Career Moves: How your first job out of college can change your life

Congrats grad (or dare we say—conGRADs)!

You did it! You finally got your Bachelor of Arts or Sciences degree in that field you studied!

So…what now?

It’s easy to slip back in to your home routine once you’re done school—especially in the summer. This could mean working at your internship from last summer or enjoying the kids at summer camp again or picking up more hours at the local restaurant where the tips are just fabulous!  This is the right time to transition from school-you to workforce-you, and of course put some much-needed experience on your resume and cash in your pocket (well, direct deposit in your checking account), particularly while looking for full-time job.

“Graduating from College is exciting, transitioning to the workforce can be challenging.  Contemporary Staffing Solutions has hundreds of clients that want to hire you! Feel free to upload your resume on our website and reach out to us to get your foot in the door! Our clients pay us to find you, you pay nothing and just need to be prepared and passionate about learning how to help your next employer grow!” says Sharon Tsao, CMO, Contemporary Staffing Solutions.

What are the facts?

According to research conducted by Burning Glass Technologies, “college graduates who start out underemployed are likely to stay that way for years.”

Underemployed here means working a position that you are overqualified for, as in jobs that don’t require a Bachelor’s degree.

The report says that about 40% of recent college grads are underemployed and it is hard to leave these positions, as two-thirds of that initial 40% are still underemployed after five years. This can be devastatingly detrimental, the report implies, as it is estimated that underemployed grads “earn $10,000 less annually than graduates working in traditional college-level jobs.”

What this means for you:

While this report may be scary to those who are underemployed, being in whatever position you may be in after graduation is not the end of the world!

Let’s face it—finding a job immediately out of college is not easy, and recent job seekers know this all too well. However, maybe you should broaden the type of position you’re looking for. When looking for a job, even if it doesn’t require a Bachelor’s degree, consider this: is it in your field?

Getting your foot in the door in your field (and in a professional setting) as soon as possible after graduation is the most important thing you can do for career.

For a Business major, maybe this means taking a temporary office position that only requires a high school diploma. For a Communications major, maybe this means taking an entry-level marketing position. For a Fashion major, maybe this means taking an entry-level retail job and working your way up. For a Hospitality major, maybe this means taking an entry-level position at a restaurant in pursuit of eventually becoming management and in the corporate office.

Taking an entry-level position in your field, regardless of educational requirements, allows you to gain necessary experience that employers in your field will look out for when the time comes for you to move up and on to better, more applicable positions. You must also advocate for yourself in your workplace and continue to inquire about how you can take on more responsibility and prove your competencies so when the promotion comes you, you’re the 1^st person they think of.

(Keep in mind: if you can’t find any position, you can always gain some experience in your field through volunteering!)

We can help!

You don’t have to search for a job all on your own though, our amazing recruiters at Contemporary Staffing Solutions can help you find a professional position in Accounting and Finance, Sales and Marketing, Office and Call Centers, Human Resources, and Tech! Reach out to us at 888-2-MY-JOBS and find positions at ContemporaryStaffing.com!

We are always looking for recent grads to take on Sales and Recruiting positions, regardless of previous experience!

We also have plenty of helpful resources to help recent grads navigate the work world with our blogs that are entirely dedicated to you! Here you can find articles relevant to you, like preparing for your first interview, how to negotiate your first salary, and how we can help you with your job search!

Read More helpful & inspiring tips here.

Contemporary Staffing connects job seekers to hiring managers nationally in the following professions: Accounting & Finance, Call Center & Office, Human Resources, IT, Salesforce, and Sales & Marketing.