<p>A few days ago, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its latest employment figures. On the surface, the news seems good: Over 431,000 jobs were added this quarter. However, over 90% of these jobs were temporary Census jobs that will disappear by July. </p>
<p>In three years, I will graduate from college and be looking for jobs pertaining to my field of study, along with hundreds of thousands of my peers. Given the current European debt crisis which threatens to bring down the banking system once again (and with it, the global economy), I am not quite sure if the global economy will even fully recover within that timeframe. </p>
<p>Yes, I am very paranoid. Sure, I still live a life that is heavily subsidized by my parents, but things change quickly once one gets out of college. And I have been realizing this even before I applied for college.</p>
<p>Of course, there are steps I can take to improve my chances when I get out onto the job market, but I'm not really sure how to start... </p>
<p>Oh well. Even if the economy goes to hell when I graduate, I can still hang on to that cashiering gig at the local grocery store, live with my parents, and try to be content with earning just $10,000 a year. </p>
<p>How about you guys? Are you paranoid, or no?</p>
<p>I think this year is already better than last year. I’d be feeling fairly optimistic about three years from now. Save your money so you have a cushion when you graduate, that will help. </p>
<p>I am pretty much set now, I’ve decided I am going to do court reporting from home and be a housewife for the next ten years or so and see if I want to have a career then. XD So I’m okay!</p>
<p>$10,000/yr is pushing it; I think no matter what a college degree in a marketable major from a good school should get you more than that.</p>
<p>I’ve always assumed/planned to make ~25k-30k once I land a job after graduation (I always guessed this would take bw 6 months and a year. I think that should be a comfortable but simple living without a family, and I think it’s not too optimistic for an accounting/comp sci major. </p>
<p>But yeah, I’ve always considered what I’d do if I can’t rake in 20k because neither a good job nor a couple work shifts come my way. It’d be tough, but there’s not much you can do besides get good grades and try and find some good references/work experience. </p>
<p>I think I try to be pessimistic when assuming job outlook for the future so that I don’t get slammed. But I’m not paranoid about the economic future; you have to deal with the outcomes whether you worry about them or not, I think.</p>
<p>It would definitely depend on your field of study. For engineering, I’ve been told that there is going to be a big wave of engineers retiring in a couple years, making it perfect timing for those who are in college at the moment.</p>
<p>^ Lol! I’m sorry, but that just sounds kind of funny! Like there’s planning on being a big retirement time for engineers…</p>
<p>I’m not too worried. Sure I might have to look far and wide. I don’t plan on being able to head downtown and find a job in the summer after I graduate or whatever (even though if I’m really, REALLY lucky I might), but I do think I’ll be able to find at least SOMETHING.</p>
<p>I also think $20,000-30,000 is a good prediction. I’ve never even really considered what life would be like if I make more than that, lol! I mean, not in the years right after college, anyway. But I’m really so desperate to start working in my field that I would take anything! I could always do a- <em>sigh</em>- part time job for awhile too. Just until I can get enough experience to move onto bigger and better-paying things.</p>
<p>I’m a nursing major…so I’ll either find a job pretty much right off the bat (well, actually, if I want a job at the hospital that my nursing school is connected to, I can get it – about 75% of the graduates from my college of nursing work there, and the other 25% work elsewhere or continue their education) or volunteer until I find a job and live off the stipend from that and possibly some loans from my parents.</p>
<p>Yeah I expect the job hunt to be a bit of a pain but not as bad as it is right now. I’m also employed at the moment at a job with decent promotion opportunities, so worst comes to worst I can just fall back on that and apply for a managerial or corporate position :|</p>
<p>^ I’m the same way with retail. I’m in a managerial position at Claire’s right now actually (3rd Key Holder). But I have no intentions of becoming a manager!</p>
<p>I worked in customer service in the 1980s - it paid about $60K/year. Our manager was leaving and I was in competition with another guy for the management position. He won out because he had managed a hardware store when he was younger.</p>
<p>I love retail/customer service as well…but I want to be a nurse, not a retail manager.</p>
<p>The salary for management varies greatly between companies. I know Claire’s pays practically nothing (about $30,000/year for a store manager), and Best Buy pays really well (about $80,000 for a general manager).</p>
<p>I think that managers at Apple Stores can get six figures - that was in an article talking about the competition over managers when Microsoft started opening their own stores.</p>
<p>I figure if worst comes to worse and I can get a job in engineering, then there’s always being a web developer as a fall back–although I’d rather not, since it’s not something I enjoy.
But There’s always some idiot who thinks his website his going to be the next big thing since Facebook and can’t be bothered to learn PHP on his own, so he hires someone to do the dirty work for him.
I don’t foresee the number of get-rich-quick dumbasses dying down anytime soon. And yes, I will prey on them.</p>
<p>Job prospects will be better overseas. And since I’m majoring in physics and engineering I’m not concerned about myself. Most of my fellow students, yes, I’m worried about them having $30,000 in debt for a degree in basket weaving.</p>
<p>Ha! Health care workers are on the verge of being de facto gubmint employees. I hope you enjoy workplace politics and bureaucracy, because practicing medicine will only be a small part of your job.</p>