Graduated College and Can't Find a Job!

[bobbledude25]

Alright so I graduated in May of this year with a bachelors degree in History from UWM. It's been oh let's see...5 months now and I still can't find a job! Monster, Jobnoggin, Milwaukeejobs, I've searched them all. I guess the problem is I don't really know what I want to do. I thought I wanted to teach with my History degree but I just dont' really want to anymore. I am huge sports fanatic and like to travel a lot so I may look more into that. I dont want to stay at my current job...Pick N'Save ughh...for the rest of my life!

[dannyjnoonan]

"I am huge sports fanatic and like to travel a lot so I may look more into that."

 

I'll let you know if I hear of anyone looking to hire a sports fanatic that likes to travel. I'm sure there's a demand for that skill set that can never be filled with the current supply of guys that like sports and traveling. That's just such a rare combo.http://static.yuku.com//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/tongue.gif

[bobbledude25]

yeah yeah I know...

[GAME05]

we all feel for ya and i think a lot of us have been in a similar spot. I got an English degree and didn't want to teach, either.

 

A ton of jobs are had through contacts, so be sure to ply even your least of acquaintances. and related to that, informational interviews work great for that. Real often they'll give you tips on who's hiring or just where to look. Plus if the dude's company has an opening later, you can go to him directly.

[TooLiveBrew]

Stay on it hot & heavy, bobbledude. Does UWM offer anything like UW-Madison's career network? I'd look into that - check the career counseling (or whatever it's called) at UWM. Perhaps you can come across an alum that wants to give another one his start. 5 months is rough, that sucks.

 

It took me a month & a half, and even that seemed like forever (at least you still have some income, even if it's a job you hate. I didn't, and that's likely why it seemed so much longer than it was). I know firsthand how hard it is to stay motivated over a timespan like that, but it's really all you can do. Oh, and don't beat yourself up over it. You will catch on somewhere, and it likely won't be too long.

 

Fwiw, my advisor at the career services dept. @ Madison told me to be ready to search for roughly 6 months before finding anything. Or, at least, to not be frustrated if it took 6 mos. ( a bit), as that is common. Try to hang in there, bud!

 

EDIT: same boat as GAME, Eng. degree, no desire to teach.

[bobbledude25]

Stay on it hot & heavy, bobbledude. Does UWM offer anything like UW-Madison's career network? I'd look into that - check the career counseling (or whatever it's called) at UWM. Perhaps you can come across an alum that wants to give another one his start. 5 months is rough, that sucks.

 

It took me a month & a half, and even that seemed like forever (at least you still have some income, even if it's a job you hate. I didn't, and that's likely why it seemed so much longer than it was). I know firsthand how hard it is to stay motivated over a timespan like that, but it's really all you can do. Oh, and don't beat yourself up over it. You will catch on somewhere, and it likely won't be too long.

 

Fwiw, my advisor at the career services dept. @ Madison told me to be ready to search for roughly 6 months before finding anything. Or, at least, to not be frustrated if it took 6 mos. ( a bit), as that is common. Try to hang in there, bud!

 

EDIT: same boat as GAME, Eng. degree, no desire to teach.

Thanks for the encouragement and advice. As for the UWM career counseling thing...I got a call from a guy that said he saw I had graduated from UWM...they must have a list of that semesters grads or something that employers can look at...this guy though didnt say what company or job he was offering...kinda strange. I guess you can say I haven't really been actively searching for 5 months. I got my diploma in the early part of September and that really lit a fire under me to start looking...so maybe its been closer to like 2 months.

[bobbledude25]

we all feel for ya and i think a lot of us have been in a similar spot. I got an English degree and didn't want to teach, either.

 

A ton of jobs are had through contacts, so be sure to ply even your least of acquaintances. and related to that, informational interviews work great for that. Real often they'll give you tips on who's hiring or just where to look. Plus if the dude's company has an opening later, you can go to him directly.

I hear ya...just nothing doing with any contacts. thanks for the response

[GAME05]

I hear ya...just nothing doing with any contacts. thanks for the response

well, at least try some informational interviews. you'll feel like you won't want to put the work into something that doesn't directly lead to a job, but they help. pick two or three companies you'd like to work for and try that, and you should usually get some great ideas out of that. kind of like if you don't have any contacts already, then make them.

 

[homer]

My only advice is do what you love....don't do anything just for money. If you are doing what you love then one of two things will happen: 1) the money will show up eventually because since you love what you do you are probably good at it 2) you won't care at all about money because you are already fulfilled.

[jwaltz]

homer's right. You only live once. Don't waste your life on a job you hate. Life is too short to be working at a job you don't like.

