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I'm a recent college grad who did not do an internship during college. It wasn't like i didn't try, i just didn't try hard enough. I got a ton of rejections and after which kinda gave up, and I guess i just figured i'd find something after college (really hoping the economy would get better). Well so much for that. I feel like a complete and utter failure now. I made a lot of mistakes and now idk what to do.
Am i screwed? I feel like i am. I feel like i'm never going to be able to find a good/decent job that provides a salary and has room for growth. A
I'm feeling extremely depressed right now because of all this. I feel like a failure even though i did well in school, i should have focused on getting a damn internship. Now that i've graduated without an internship my GPA and degree feel like a complete waste. How long will this haunt me... I feel like the longer it takes to find something the worse my resume will look, and the worse my chances of finding a job.
I looked for entry level jobs with no real luck. Alot of what i find is sales and i'd make a terrible sales person, and they are all commisson only. I would rather volunteer. But all this doesn't change the fact that i feel really crappy right now. I feel like i will have start in jobs that i could have gotten without a college degree, and that i just wasted 4+ years. A big worry for me in doing this is i feel like i may get stuck in it.
Sorry i just really needed to get this off my chest, and off my mind. Any words of wisdom or encouragement would be greatly appreciated. I would also appreciate any realism from others who have more life experience, since my mind feels really clouded i think i'm starting to truly believe that I am screwed and hopeless and will never find a good job. idk... anyway thank you for listening.
sorry if i wrote things that dont make sense, i just dont have it in me to read it over.
If you want to focus your energy on feeling part that probably will not work out real well. It might be smarter to refocus your efforts on what skills you do have. If you cannot honestly say that you have skills that an employer would be willing to pay your for then you probably should try to develop some. There are lots of people that get additional training beyond an undergrad degree. Some of that training does come "on the job" but you have to target employers / areas of employment where that is the standard practice. Sales is one such area, but there are others too. Some folks like the idea of a job that requires professional certification / registration. From physicians, lawyers, CPAs, actuaries and teachers to hair dressers and real estate agents there are all kinds of jobs that require professional certification. Some of these have a nice pay off / relatively quick process, while others may take more time. The commitment is yours to decide on...
If you didn't major in some hard science or engineering discipline, you might be screwed. Even if you did it would still be hard. Unless you graduated towards the top of your class, good grades will not help that much on a resume these days. With that said, you don't necessarily need to be in school to get an internship. If you have a place to stay rent free, then at least that will give you plenty of time to figure out what you're going to do next. Good luck.
If you didn't major in some hard science or engineering discipline, you might be screwed.
Hogwash.
To the OP-
Be leary of the advice you receive on these forums. You have a lot of unemployed folks on here that would love nothing more than to tear you down to wear they are in life. But I understand where they're coming from. A lot of them are insulted and/or questioned daily by "The Employed" as to why they still are not working after several months.
On that note, be prepared for a tough road ahead. You mentioned in your OP that you kinda gave up after some rejections for internships. Well, you certainly can't have that mentality in this economy. You will likely deal with rejection after rejection. The first thing you need to do is to grow a few more layers of skin, figuratively speaking of course.
Next, spread the word like wild fire that you're looking for work. Maybe someone in your network knows someone that knows someone. Join local common interest groups. Talk to people. Establish new relationships. You never know what's around the next corner. Do you know that I actually got an interview set up through City-Data? Yeah, it was pretty cool.
Try looking at some of the larger employment agencies like Robert Half or Kelly Services. They might only initially place you in a temp position that pays $10/hr, but that client may want to keep you on long term.
Indeed.com, Craigslist, Careerbuilder, Monster, etc. Check these out. If you find an ad where it names the company, go directly to the company's website and apply directly through that. Those folks are typically placed in the front of the line.
Talk to old professors and classmates. They may have some good insider information as to who is hiring.
Most importantly, surround yourself with optimistic (though practical) people. If you hang around negative people all the time, you're going to start embracing that mindset. Then, like so many others on C-D, you'll find yourself wasting hours and hours of precious time posting about the effed up state of the economy instead of making good use of it. People will vehemently deny doing it, but trust me, they do it.
You need to figure out why you didn't get the internships and that is why you aren't getting jobs now. Probably has a lot more to do with your interviewing skills than anything else. Also maybe college just wasn't for you. Maybe you are better off in a trade.
