On average how long does it take a college graduate to find a job? (job offers, interview)

[MMorena]

Originally Posted by Poor Chemist

I don't think it is strange...

... It is completely normal for it to take a recent graduate 6 months or up to a year to land a full time permanent job in their profession because companies are so picky and want 2 years of experience even for entry level positions....

I don't think a few posters realize this. When I started my job search I was shocked at how many entry level positions called for TWO years worth of experience...and in my case they say "2 years worth of experience working AT a PR firm." Not a related position but AT a firm. I don't think many people know how tough that is to have on a newly graduated resume.


Thankfully, I found a position within PR with a noted PR Firm. It's a paid internship and maybe some think that's a bad thing for a recent grad, but I couldn't be more thrilled!!! It's a great networking opportunity, I get to travel for my internship, my boss has already taken a personal liking to me and wants to mentor me!

Originally Posted by Poor Chemist

I understand that you have to start at the bottom and work your way up, but how about not starting beneath the bottom working as a temp. I don't understand why most companies hire recent college grads as temp to hire as a "try before you buy period". If they want to do that, just put the worker on a 90-180 day probation period and if they don't work out just dump the worker. We don't know if the OP is having a difficult time finding a job because he is super picky or not, but I think every recent college grad shouldn't have to work for janitor wages just to get their foot in the door.

She, I'm a female. And no I wouldn't say picky, I'm very practical but for the first 3 months, I did tell myself I owed it to myself to TRY and find a job in my DESIRED field. I've settled a lot in life for things I didn't enjoy or want, and you know what, it's time for that to change. I made my plan, and if by 3 months I didn't get into my job market, I was gonna broaden my search to Admin, Temp work, HR, Government Contracts, Technical Writing, etc.

But my desire was to either work in TV production, producing the news or Public Relations.

I am now interning in Public Relations and I'm thrilled!

Thank you for your encouragement . ^_^

Originally Posted by newtoks

2 months for a fresh graduate in any field with no experience is incredibly optimistic. Actually 2 months for anyone is not likely to happen, the process of submitting a resume, interviewing, background checking, etc. means that you would have to essentially land the first position that you applied for and be dealing with an exceedingly squared away and efficient employer.

I would say more like 6-9 months.

So, it is like I said. 2 months to find a job is about average (for anyone OUTSIDE of the STEM field.).

Just as I suspected.

[MMorena]

Originally Posted by gwilliger

In my area I would say that it takes most people 5-9 months to find a degree related job after graduation if they are trying (assuming they have a useful degree and know how to interview). Trying means taking a low paying if necessary that is degree related for that experience.

Mr. Professional probably didn't need a comp sci or IT degree to get a helpdesk job. But he took the job, and assuming he has a degree, he will be much more marketable for the next step up. This is something that I see so many grads failing to do.

Too many grads who think their degree entitles them to an 80K job and won't take anything else (or whatever is considered high in your area).

I'm taking a paid internship because of this very mindset. I see it as an investment and that's what I said in my interview when they asked me if I was doing myself a disservice by taking an internship.

I don't think I'm entitled to 80 k, I have had plenty of internships in the past, and recommendation letters from the heads of my major and minor departments, but I have NEVER had something directly working within my desired industry.

So to me, I believe I can make this work.

[MMorena]

Originally Posted by Mr.Professional

When I was in college I research realistically what positions an IT grad can really qualified for out of college

It was either a Desktop Support, Help Desk job , or Junior Programmer job
The OP should do the same thing if you are in public relations you need to be realistic about the salary and entry level jobs available and the ones you will most likely land of course if you expect 50k to 100k jobs that are mid level to senior management level out of college you are mostly likely losing your mind and can be disappointed trust me i wish it was this way instead but thats not how it works
and at least for the company I worked you ACTUALLY NEEDED a degree to work for such an entry level job like Help Desk plus while I was in college I did paid internships that only an IT student could qualify for
so it helps both to have a degree and work experience no matter how entry level a job seems

I knew coming out of college my entry level salary would be between 35k to 45k and this is to start.
Luckily my help desk job ( Entry level) also had benefits and extra perks

OP please read this and it can help you for good reference
How to Land a Entry Level Public Relations Job - PR News

Bless you for the link! I have found a paid internship and I'm happy. I get to travel, I will be paid, and my boss wants to mentor me! It's also for a notable PR firm in a very competitive market. I see this as a good investment despite it being an internship.

I never had the expectation I'd be making close to 6 figures. My question stemmed from my family putting it into my head that I was doomed.

I, like you, did lots of studying on the job market within my desired field and that's why I thought my situation wasn't tooooo abnormal. My family had me starting to think otherwise.

But I'm still gonna look at this link because I can use it for reference.