 

Another plus when working a job you love is the bad days aren't so bad and the good days are amazing. Everything's better. Money isn't everything. I know a number of people, and I am one of them, that never used their degree because they found a job they loved. I'm lucky in that I"m making more than I would have if I would have gotten a job in my field but my decision wasn't about the money. I was already doing some part time work for the company so I knew I would love the job and that's the main reason I took it.

[bobbledude25]

homer's right. You only live once. Don't waste your life on a job you hate. Life is too short to be working at a job you don't like.

 

Another plus when working a job you love is the bad days aren't so bad and the good days are amazing. Everything's better. Money isn't everything. I know a number of people, and I am one of them, that never used their degree because they found a job they loved. I'm lucky in that I"m making more than I would have if I would have gotten a job in my field but my decision wasn't about the money. I was already doing some part time work for the company so I knew I would love the job and that's the main reason I took it.

I completely understand what you and Homer are saying...good adivce ty...although the search has been rough with not finding a job I like yet...I am going to make sure I find the right job for myself and will continue to look until I do.

[jaybird2001wi]

bobbledude, if you need a job... apply at my work. We just lost half of our workforce and now I may be forced to work up to 70 hour work weeks.

[GAME05]

yeah, but if you're looking for this absolute perfect job with no professional background on the resume, that's awful tough to find. plus then you end up being too picky before applying for something and who knows if you might like it once you start. and taking some job you don't necessarily love allows you a lot more freedom and money to slowly look for that perfect job.

[Roscoe Chill]

I guess the problem is I dont really know what I want to do.

 

I graduated from UW Madison in '97 and I still don't know what I want to do, that's really the first thing I would suggest trying to figure out. At 33 years old, it's hard for me to go back and do this or that, I have bills, you know? I mean, I hear people saying 'do what you love' but it's not always that simple, even if it's heartfelt advice. But you're still young, and I do agree with those who say life's too short to work at a job you hate...because I do hate my job...it's just really tough finding one that you'll love (I've been looking).

[RyDogg66]

Huh, who would have thought that a History degree would make someone unemployable.....

 

I joke...I was a political science and public administration double major, although I did that with full knowledge that I would be unemployable and I knew I was headed to law school so...

 

Whatever you do, dont take another job that does not require a college degree. Why go to college if you are going to be going something that doesnt require a college degree...???

 

Go to tech school, learn a craft, like plumbing or electrician, they make a killing. Go to culinary school and become a chef, that would be fun.

 

If you are into history, MOVE OUT OF WISCONSIN and try to hook up with someplace like the baseball hall of fame, or ANY sports hall of fame.

 

I will tell you this. The perfect job is not going to find you. YOU HAVE TO FIND IT. Get out of Wisconsin, move some place where your skills are in demand, move some place where you have a chance to make meaningful contacts. Your choices are threefold.

 

1.) Take a job that requires no degree and make $9/hr.

2.) Go back to school and get a degree that makes you employable

3.) Get out there and make your degree work.

[gypcasino]

bobbledude, do you mind if I ask which Pick N Save you work at? I'm looking for part time employment.

[bbrauch2000]

Now here's a thread that i can totally relate with. I graduated with a history/political science double major in 04 from Carroll and was in a similar spot. I never had an internship and going back to the college for career counseling was an utter waste of time. My best advice would be to widen your scope. The unfortunate circumstance of having that major is that employers feel that you lack motivation up front because you dont have a dream job.

 

What I did was take a couple of miserable jobs i hated that made my resume much more tolerable. As much as it sucks, I took a job that i knew would be awful but would also carry a lot of weight in the future. I took a job selling copy machines which is absolutely the worst job imaginable and everyone knows it. After doing it for a year, i applied at a brokerage firm up in West Bend and got the job. Would they have hired me without that experience? Absolutely not. Now I love what I do.

 

I guess the moral of the story would be that I didnt have a plan for anything either or a dream job, but going through some life experiences that may suck could lead you to what you really want to do. Apply for jobs that will look good on your resume and work on that

[burniebrewer]

I dont want to stay at my current job...Pick N'Save ughh...for the rest of my life!

 

You know, I said something like this about 13 years ago (Fill in a different job where Pick N Save goes) when I graduated college....and now I'm in my 20th year with major benefits and lots of stock. A simple job I started in high school....

[jaybird2001wi]

For any college students who have a reliable vehicle and a clean driving record. I am just wondering if any of you out there need a decent college job right now.

My work is currently desperately looking for staff (half our workforce quit within the last few weeks). If you are a psychology, social work or nursing student in need of on the job experience, this job is for you. Private message me if you are interested.

You get paid $8 to $8.50 an hour to start depending on experience. If you wish to be fulltime, you get a solid benefits package that is suitable for a healthy college student and paid vacation time.

Right now, for those of you who know what I do, things are getting to the point where I may need to work 70 hour weeks.

