My kids didn’t work while in high school because of their ECs, and I also didn’t see a need for it. When they were in college I required them to work 10 hours a week if they wanted their allowances from me. They didn’t want to work in a cafeteria so they both got themselves office jobs. Those office jobs led to few good summer internships. D1 wanted to into finance, so I did help her with few internships, but D2 got her own related internships in law.
I think if my kids were not working after graduation I would encourage them to find some internships related to their career interest and treat job searching as a job (5 to 8 hours a day).
Working full time at a grocery store or restaurant would take away effort of job search. When I was out of a job, I spent a lot of time calling people (had a lot of coffee and drinks), sending out resumes and prepping for interviews.
This is a tough choice — take an easy to get unrelated job, or try for a related job that is a bit harder to get. I would think these decisions need to be made on a case by case basis, depending in part on how long you’ve been without a job.
Although sometimes the specific careers have a lot less employment (or space in needed professional school) than interested college graduates, so getting into them is highly competitive (elite or bust), and they may pay poorly (or nothing when the entry level job is an unpaid internship). Those aiming for such careers need to have backup plans.
But will they hire “overqualified” college graduates who are likely to leave as soon as they find some other job?
(The same can prevent a senior level person in some type of job from getting into the more plentiful entry or mid level jobs, even if willing to accept entry or mid level pay.)
Maybe, but is working as a cart gatherer in a grocery store a back-up plan ?
Unless in dire need of cash for survival, there are usually options in or related to one’s desired field of employment.
An example: US Attorneys offices often advertise unpaid positions as an AUSA that require a one year commitment. Held to the same standards as paid AUSAs. The folks who qualify for these positions are typically sacrificing biglaw incomes of $240,000 to over $300,000 and sometimes more. They want a better work-life balance with predictable hours. Quite competitive to get one of these positions.
To other posters suggesting any job prior to graduation, fine if nothing is available related to preferred field. My posts & OP’s original post were in regard to POST-undergraduate degree employment.
@publisher maybe what you are writing about works for a lawyer who can’t find a paying job…
We know a number of college grads who started off as clerks at retail places. They moved up a management chain because they realized they actually enjoyed working retail…and they have done well.
Sometimes the career is found because of happenstance…and getting a job in retail might just be that for some people.
And it’s a paying job…with responsibility and a boss who can write you a reference
And yet people are moving to North Carolina in droves, just like they’re moving to Tennessee. NC is still one of the hottest areas in the country. We just have abysmal minimum wage. Folks are not moving for the minimum wage jobs.
NC is a great place for fresh out of college kids to get real work experience in their fields, though. Lots of Environmental Science work here. The largest EPA office is here if that’s something the Environmental Science major would be interested in. Huge biotech presence too.
I was being tongue in cheek. My guess is jobs are paying more than you realize. Or they’re going unfilled.
Unfortunately I know many middle class kids who think they are too good for menial jobs and have unrealistic expectations regarding employment at every stage of their education. I am disappointed parents don’t push them into it for their own good, but they seem willing to subsidize the kids forever.
Pretty sure I do know how much my daughter started at and gets paid now. I can look on Indeed and see other retail jobs in our area, too. Virginia has a state minimum wage of $12 an hour which is what she gets paid there for her Barnes & Noble job while she’s in college in Virginia.
NC min wage is $7.25 still. There are LOTS of retail jobs in NC that start less than $16. Publix in Raleigh has an ad for a “customer service front service clerk” with pay from $11-$16 an hour. You know they are starting that job at $11. Food Lion pays $12-$15 for a “Sales Associate/Office Assistant”. There are some like Target that start at $15, but H&M starts at $12. If I search on “grocery” on Indeed it gives me 195 jobs that average $12.50+/hour and 62 that average $15+/hour so that’s if my math holds up that’s about 70% that are less than $15. You might be right that the lower paying jobs aren’t getting filled, but they are definitely out there.