I'm a recent college grad who did not do an internship during college. It wasn't like i didn't try, i just didn't try hard enough. I got a ton of rejections and after which kinda gave up, and I guess i just figured i'd find something after college (really hoping the economy would get better). Well so much for that. I feel like a complete and utter failure now. I made a lot of mistakes and now idk what to do.
Am i screwed? I feel like i am. I feel like i'm never going to be able to find a good/decent job that provides a salary and has room for growth. A
I'm feeling extremely depressed right now because of all this. I feel like a failure even though i did well in school, i should have focused on getting a damn internship. Now that i've graduated without an internship my GPA and degree feel like a complete waste. How long will this haunt me... I feel like the longer it takes to find something the worse my resume will look, and the worse my chances of finding a job.
I looked for entry level jobs with no real luck. Alot of what i find is sales and i'd make a terrible sales person, and they are all commisson only. I would rather volunteer. But all this doesn't change the fact that i feel really crappy right now. I feel like i will have start in jobs that i could have gotten without a college degree, and that i just wasted 4+ years. A big worry for me in doing this is i feel like i may get stuck in it.
Sorry i just really needed to get this off my chest, and off my mind. Any words of wisdom or encouragement would be greatly appreciated. I would also appreciate any realism from others who have more life experience, since my mind feels really clouded i think i'm starting to truly believe that I am screwed and hopeless and will never find a good job. idk... anyway thank you for listening.
sorry if i wrote things that dont make sense, i just dont have it in me to read it over.
No you aren't screwed. An internship is a nice way to get your foot in the door, but it isn't a requirement.
It is a tough time to be looking for a job, but that's not because you didn't do an internship - it's simply a tough time for everyone. There is nothing to be done about it other than forge ahead minus the negativity.
You need to think creatively about your major (what was it? what's your degree?) and how you can spin what you have learned it into an entry level position.
Instead of only looking at general classified ads, were I you I'd make a point to figure out the right industry then start reading their association websites for job leads, look out for trade shows etc.
Going off on what others have said here, use relavent class experience to market yourself for a particular position. And networking with former classmates and professors is also a good way to pick up information on opportunities.
Also, don't let rejections affect you personally. I got denied from a lot of internships the first time around, and a lot of it is simply because there are so many more applicants than there are openings.
I wouldn't say you are screwed, but you will have to be more persistent and be ready to take the extra mile in finding a job. First off, what is your major? If you are a business major, there will be more opportunities in getting yourself in the door.
If I was you, I will try to get in contact with someone in the field that you are trying to get into. Maybe ask them if you can do an internship (maybe non paid if you dont have major expenses and living at home) just to get yourself inside the door.
Stay optimistic! The economy is not great and there are many folks without jobs that have experience but you will eventually find something.
Some decent advice here (associations etc.). To add to it, what exactly is your definition of a decent job? Plus, degrees are "required" for all sorts of positions that don't really use/need them as a way to narrow the field so it's not all wasted.
Most importantly, just get a foot in the door and some experience under your belt, regardless of whether it appears that there is some organized job progression. At least it is a paycheck, the chance to prove you can show up and be reliable, make contacts, meet people and not be depressed.
And opportunity can pop up all over- a friend waitressed in a hotel over the summer, someone in the office went on a 2 month long trip and they asked her to fill in due to the fact that she was educated. Within 2 weeks they loved her so much they made a position for her, sent her to a hotel management school on their dime and she rose through the ranks to run the entire food and beverage department -the number 3 executive in the hotel (5 star luxury). Eventually she'll run it or a division of the chain. Not bad and while it wasn't her initial idea of a career, she truly loves her job.
Thank you everyone for all your comments. I guess i should have included that I'm a finance major.
I'm feeling slightly better this morning but still not out of it. Its really nice that I found this forum because everyone here seems like they have a lot of valuable knowledge to share, and for the most part are very supporting. I wish i knew the things i know now back when i started college. I guess that is said a lot and part of the reality that is life.
The only working experience I have is as an adminstrative assistant at the college deans office. Did that part time while in school for about 2 years. Then got into undergrad business school and kinda focused on school/grades.
EDIT: IDK i guess i dont know what i'd categorize as a "decent job" but i dont want to do sales. Especially commision only sales. I'd really like to work in an office or business, a corporate finance job which is what I had hoped to find. I dont mind working up the ladder, I just dont want to get stuck there which is something i'm afraid of.
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