[twobrewers]

I graduated in May of this year with a bachelors degree in History from UWM

* In best Mythbusters voice*

 

"Well there's your problem..."

 

For the most part, unless you graduate from college with something that requires certification, (Teacher, Nurse or Accounting) you might as well pretend as though you have no degree. I don't mean to sound too harsh or anything. But why would any employer care about your history degree? They might care that you have a college degree - if only because it shows some intelligence. But with such a large network of college graduates, that isn't very valuable anymore.

 

I know you said you aren't interested in teaching at all - but what about acting as a substitute? You get around $100 a day. A very flexible schedule. And if you are interested you could coach some youth teams on the side. Not a bad living really. (Won't make you rich obviously, but maybe you would find a school you would like to teach at someday)

Another suggestion is don't overlook construction. I paid my way through college doing excavating. Pretty good pay - but winters in Wisconsin can be pretty horrible. But if you get a commercial drivers license - you can pretty much pick up a paper and find a job for around $15 an hour. (Check into working for the city as well. Lots of cities have opening for less than glamorous jobs - but good pay and great benefits. I know a few garbage men who make very nice money - for not the hardest job. Same for postal workers)

Lastly, if you want at all to work in the field of business - go get an accounting degree. It would only take you about 30 more credits - that is just one full year. After that you would be able to sit for your CPA exam. If you have an accounting degree and pass the CPA exam, you will have a job for life.

 

(Another option is to move. So you can't find a job around here - look somewhere else)

[jazzytrav]

For the most part, unless you graduate from college with something that requires certification, (Teacher, Nurse or Accounting) you might as well pretend as though you have no degree.

I think I have to disagree with this. I realize the distinction of "for the most part" was made, but I think I would have to agree more with earlier posts that if you have a degree, find something that requires a degree. There are many jobs out there that just require a degree, any degree. My job is an example. I worked as a teller at a credit union for my last two years of college, then I graduated last May with degrees in Music and Religious Studies. Obviously this wouldn't seem to fit in with the banking world, but very soon after I graduated I got promoted to a branch manager. The job that I was promoted to simply required a degree. My boss above me has a Sociology degree. It really just has to do with experience. If you can spin your previous experiences in an interview, and combine that with your knowledge of History, it will make you seem a very well-rounded individual. Believe me, I know how the Pick 'n Save experience works. I spent 7 years with them before I came to the credit union that I'm at now. But what I learned there helped me to gain the job that I have now.

 

I know this next part will sound obvious, but sometimes it's hard to keep this in mind when looking for a job. The next job you get probably won't be your career, so try not to look at it that way. In an interview, they often want to find out if you're looking at staying with them for an extended period of time. Well, obviously if they create a good work environment and pay you well enough, you might. But you can change your mind on that at any time. In other words, don't start looking for your career right away, start looking for what will help you achieve your career.

 

Since you have a Histroy degree, have you ever considered grad school? Once you start getting into higher degree programs, you can really break down your emphasis. Since you say you love sports and would like to find something related to it, why not look into a Masters program in sports history? Just a thought http://static.yuku.com//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/smile.gif

[olliegjw]

Check out mlb.com. I just got an email from them yesterday about open positions. I didn't look to close at it, since I am happy at my current job.

[GAME05]

I remember the Brewers were looking for a seasonal writer for the website last spring. probably will be again come March. that would be totally sweet if only you weren't out of work for the winter (then again, you'd qualify for unemployment..).

[jwill535]

be careful about getting Masters Degrees before you are working in or have determined a field. Alot of times if you arent working in field and go get a Masters you will be over educated and looked over by employers. Remember, yes degrees are nice but it is experience that matters. An example of this, a friend of my wifes has a Masters in Chemical Biology, he had trouble getting a job because he didnt have the experience to get a certain chem job but the employers felt that he was over educated to be a lab tech, a crappy catch 22.

 

Me i have a degree in Criminology, after applying to several police departments including Madison(wrong sex and color) i worked as a carpenter. Worked my way up to foreman, after 8 years wanted to move into the office, went back to school and got my Cad Design degree and now am a HVAC designer. So that would be Student, looking to be a cop, to a carpenter then finally a designer.

[MarquesJohnson2000]

My experience is probably not as relevant as I am relatively ancient compared to those posting here; I graduated in 1991 with a double major in Mathematics/English and no desire to teach. Not only was I completely unemployable, I was a disaster at interviewing. Eventually I found a dead-end job based on my summer employment experiences during school (as opposed to my degree) and worked there for nearly four years before going to graduate school with a very specific degree in mind.

 

I've now been at my new job for nearly 11 years. (I would say "and I couldn't be happier" but there's always the chance that Jessica Alba will decide she needs a pasty-skinned nerd in her life)