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I'm not new to online forums but this is my first post here.
I graduated from college in June 2011 with a degree in biological sciences and have since been trying -unsuccessfully- to find a job.
For about the past eight months now I've applied for dozens upon dozens of jobs and haven't managed to get even a single interview or even a phone call about a potential job. I've been applying mostly for entry level jobs in my field (such as lab assistant, etc.) and for jobs like administrative assistant or clerk and whatnot but no luck. I've even started applying for other kinds of jobs at local businesses and fast food joints but haven't had any luck there either.
It's really becoming frustrating and even a little heartbreaking because I spent all that time and effort in college and now here I am, broke and unemployed with a mountain of debt. Things have become so bad I'm risking falling behind on payments and can barely make ends meet. The thing is, I'm not sure where I'm going wrong. I don't have a lot of experience to put on my resume but I have a little (internship, a little volunteering, etc.) in addition to my education. I'm just not sure what to say when I get rejection emails from places like Chipotle or Target for jobs like burrito maker and restocker.
I've been told that places like restaurants and stores don't like to hire someone with a degree because they think someone without one would be more inclined to stay employed with them longer and that they have to pay them less, or something to that effect. But on the other hand, a major problem for me getting a job in my field is that I don't have any actual work experience being in a lab. Most of the time I don't meet all of the requirements for the jobs I apply for but sometimes I do and still haven't been getting anything.
Can anyone please help shed some light on my dilemma? Any advice or tips would be welcome. I've been searching around on the internet and asking friends who have jobs but I'm kind of looking for the opinion of someone outside my normal network of friends/family. Thanks for reading.
First of all, you have to know that it's just not you that is dealing with this. There's a lot of people out there in the same dire situation you're in right now, can't find a job to support themselves or worse their families (if they have kids).
Nowadays, you submit your resume to an ad online and you won't get called back period, let alone an interview. So you can imagine how easy it is to become frustrated, depressed and lose hope.
You know, I do have one question. Don't the colleges offer employment/career counseling with help to find a job at graduation? This is such a common story these days - graduates with no jobs and a mountain of debt. Back in the day, corporation recruiters were on campus recruiting people.
Job market, today, of course is different. But anyone in school the past three years had to know how hard it would be upon graduation. It would seem to me the colleges should have been very proactive on behalf of their students - for years now - rather than throwing y'all to the wolves. It's a whole new world out there - and has been for a while now.
You should have told them you are an illegal from Honduras and you will work under the table. You would have had that job before they even met you.
How willing are you to sacrifice every moral fiber of your soul?
Other than that, you're in the same boat with a lot of other folks today. The ship is sinking, and the sun is setting on this empire. Expect more of the same, as the government attempts to legislate prosperity at every turn, while further indenturing you to debt you have no hope of ever overcoming. Thank your politicians
High school people aren't getting hired either, so don't assume it's because of your degree. The whole job process for fast food joints and the like has changed for the worse.
I think biologists, chemists, and chemical/material engineers are some of the worst treated folks in the realm of the hard sciences... not that life is a bowl of cherries for everyone else. Andywire summed it up well when he talked about the sun setting on this empire. We have lots of talk, attempts to magically create or print wealth, and not a lot of useful action.
I would check into your college's career services center - they usually are willing to help relatively recent graduates. Heck, the college might even have some relavent position you can fill - check out their website and look around.
Use any connections you have, even if all they can do is pass your resume along or give you good ideas regarding places to look for a job.
Folks with a college degree will rarely be hired for minimum wage jobs. There are some exceptions, such as locations without other sources of labor or bookstores and Starbucks, from what I hear, but that's about it... oh, and maybe more "tech" jobs like Best Buy's "Geek Squad" or Apple stores.
I wish I could offer more ideas. It is brutal out there, and many people are suffering.
I would suggest you check any and all government job sites. With a science degree, there has to be something - either for the US govt, or one of the states. Expand your horizons to everywhere. I've never forgotten a guy on C-D about 18 months ago, was unemployed in Indiana and got a job in D.C. with the U. S. govt. in plant pathology. He did have some experience. Here's his story. Start with Post #13 - screen name uggabugga:
You know, I do have one question. Don't the colleges offer employment/career counseling with help to find a job at graduation? This is such a common story these days - graduates with no jobs and a mountain of debt. Back in the day, corporation recruiters were on campus recruiting people.
Job market, today, of course is different. But anyone in school the past three years had to know how hard it would be upon graduation. It would seem to me the colleges should have been very proactive on behalf of their students - for years now - rather than throwing y'all to the wolves. It's a whole new world out there - and has been for a while now.
Contrary to belief, schools feel as though they have no obligation to help you out whatsoever. I went to my school for some guidance and help, they weren't able to help me outside of revising my resume here and there, but nowadays it takes more than a piece of paper to get you a job.
One person even told me something to the effect of, "Oh well we don't give handouts to college students." I never asked for a handout, but I think if I invested all my time, energy, and money into this school, then I think you all should do more for your alumni than just revising resumes.
Then these schools have the nerve to ask the alumni for money...pssh!
It is odd that you haven't received any interest or interviews from all of your applications. If I were you I would get my resume and cover letter looked at ASAP because that may be where your problem lies. If there are flaws in either of those documents, employers aren't going to call you for an interview. Your resume and cover letter are your best initial selling points.
Go to your schools career center and get tips on how to tailor your resume so that you are able to obtain an entry level position in your field. At your college career center they should also offer mock interviews, career fairs, and/or a job board that you as an alumni have access to. Take advantage of all of these things. Ask your career counselor if there is a veteran alumni in your field that you can "shadow" or do a mock interview with. Look at other colleges in your area to see about job hiring fairs that they are hosting and find a way to go. Email companies in your field to see if they have any internships available. Or reach out to these companies and offer to do research/work for free for the sake of experience.
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I never asked for a handout, but I think if I invested all my time, energy, and money into this school, then I think you all should do more for your alumni than just revising resumes.
