and all of a sudden, last year, that very skillset became a HUGE asset for me in my job, and that part of my life finally makes sense now.
So don’t be afraid of peeking outside of your field for job prospects. It is 100% okay to pay more attention to the things you enjoy doing and have skills in–that’s how I ended up as a writer–and then figure out ways to add your specialization back in down the road. I definitely lost sight of this at the time, but your master’s degree is not the most important thing about you. What matters is that you find a job that you can enjoy and start to rack up experience, skills, and connections so that you never have to end up in this position again. After all, it was a random contract role at a company I’d never heard of that got me where I am today–and I never would have considered it when I had just graduated, but it changed my life.
I wish you the best of luck, and let me know if there’s anything else I can give you advice on–I’m here to help. 🙂
Anonymous
Hi!
Thank you so much for writing such a detailed article about your experience! I am currently struggling through this phase of my life and its nice to have a reminder that I’m not the only one. I also read your article about what you felt when switching majors but I think I am the position of the you who didn’t. To give you some background info, I graduated 2017 as an animation major and I really like what I do. But only when I’m assigned to it, do I get the drive to make something. When I am working on it, I enjoy it a lot and I love learning about the industry. However, everyone else I know (illustrators for example) would be drawing and stuff on their spare time because that is their hobby — but I wouldn’t. So I’m left to question myself whether I truly like the path that I’m on?
I have also applied to so many different jobs and it felt like everything I sent out was sucked into a black hole of no return. Ever since I was little, I was brought up to be humble and modest. And I think that is ingrained into the fiber of my being. This makes writing cover letters or doing interviews, the place where you are supposed to buff yourself up the most, the most difficult thing ever and I hate it. And yet, when I do try to do so, I am met with nothing but silence. Everyone keeps telling me that networking is so important, and I know it is. But as a natural introvert, that in itself is difficult too. I can’t help but think the whole application process is just out to get me by compiling everything I am bad at and merging it into one big wall in which I cannot even fathom getting over.
Would you happen to have any advice?
Robin
Hey there – I can relate to that SO much! Here’s some of what I learned over the years that might apply to the nuances of your situation 🙂
1. I do think there’s a huge difference between an interest that makes for a good day job–i.e. you enjoy it enough to do it for 40 hours a week, but you leave it at your desk at the end of the day–and one that you feel driven to do every hour of every day whenever possible. For some lucky people–and I count myself among them because I choose to spend every hour of every day writing in various forms–those 2 things are one and the same. But for a lot of people, these have to remain separate, because (as I found with music) making your passion your day job can take all of the fun out of it! What helped me find a job that I would enjoy enough to be able to do it 8 hours a day was to stop thinking about job titles, and to look instead at the characteristics and skills that jobs I felt myself drawn to had in common. Maybe it’s important to you that you have a lot of independence in your job, or that you feel like you’re making the world a better place, or that you get to use your creative skills. Make a list of those things, and keep an eye out for jobs that might not have caught your eye in the past, but that could be a good fit for your preferences. And when you apply for jobs where your experience doesn’t directly relate, be sure to specifically tailor your resume and cover letter to use the keywords that they do in the job posting, and to explain why you’re interested and capable of doing the job.
2. The next time you’re rejected from a job that you really thought you had a shot at, that’s the perfect time to write your cover letter. This happened to me at one point in the process–a recruiter made me feel like I was wasting her time because I hadn’t written about the specific topic that the job would need me to tackle. I sat down and wrote an impassioned email to her about how I’m the kind of writer who can write convincingly about any topic, even one that I have no experience with–and in fact, that’s what I’d been doing all my life. She never bothered to respond, and in retrospect, I’m glad that I didn’t work there because they clearly don’t treat people very well; but I still use that cover letter to this day! When you’re in a position to have to defend your qualifications and potential–when you feel like you’re being unfairly misjudged or overlooked–that’s when that fiery passion comes out most. Take advantage of it!
3. I haaaaaate, hate, hate networking–but I’ve realized that I thrive off of one-on-one conversations with people that I have something in common with. I just can’t do networking events where groups of strangers have to mingle with each other, resulting in shallow, awkward, self-serving small talk. (THE WORST.) So what I recommend doing is finding people in your area, whether through LinkedIn or people that you know, who work in areas that interest you–their job title, industry, or company. These are great opportunities to learn how you need to present yourself to get your foot in the door when you find a job that excites you. If you really connect with them, these are the people who will help you to get jobs at their companies or through people that they know. Just reach out and tell them that you’re looking to learn more about [insert career here] and would love to buy them a cup of coffee and pick their brain about their experiences. The vast majority of people will be flattered and more than willing to talk to someone who’s just starting out about what they’ve learned.
4. You’re totally right that the whole application process is one big wall that you can’t get over. That’s because applying for jobs online rarely works out. Whether good or bad, the fact of the matter is that you have to get jobs through people in 2018. If you don’t have any connections in the field/at a particular company, that’s the perfect opportunity to put #3 into action. Don’t get me wrong, this can be nerve-racking; but you’ll be surprised at the genuine, helpful conversations you’ll have and the doors that people are willing to open for you out of the goodness of their hearts. Inside of each person is a younger version of themselves who went through exactly what you are now, so don’t forget that just because they seem to have it together now 🙂
Hope that helps!!!
Robin
Daisy
Thank you so much for this one. I am battling unemployment every day; for two months now. To make matters worse, I moved countries, twice, first time from home to complete my Master’s degree and now to a different country to permanently reside. I feel like the odds are stacked against me. I rarely see or speak to my friends because I think the rejections are personal and speak miles about my self-worth and somehow I am drowning in this hole trying to convince myself of everything I can to just stay afloat. I am so happy I read this. I needed to hear it, I needed someone to understand my situation and I needed a happy ending.
Thank you again for sharing this one 🙂