Thank you

[MMorena]

Originally Posted by eyeb

Didn't mean to be disrespectful, just didn't have that kind of experience so I carry that to other professions as well

Half the interviews I got were from network so I didn't go through HR outside of sending them paperwork so I don't have much experience dealing with them either

To me, someone gets an entry job for a few months to a year then move up with that experience. I don't always mean switch companies, but up as in become a manager/supervisor then repeat in 5 years then again and again. Have an established career in late 20s to early 30s, won't be a glamorous job yet but have found a career in a field they can do until retirement. But the ones that seem angry/feel slighted doesn't seem to even know what kind of job they can be happy doing for 10 years much less 20-30 years or longer...

That's the biggest thing that I don't get with college kids thinking they can just land a dream job right out of school where they can stay in that one job until retirement... careers to me are by definition a succession of jobs that build upon each other to build a career, not any single "dream" job that they land just a few years out of school. The jobs change with life goals as well, which might change careers too but they could use the past jobs to build a new one

Considering you write like you have much life experience to speak on, you don't seem to have mastered the art of being understanding. Every post you've made in this thread has been GENERALIZATION after GENERALIZATION.

First you assumed I didn't work hard in college, when I had internships throughout, worked 2 jobs in school, paid what wasn't covered by scholarship ON MY OWN, and started the post grad application process my senior year.

Then you assumed another poster didn't "try" hard enough because they didn't receive enough interview offers? You do realize some send out 100 apps and only hear back from 15 of those jobs.

Then you assume college students...namely me, since I am the OP and a recent college grad, are all filled with unrealistic expectations.

Please tell me what in my 3 sentence ORIGINAL POST could of told you ANY of that???

You seem to be my elder so I don't wish to be rude but speaking too soon helps no one.

[sleepingnearthesea]

Originally Posted by eyeb

This is what I don't get... you took almost a year and only interviewed about once or twice a month? It just doesn't sound like you worked that hard to find a job...

And why didn't you take an entry level help desk job? You made the connection that it helps to have a network but failed to connect the dots that having an entry job still connects you with the entire company? You are much more likely to network with managers/upper level staff while working entry level than having no connection at all.

Good that you got a job eventually, but probably could have cut that time down by months if you took the first entry job then networked and moved up after working a bit to prove your skills

You're making a lot of wild assumptions. It wasn't that I wasn't working hard to find a job or applying for jobs. In my area, it's just rougher than it would be in a big city. I applied for every entry level position I could find, and even a bunch that really weren't and I knew were long shots at best. There simply aren't that many where I live, and no one wants to pay relocation for anyone entry level, nor could I afford to relocate.

Working help desk was my Plan B until I get into the interview and the people interviewing me have no idea why I would even want the job, and would rather talk about other places I've applied to for work instead of actually interviewing me for the position I've applied for. This actually happened on 3 different interviews.

[sleepingnearthesea]

Originally Posted by gnomatic

Where did you get your degree from? Was it a 4 year B.Sc.? Did you not do any internships? Were you only targeting local positions?

All the major tech companies (including HP) have separate recruitment program (often called "University Relations") for new grads and interns (paid, and done while still in school). They recruit from schools all over the country for entry level/new grad positions (2 years experience is consider a junior role, not entry level), usually starting in the fall. An honors Comp Sci grad from a decent program should have no problem finding a job, unless they interview really poorly.

University of Arkansas Fayetteville. It is a 4 year B.Sc. I did do an internship, and while they said they really enjoyed having me and that I did a great job, and I also enjoyed working there, they didn't want to offer me anything full time. I had to target only local positions. I applied to jobs all over the country from Google/MS/FB, bigger tech companies like AT&T/IBM/HP/Blizzard Ent/nVidia, Walmart, numerous hospitals both local and all over, and anything that I could find locally and went to every job fair I could find within 150 miles of me and I always tried to use the University angle because almost every big company has one. I never once heard back from any company outside of Arkansas and when I would contact HR to try to find out anything at all, it was always "we'll look into it and give you a call back" with no call being returned.

I thought I would have a fairly easy time getting a job. I really didn't. A recruiter finally flat out told me that most companies won't even look at an entry level applicant that's out of state, because they have no intention of paying relocation on someone with no experience. He worked for the Navy at Pt. Magu in California. One of the most helpful recruiters I talked with over the past year.

Maybe my interviews were poor, but a couple of times I did get feedback on the interview and it was always "the interview went great, your answers were really good", but it never led to an offer. Maybe they're full of it, maybe not. I don't really know. I'm not here to make a bunch of excuses, or even say that I'm perfect and I never did anything wrong. I know I did a TON of things wrong, some I would love to forget and never, ever remember again but I know that I won't because they were so horrifying. I just wanted to further explain how the past year has been for me.

[sleepingnearthesea]

Originally Posted by Poor Chemist

Aw man that sucks. I thought computer science was a high demand field. I was considering getting a masters in computer science if I get burned out with chemistry. Looks like I need to stick with chemistry regardless what happens at this point. I do believe it though. I know some mechanical engineers that graduated from Georgia Tech that took 6 months- a year to find a job because every entry level engineer position required 2+ years of experience and wanted them to be a certified engineer. My profession is pretty much driven by how much experience you have. If my job doesn't go perm next month, I am going to be working as a temp for 2-3 years before I acclumate enough experience for this picky employers. Just because the economy has significantly improved hasn't stopped these companies from being picky. The OP is in media and public relations, he is probably going to have to volunteer for 6 months to a year to get his foot in the door and that is worst than working as a temp because you don't get paid.

