Unemployment rates rise for college graduates
For those of you who feel this way, now is the perfect time for a wake-up call.
The impulse at the start of every new academic year is to offer advice or suggestions on how to make the most of the college experience. But what students really need to be talking about is not how to make friends or which classes are the best — it's how to face the challenges of the outside world.
One of those challenges is employment. According to the Associated Press, more than 53 percent of college graduates under 25 were unemployed or underemployed compared to their education level and field of study. This is not just your parents' paranoia talking: A four-year degree does not directly translate into a salary that is any better than our two-year and trade school peers. For most of us, no matter our major, four years of school will leave us with a mountain of debt and a set of skills that few people are looking for and even fewer are willing to pay a competitive buck to have.
Even worse, many of us will leave college with little or no idea of how to manage ourselves financially. It's easy to pick up a few business classes, but it's hard to learn how to personally manage debt and savings in a way that builds individual wealth. That takes time, patience and planning — three qualities that are always in short supply, no matter the age group. We, as a generation, grew up with the Great Recession and the global financial crisis, and ahead of all others, we should learn the lesson that personal accountability is the only thing you can rely on when it comes to your money.
As we return to another semester at USC, the real commitment we should make is to improving ourselves for the world outside college. It all starts with a little extra focus. Budget your expenses for the semester and for the year. Start to look at job offers in your field, and take note of the specific skills that employers want from entry-level workers. College is only one step in a process meant to create capable young professionals. If we continue to treat it as an escape, the optimism we feel now as a new year starts will blind us to the rude awakening in store at graduation.
It's never too early to prepare for what lies ahead.
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