By Aimee Villalpando |Staff Writer|
Class of 2013 graduates struggle to stay positive at a time when the unemployment rate for workers under age 25 is 16.2 percent, over twice the amount of the national average.
The Economic Policy Institute reported in April that although the labor market is slowly beginning to improve, the future remains grim for young college graduates.
In the time of a recession, when there is a shortage of decent paying jobs, “young workers always experience disproportionate increases in unemployment during downturns,” reported the EPI.
Worse still, for those who are able to get a job, 18.3 percent are underemployed, claimed the EPI.
The EPI reports that, “Between 1989 and 2011, the share of employed young college graduates who receive health insurance from their employer dropped from 60.1 percent to 31.1 percent.”
“Between 2000 and 2011, the share of employed young college graduates who receive pension coverage from their employer dropped from 41.5 percent to 27.2 percent,” according to the EPI.
Between 2000 and 2012, the real (inflation-adjusted) wages of young college graduates declined 8.5 percent. The EPI projects that “graduating in a bad economy has long-lasting economic consequences,” that may affect income and benefits for these graduates for the next 10-15 years.
While these statistics are disheartening, job opportunities are still out there and TIME magazine offered tips on how to get your dream job in a bad economy:
Focus your search on jobs you’re truly passionate about instead of submitting your resume to thousands of employers on a website. TIME claims that by doing this, “your positive attitude, work ethic, body language and persistence will shine through in your interviews and will give you the competitive edge in the hiring process.”
Sharpen your skills all-around, such as leadership, teamwork, and communication because “employers want to hire employees that they can connect with both personally and professionally.”
The magazine claimed that creating a marketing campaign for yourself will make you stand out.
Some people have created websites, video resumes, and targeted advertisements to make them stand out and appeal to their specific prospective employers.
CSUSB student Julio Ortega will be one of the many Coyotes graduating in June.
Ortega has been able to maintain a positive outlook as he transitions from being a student to a prospective hire in the ever competitive workforce. “As a soon-to-be graduate, I highly recommend students volunteer in areas of their field by networking with a professor of their field who can guide the student to professionals in the same field,” said Ortega.
He urges students to, “make time to volunteer in an organization you would one day like to work for.”
“This, along with networking, will increase your chances of starting your career on time,” said Ortega.
Claudia Estrada, a career counselor in the Career Development Center, offered words of advice for the class of 2013: “My recommendation for new grads on their new job search is to become proactive in their search.”
“First, generate feedback on their resumes (utilize your schools Career Center), stay organized and NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK!”
One successful way of networking is the use of social media.
“Professional social media sites like LinkedIn could help generate interest for your resume by connecting to companies that may not otherwise be advertising jobs,” said Estrada.
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