Job/economic climate in America

[MikeVT]

Part of the issue is college grads expect to much. They get out of school with little or no experince and want top dollar right away. As a hiring manager I have been trying to fill a couple of positons for months. These postions will require hands on support of manufacturing and its a challenge to find anyone that wants thay type of job. Our Texas operation is doing better but they are going into Mexico to hire.

[25 Year Honda Owner]

For an uninterrupted career the best option I can see is in the government sector. Benefits and job security far better than the private sector. Plug in your skill or ZIP and see what is available at https://www.usajobs.gov/
Many recent grads are being solicited.

[tpevehouse]

Originally Posted by B43

I think it's always been more usual for recent college grads to go into an unrelated field at first than to fall right into place within their major. I didn't get into my degree field until 4 yrs after graduation, but gained good work experience along the way. And since then, I've retrained myself to add more versatility to my resume. But even during college, I took alternative courses in other areas that I thought would come in handy, if only in my personal affairs.

Unfortunately, most college students don't even know what they want to do post graduation, much less how to actually accomplish those goals. Financial aid and student loans makes college an easy enough process but that means that almost half of the people attending have no business being there in the first place. If you haven't decided what you want to do by your mid 20s then get out as far as i'm concerned. The days of frat parties and animal house are over and it is just making life more difficult on the people actually attending to make something of themselves.

A piece of paper don't mean jack anymore. What is the point of going to college if what you have been working on for four years only opens the door half way? Practical experience means just as much, if not more than that piece of paper. In large I've always equated that to the fact that most people that currently are graduating didn't learn anything in school and flat out can't produce in the real world. That and they think that they're special and don't have to do anything like what they received is some kind of magic carpet.

Anyway, end soap box. Mike hit it on the head in a lot fewer words than me.