Maine's Recent Graduates Struggling to Find Jobs

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“Congrats grad!”

All is well with this praise until the follow up question. Many of the Class of 2009 graduates have heard it. Some approach it with a smile even though inside their fight or flight reaction begins to kick in. Others shake it off with a joke about basement dwelling as their parents try to make their winces go unnoticeable. Some respond bluntly. A handful burst into tears. A minority respond with ease because they have nothing to hide and they are prepared.

“What are your plans?”

This question is not metaphysical. People do not want to know about the graduation celebrations or vacation plans. Translation. “Do you have a job?”

A recent graduate myself, I know this scenario all too well. My father told me in high school that as soon I graduated, I was to leave the roost and get my own place. Yet, here I am. Unemployed.

Up until now, I admit, I associated unemployment with laziness. But now that I am in this position as a post-grad, I know that laziness has nothing to do with it. Between January and today, I have applied for a total of 35 jobs. I got a rejection letter from one, but have not heard back from the rest, many of which specify in their application process that they do not have the time to get in touch with all the applicants, meaning the “losers.” “It’s not you, it’s me” seems to apply here. When I’m not even getting rejection letters from companies, times must be really bad.

I could go on and on complaining. Maybe I should listen to the “you should have started applying in August” lecture my parents have given me. But, honestly, if every college grad that is unemployed right now let it get to them, we’d all be sinking into a depression greater than the one the economy is in right now.

So, what now? What is there to do when the job market is so low? Lock ourselves in a “Blast from the Past” bunker and curl up in the fetal position until this all blows over? We might be there for awhile.

We just elected a president whose mantra was “hope.” In times like these, when money is low and jobs are scarce, maybe hope is all we have to hold onto. Although I have stressed out about this far too much since graduation, I do believe there is hope.

We all want our dream jobs right away, but that’s not the way the job market works. Even if jobs were more readily available, most people have to climb the career latter for several years before getting to where they want to be. Maybe we don’t have the jobs we want, or a job at all, but there are still things to do in the meantime.

1. While I have struck out in the job front, I did manage to score two internships: one for “The Exception Magazine” and the other editing an author’s novel. I can live at home while gaining valuable experience for my resume.

2. Others that have money saved are traveling. Although I would not advise back packing in Europe where the exchange rate has gone up, you can do it cheaply by staying in low budget hostels or couch surfing, budgeting food spending, and making use of those low cost airlines. After all, in a time of domestic economic turmoil, it’s nice to see that the world is still alive and breathing.

3. Many find it too stressful to remain in the US during an economic crisis and have chosen to work out of the country. There are several opportunities for teaching English as a second language in countries from Hungary to Thailand. If you’ve studied abroad, there’s a good chance that your abroad program may have a teaching program or at least could inform you of opportunities.

4. No job is too small in this economy. Although you may not be getting the high paying job in the consulting firm that you wanted, it may do you good to make money somehow as you continue to search for a job. Camps and theme parks often offer several hours for good pay, though older unemployed folks have been taking many of the jobs. Substitute teaching and working for a restaurant are good ways to put some money in the bank. Having any job for a year, whether or not its in your desired field of work, will look better on the resume than sitting on your couch watching reruns of “Saved by the Bell.”