Diary of a College Graduate

So…most of us go to school in the hopes of increasing our chances of landing THE perfect dream job and securing ourselves financially for the future. We’re told that if we acquire an advanced degree, enroll in top collegiate programs, and/or work reallllyyyy hard, we’ll be successful in life. However, as a recent graduate of USC, I find that truth to be irrelevant in this day and age.

First point being that, now more than ever, many peers of mine who have graduated from school have found it to be very difficult to get a job. It’s not that they are lacking in the skills or networks, in fact most of them have Masters Degrees! Instead there is just nothing out there! If they do get jobs, it’s very entry level or something completely unrelated to their field. Many have resorted to just taking random odd jobs to accrue some source of income. I’m not saying anything new, you all know that times are tough. However, it’s frustrating that you’re told “this is the formula to achieving a particular lifestyle” and instead you’re greeted with no jobs, a failing economy, and (my second point) debt.

Debt isn’t always necessarily a bad thing. Especially when it’s debt for a piece of property, a car, or most importantly for school. Speaking from my personal experience, I told myself when I was contemplating the costs for enrolling into USC that it would be worth it (something that I still believe to be true); however, I went into it thinking that whatever the cost was for me to go to USC, I’d make that back in no time once I graduated from school. Well, due to the state of the economy, this thought has proven to be incorrect. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job and I’m thankful to have one; however, it’s definitely paycheck-to-paycheck - something that I know we all most likely experience…I just fear for how long.

My third issue is that most companies have begun to implement mass layoffs – “trimming the fat” by letting go of their top earning employees and promoting from within. This in itself isn’t a negative, in fact this is a great opportunity for those who are wanting to advance to step up and take these top managerial positions. Only downside is that those stepping into these roles are often kept at their same pay rate but are worked twice as hard. Now, I’m not a stranger to hard work, you have to earn your keep; however, it can be very taxing on an individual to work sooooooo hard and not see or reap the benefits of their labor. Sadly, this has been a common theme amongst my peers, as of late. Many feel dumped on and that they have been undervalued and taken advantage of, by taking on managerial job titles, yet receiving entry level pay.

In closing, I guess my frustration with the current economic state is that I feel overwhelmed, doubtful, and sort of betrayed. Maybe that’s partly my fault for walking the “road to financial prosperity” so rigidly. A good thing that has come out of this, though, is that I’ve forced myself to take more risks and dream even bigger! Pursuing dreams outside of the typical 9 to 5 job. We just have to stay positive…things will turn. They have too. Just have to push through this state and remain optimistic.