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.
One thing you could do is delay your graduation until the economy recovers or go to grad school. Many people who were to graduate in 2008 and 2009 ended up delaying their graduation or going on to grad school. There isn't much worse for one's career and future prospects than graduating into a recession. Research shows those who graduate into a recession (the lucky ones) who are able to maintain their chosen careers still end up making far less than their peers who graduate into economic growth.
I'd like to see that research...
I feel great now knowing that I won't be making much compared to my peers lol. I made more than I thought I'd get because of this recession but had friends make top 25% right out of school.
I think I can get 5-7k elsewhere but I didn't want to stay unemployed with jobs being so scarce.
I got my first "real" full-time job in 2003. I had spent a year reading job ads, so I knew what to expect. I expected to make $30,000 a year, and my first job paid $32,500. I'm at home with a child right now, but unfortunately if I were to return to a FT job in my same field I'd probably be lucky these days to make that same salary. In my field, by the way, the salaries don't seem to vary drastically by location. I interviewed for jobs paying around $30,000 in both small towns, as well as in major cities. Some of the best-paying jobs were in medium-sized cities with low cost of living, which was a surprise. I think part of it was perhaps that in the big cities employers could get away with paying people less because they knew they'd still have plenty of highly qualified applicants willing to work for that salary.
I really did not look for a career after college, but rather focused on just earning money, and getting useful experience. After I finish LS if I end up working where I am interning I hope to be at around $40K + bennies starting since I am doing public work and perhaps $60k-80K (if I am lucky) several years in once I have some good lit. experience. Maybe more or less if I go into private practice which is probably unlikely.
Straight out of school in the summer of 2008 (with a Management Information Systems degree) the job I took in San Antonio started me at 36k...in that same job, a promotion and raise (and about 2 years of time) later and I'm making about 43k. Maybe this year (third year working) it'll be about 45k if I'm lucky in terms of bonus and raise.
There are people with my same degree that graduated at the same time that make more, both with and without relevant experience, just depending on their job role, company, and cost of living where they are employed.
Some expect 50k. But that's an unrealistic expectation, unless you're working in a high cost of living area.
I think some people are more realistic. I am.
But 20k is too low. You can make that with a high school diploma. What's the point of going to college just to make 20k?
I think there is a happy medium. Something in the 30,000's
In Silicon Valley, my secretary earns about 65K before overtime. (All the secretaries have BA degrees, to the best of my knowledge, althought there probably is an exception to the rule somewhere.)
Some expect 50k. But that's an unrealistic expectation, unless you're working in a high cost of living area.
I think some people are more realistic. I am.
But 20k is too low. You can make that with a high school diploma. What's the point of going to college just to make 20k?
I think there is a happy medium. Something in the 30,000's
You may find that under $20k may be all there is in ones field. I was hoping for $40k for my first year of my first "professional" job (as a graphic designer). Boy, what a shock,,,,,, when the only job offered paid 6 bucks an hour to start (it did quickly go to $8) with crappy benefits. Six dollars an hour falls far short of 20k. And I was lucky, most of the other people in my class had to work freelance, temporary type jobs for the first couple of years after school before they got crummy low pay full time gigs. I had been making far more money part time during school doing maintenance work.
The thing is, all these schools with art programs(not just the for-profits) are still telling people that graphic design jobs pay $30k and up to start and $60k for more experienced people. They do not, not even in Chicago or New York, hardly low cost areas. I have never met a designer that made anywhere near that (and I live near Chicago, a major market for graphic artists). Never the less I never made much money as a graphic designer the almost ten years I did it. I loved doing the work, but it never paid the bills. I now work in real estate where I can earn more in one day (not that the money is all that great lately) then for a couple of months doing design.
I tell all grads that the shock is going to hurt because the vast majority will earn FAR LESS then they are hoping for. If you get more then what you are hoping for consider yourself lucky because you are the exception not the rule. One has to be in something like computers to be the exception, degrees in the humanities or the arts will only get very low pay and that is if you can even find a job in your field.
I'm thinking 75-80k, but I will be coming out with a grad school degree. The median starting salary with my degree in 2009 was 83.5k. I realize we have since hit a recession so I will be content with the lower end of that median. I have had interviews with a few employers and have found out 70k+ is in their negotiation range, so it is not out of the question.
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.
lol. I made more than I thought I'd get because of this recession but had friends make top 25% right out of school. 