Comp Sci is in demand, but there's just so many people, both experienced and new, fighting for the same jobs. If there is one word I could use to describe my experience over the past year then it would be without a doubt "humbling". I never expected the moon, or 60k a year to start, or for the process to be so easy to the point where I would have 10 offers and I could just pick and choose the best from the pile. However, I never thought it would take a year. As I talk with more people like me in this position, the more I realize that it's far more common than I ever realized.

I'm just happy to have a job at this point. I've been looking for so long, and fighting for every interview I can get. Elation is the only word I could use to describe the feeling I had when the recruiter from HP called me to officially extend an offer. I'm not making anything close to what I see some people say they're making straight out of school, but it's good enough, and I can at least begin a career where I can learn and grow.

[ackmondual]

Originally Posted by Poor Chemist

Yes that is true that majority of contract to hire jobs do not go permanent and you end up as a permatemp. It happens a lot in our profession. He can keep networking and looking up to 6 months after his graduation date but he has to be careful. A gap in employment longer than 6 months looks negative on a resume; therefore, once he reaches the 6 months marks he then should consider a temp to hire job. Trust me I hated these 6 months I have worked as a temp and I am going to be really disappointed if I don't get hired on next month. The R&D manager likes me but I have to jump through all the hoops through HR (background check, salary specifications, etc) that can be a long process.

Why do they have to do that? I'm assuming that should've been done prior to being hired as a temp. It's like you need to go through the same hoops that should've been taken care of in the first place

[Poor Chemist]

Originally Posted by sleepingnearthesea

Comp Sci is in demand, but there's just so many people, both experienced and new, fighting for the same jobs. If there is one word I could use to describe my experience over the past year then it would be without a doubt "humbling". I never expected the moon, or 60k a year to start, or for the process to be so easy to the point where I would have 10 offers and I could just pick and choose the best from the pile. However, I never thought it would take a year. As I talk with more people like me in this position, the more I realize that it's far more common than I ever realized.

I'm just happy to have a job at this point. I've been looking for so long, and fighting for every interview I can get. Elation is the only word I could use to describe the feeling I had when the recruiter from HP called me to officially extend an offer. I'm not making anything close to what I see some people say they're making straight out of school, but it's good enough, and I can at least begin a career where I can learn and grow.

You work hard and you defiantly deserve your full time position. I agree my experience working as a temp these past few months have been humbling. It has humbled my classmates too. Many blame the reason candidates can't get quality jobs in their profession because they restrict their job search to their local area. I've applied for several chemists jobs out of state and they would email me back stating "we are only considering local candidates only" I don't have the money to drop on another apartment in a place like California or Boston were chemists are demand. I am also in the middle of a lease on my current apartment. I had a classmate that had to lie about his address on his application and resume to get an interview for an out of state position. He looked up apartments in the local area where the position was located on apartments.com and put that address on his resume. The job was at 3M in Minnesota. He flew up to Minnesota for the interview and a week later they offered him the job. He started in June and said he loves the job. He was quite nervous that the company was going to find out that he did not have a local address on the background check and human resources said they couldn't verify his address. He stated that he has only been living at the location for a month so it's probably not showing up on the background check. He feels guilty that he had to lie about his address but he said he was desperate for a job. I try to take it easy on people who are having trouble finding a job because there are several circumstances beyond their control for why they are having trouble securing a full time position in their field and it's defiantly not because they are lazy, incompetent in their profession, or because they have too high expectations. I didn't think I was too good for a temp to hire job as a chemist so I accepted it because it was the only job offer that I had in my area. Some of my other classmates that are still looking for work turn up their nose when I suggest them to drop their resume off at a staffing agency m. They said "I refuse to work a temp job, the employers treat you like a second class citizen and they give you menial tasks to do" what they are saying is partly true but where I work they treat the temps and regular employees as equal as all the regular employees started off as temps themselves. My position is expected to go full time in two weeks when the 180 day period from where the client cannot hire me without penality. Fingers crossed, everything falls in place. I already filled out the necessary documents with HR, just waiting for these 180 days to be officially over so I can break away from Aerotek. I will let you know when my job becomes permanent.

[e130478]

If you have a CS degree and don't get callbacks on at least half the positions to which you apply, either your resume is poor or you went to a junk school. It is really that hot out there for this line of work. There are companies that are paying teachable students to attend coding bootcamps in order to place them in full-time jobs afterward. If you have an actual degree and can solve technical questions in an interview (this is where I assume most C.S. grads fail and bounce out of the interview process) then you should have zero difficulty finding work, even in less populated areas of the country.