Did this student who wants your help have summer jobs or internships?
Don’t think so but not sure. I’ve asked.
From what I understand, this is a student who majored in environmental science and did not have any type of summer job or internship during college (Covid made this difficult).
Do you know what she did during the summer? What about during the school year- do you know if she volunteered, joined a relevant club, participated in research etc during the fall and spring semester (again, Covid)? Is there anybody she can reach out to at her college, maybe to get some advice or information about an unpaid (paid would be nice) internship? Would she be open to Americorp (I realize you might not know)?
She is currently looking for a job in her field, cannot find one, and gave you a “snicker” when you forwarded the grocery store card?
I may be way off, but if I am understanding all of this correctly, it seems there is more going on here than a recent grad who cannot find a job.
Yikes - harsh. My one son has always suffered from anxiety. He did volunteer work in high school , but didn’t work for reasons tied to his anxiety. He started getting his footing in college, but then Covid hit and it was extremely difficult for him to recover. His internship and research were canceled. He struggled to rekindle friendships. Words have power - maybe realize not everyone’s journey is the same.
One of my sons is the same ^^. I have to believe this is not hugely uncommon. Very tough.
It depends on where you live and the available workforce for the locations.
I have seen certain stores that have enough staff right now due to an adequate population of adults with a high school degree who are interested in those jobs.
In areas with a high proportion of unemployed recent college graduates and a low proportion of high school graduates interviewing and holding these jobs, yes, they will be willing to hire the recent graduates.
An interested person would just have to ask and be a bit observant.
It’s a social pressure issue.
If their recent graduates work in the grocery store, everyone in the community will see them until they work their way out of a front-of-the-store role.
It’s embarrassing to have a recent graduate who cannot find a job in their field in this low unemployment environment. It’s not typical.
Our son has only completed a year of college, but found that he really enjoys working at Home Depot. We’re glad he found something he likes and is good at. He’s starting classes again this summer, and we’re encouraging him to get a degree that will allow him to move up where he is.
We have a good friend whose husband started off as a cashier at Trader Joes and worked his way up.
Retail can be a great start for some!
Both my kids have clinically diagnosed anxiety. As I pointed out to them, anxiety was likely to be a lifelong condition and they would have to learn to live with it and support themselves regardless, so the time to start managing it was now. Looking for your first job is anxiety producing whether at age 15 or 30-actually it gets harder as one gets older. So yes, one was an anxious mess applying for and in her first job. That’s ok. She did it, and she got more confident from having done so.
Plenty of kids working as lifeguards or grocery clerks have anxiety. Covid was difficult on everyone.
Sorry, but grocery stores pay very little (my spouse has worked for a large chain for 30+ years). Theirs is union and every time minimum wage goes up, I say “you just took a pay cut”.
Grocery stores have a very little profit margin. (Your basic large chain ones - maybe a specialty one is different.)
But I do think they can be a great part time job for high school/college kids to learn responsibility and customer service, and make some money.
One of my kids had/has anxiety and very mild OCD (clinically diagnosed) but nobody would ever know based on outward appearances (perfectionist, go-getter, etc).
Thankfully she was in therapy (and continues to go periodically) and has learned how to successfully manage it.
Anxiety has different presentations.
This new grad may have anxiety, may need therapy, may need to learn how to manage it etc.
Alternatively, she may not have clinical anxiety and may truly feel that certain jobs are beneath her or are embarrassing (this new grad “snickered”). I know a graduate who quit 2 internships (tired of doing “errands”) and was unemployed for 2 years because she would only work for a “top” company. Her parents supported her the whole time (car, credit card etc) before finally insisting that she work.
We really do not know the full story.
In any event, I believe that working in a grocery store part time while searching for a job can be beneficial, especially if the new grad did not work or have an internship during college. It shows growth, it provides valuable letters of recommendation, provides spending money, and gives the individual something more to discuss during interviews.