Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I have been reading this forum for the past few months and noticed that there are an abundance of negative posts regarding: going to college, graduating, and landing a career-track position. What I would like to do is start a thread of successful college experiences from the current graduating generation.
I am a millennial, but also a non-traditional graduate (started at 24 graduated at 27). Others not in the millennial category please feel free to contribute, but my goal is to provide a balance for current and prospective college students.
My own story is that I graduated in May 2013 from a state university, with a BS in Business Management, concentration in accounting. I worked full-time through college. With minimal financial aid (pell grant the first year), and employer assistance ($1500 annually) I was able to pay my tuition (10k-12.5k a year) as I went, and graduate without the help of student loans. I started looking for a career-track position in September of my senior year (through campus recruiting season), and received a great job offer in November of my senior year.
I also lived on my own paying $1100 a month for rent, and had an annual gross income of 38k a year, from working overnight as a supervisor (obviously in a high rent, but also high paying area).
For others please include:
1. Graduation date
2. Type of institution (Public, Private, State, For profit)
3. Method of financing education
4. Process from start to job offer
I started the negative college thread that you speak of. Let me first say, congrats. Glad it all worked out for you. Concentrating on accounting was a great choice.
I graduated in 2010 from an top 40 private school with a double major in international relations and politics and a double minor in Latin American studies and environmental science. Luckily, despite my law ambitions being dashed by the economic crash, I had a full tuition scholarship from my university with smaller scholarships and some family help for room and board and flights home (my parents knew I wouldn't choose to visit if they didn't fly me back). Ever since I was a child babysitting, I had saved money for my eventual time studying abroad, so I was able to pay for my books, flights abroad, and other extras between work study jobs and about 6 years of babysitting earnings.
During my senior year of college, I spent a lot of time in the career center doing mock interviews, informational interviews with alumni, and getting feedback on my resume and cover letter. I started applying for fellowships and managerial programs in the fall, took the Foreign Service exam in the spring, and by the time I graduated had more than 100 "just in time" applicatiosn out. After graduation, I relocated back to Georgia for the lower cost of living but couldn't find anything in the Southeast after interviewing at companies and nonprofits in Atlanta, Charleston, and Nashville.
The day I decided to start looking back in Boston (thus far a bit scared off by the VERY high cost of living), I applied to a job at my alma mater that was eventually offered to me. It was about 3 1/2 months between graduation and receiving an offer.
Even though the job paid a low wage, even for an entry level job, the benefits were great and I looked at it as a way to get health insurance (as I had just been denied on the private market), a paid way back to a city I prefered to live in, and a stopgap until either I entered the Foreign Service (I had passed the first two rounds of the exam), entered the Peace Corps, or found a better job a year later. Unfortunately, a few months later I was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer. The low wages were rough, but the health insurance covered most everything. Unfortunately, that disqualified me from the Foreign Service or Peace Corps until I am 5 years in remission and made me stay at my job for 3 years.
So I decided to get really good at my job, even though it was not anywhere near what I initially wanted to be doing. I picked out a part of my job that I really enjoyed, spent a lot of time reading blogs and industry papers, and eventually earned a promotion and raise. A few months ago, I made an internal transfer/promotion that really puts me in my industry's eye as well as is giving me skills to take with me to the private sector.
I'm also pursuing an MS in strategic analytics (big data and business intelligence program - horrible name for a great degree!) part time covered 100% for free by my employer. I take as many classes as I am allowed at a time.
Last edited by charolastra00; 01-18-2014 at 07:02 PM..
I started the negative college thread that you speak of. Let me first say, congrats. Glad it all worked out for you. Concentrating on accounting was a great choice.
I may have come across your thread but I have read through several on this forum and a ton online since I have graduated, so yours is not the motivation for this one. I just remember how difficult it was to force myself to take plunge, and know that finding positive stories can be a huge first step for many. The current documented "life of a millennial college student" realm seems incredibly one-sided now days.
Considering the potential realistic negatives to me is always productive, and a sound planning exercise, but they should always be balanced with realistic positives!
I have been reading this forum for the past few months and noticed that there are an abundance of negative posts regarding: going to college, graduating, and landing a career-track position. What I would like to do is start a thread of successful college experiences from the current graduating generation.
I am a millennial, but also a non-traditional graduate (started at 24 graduated at 27). Others not in the millennial category please feel free to contribute, but my goal is to provide a balance for current and prospective college students.
My own story is that I graduated in May 2013 from a state university, with a BS in Business Management, concentration in accounting. I worked full-time through college. With minimal financial aid (pell grant the first year), and employer assistance ($1500 annually) I was able to pay my tuition (10k-12.5k a year) as I went, and graduate without the help of student loans. I started looking for a career-track position in September of my senior year (through campus recruiting season), and received a great job offer in November of my senior year.
I also lived on my own paying $1100 a month for rent, and had an annual gross income of 38k a year, from working overnight as a supervisor (obviously in a high rent, but also high paying area).
For others please include:
1. Graduation date
2. Type of institution (Public, Private, State, For profit)
3. Method of financing education
4. Process from start to job offer
Graduated in 2011 and landed a job at a health insurance company just before my final exams. Was offered $43,000/year to start with pension, 401k and great benefits.
The key for me was that I started interviewing in September of my senior year. Most companies wanted at least two to three interviews before deciding on their final candidates. I typically got to the second or third interview, but I was competing against a lot of people with master's degrees and far more work experience. The early interviews were for jobs I was so-so about, but the experience made me a pro by the time I got to the companies I most wanted to work for.
-this many times. Personally I think 38k right out of college is great
I would have loved getting $38k out of college
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
