how did you guys land your first job right out of college?

[BOOSTFTW]

Hey guys,

I graduated a few months ago with a degree in Finance/Management/Economics from a very reputable University in Socal. I've now relocated back home in Norcal and have yet to to land anything. My unemployment gap is widening and I'm beginning to worry. My parents are threatening to kick me out, I'm running out of money, and banks are requesting payments on my student loans-- I'm in a terrible state right now. I was just wondering how you guys landed your first job out of college because there are virtually no entry level positions on the market right now. Help a brotha out! Thanks in advance!

PS: please PM me if you don't feel like putting it out there for the public to see, lol.

[rodi]

that sucks man, I'm sorry to hear that.
have you tried looking in other areas? maybe relocating is going to give you the best options?

doesn't your school offer any placement/job listings/whatever?

[onesuperboi]

I feel your frustration.

Good luck in the Bay Area. You had to have a super good GPA from your school in order to get some position in finance that is not sales related.

I got my undergraduate and graduate degree in finance and had no chance finding a job. They all want experience of some sort and the graduate degree did not substitute for years of experience. And, after the financial crisis hit, a lot of people with experience lost their jobs; those are the ones that you'll end up competing with for any position that you find.

[timn]

Leverage your friends. It makes getting your foot in the door that much easier.

* Tell them *exactly* what you are looking for.
* Look at their company websites and see if any positions match what you're looking for. Ask if they have a referral bonus (so they can get paid and give them incentive to champion you)
* Ask them to ask their friends if they have any openings (you can tell them exactly what you're looking for, right?)

If you tell them you want a job in "finance", your friends might not be able to ask their friends on your behalf.

Good luck!

P.S. you might want to post what job you're looking for and maybe someone from e90 can help you out!

[BOOSTFTW]

Originally Posted by rodi

that sucks man, I'm sorry to hear that.
have you tried looking in other areas? maybe relocating is going to give you the best options?

doesn't your school offer any placement/job listings/whatever?

yeah, I don't mind relocating. But the problem is, there are still no entry level positions available, it seems as though employers only recruit for entry level positions.

my school already cut me off of their job search website.

Originally Posted by onesuperboi

I feel your frustration.

Good luck in the Bay Area. You had to have a super good GPA from your school in order to get some position in finance that is not sales related.

I got my undergraduate and graduate degree in finance and had no chance finding a job. They all want experience of some sort and the graduate degree did not substitute for years of experience. And, after the financial crisis hit, a lot of people with experience lost their jobs; those are the ones that you'll end up competing with for any position that you find.

I have a decent GPA but did not graduate with honors. Perhaps I should have taken up on those internship offers while in college even though they clashed with my class schedule.

[BOOSTFTW]

Originally Posted by timn

Leverage your friends. It makes getting your foot in the door that much easier.

* Tell them *exactly* what you are looking for.
* Look at their company websites and see if any positions match what you're looking for. Ask if they have a referral bonus (so they can get paid and give them incentive to champion you)
* Ask them to ask their friends if they have any openings (you can tell them exactly what you're looking for, right?)

If you tell them you want a job in "finance", your friends might not be able to ask their friends on your behalf.

Good luck!

P.S. you might want to post what job you're looking for and maybe someone from e90 can help you out!

Thanks! I'll see what I can do

[Blake]

applied at burger king

[Year's_End]

damn i good go for some bk triht now

[Year's_End]

oh shit ive got white castles in my freezer. god. damn.

[Blake]

Originally Posted by Nikkahtropolis

oh shit ive got white castles in my freezer. god. damn.

[RP86]

Well there is always the good ole U.S. Military...you might be thinking, i dont wanna go to war..well 1st off I'm not a recruiter, but since you did say you needed some help here is my outlook..

the army pays 65k back on school loans
you would be an officer which looks good on a resume
you would be good for a few years..depending if the world ends in 2012 hahah
people have more options than they think, you just gotta be willing to settle outside of your dream life and real life

[JayKay335i]

time to sell the bmw

[Year's_End]

these white castles are dee-licious

[BMW F22]

From what I've learned and see, it takes anywhere from 6 months to 2 years for a college grad to land a job. The secret is to land a decent job and look for other things while you're working that job. I think most people have this false sense that they will land that dream job right after they graduate. That's just simply not true due to many factors: economy, luck, gpa, networking, etc.

So go apply for a job, any job. It can be in sales, marketing, anything to support yourself in the mean time. The economy still sucks right now so jobs are not as plentiful as they were before. As for finding a job in your major, networking is key. You should ask your friends/former classmates (think facebook) if there's anything at their work. You can be proactive and go to local companies and ask them (ask to speak with the finance manager/controller). G'luck.

[AMERICUS]

Ouch, in the midwest well over 50% of the graduates had a job lined up before graduation. At least in my field, engineering / manufacturing.

Originally Posted by BMW E90

From what I've learned and see, it takes anywhere from 6 months to 2 years for a college grad to land a job. The secret is to land a decent job and look for other things while you're working that job. I think most people have this false sense that they will land that dream job right after they graduate. That's just simply not true due to many factors: economy, luck, gpa, networking, etc.

So go apply for a job, any job. It can be in sales, marketing, anything to support yourself in the mean time. The economy still sucks right now so jobs are not as plentiful as they were before. As for finding a job in your major, networking is key. You should ask your friends/former classmates (think facebook) if there's anything at their work. You can be proactive and go to local companies and ask them (ask to speak with the finance manager/controller). G'luck.

[BMW F22]

Originally Posted by AMERICUS

Ouch, in the midwest well over 50% of the graduates had a job lined up before graduation. At least in my field, engineering / manufacturing.

Yeah it might be dependent on regions but around here most people don't have jobs lined up after graduation.

[Verbiage]

Didn't go to/finish college lol. Did a year, then left after finances went sour so as to avoid a situation like this one. Good luck man. If you've got a solid resume, look into some temp agencies to keep you afloat.

[Freakazoid]

if I read you correctly, you didn't do an internship. Not doing an internship is probably what is screwing you over the most. Personally as a guy who does some hiring, I would never hire a new grad who had never worked at anything even close to the field in his life.

My bud did the same thing out this way and it screwed him over too, he ended up having to start an entry level job getting paid next jack (in fact I think he might have been working for free for the first 6 months). It sucks something horrible, but it can get you a foot in if you don't have the networking setup.

[Verbiage]

...relationships are absolutely critical, too. Especially in these times.

[BTM]

Job market is shit, esp for recent grads. Without deep connections willing to lay their reputation on the line for you, most people being hired are previously employed professionals being hired back at 2/3 their salary. We might be displaced for a while...IF you can find it take an entry level/bitch work (read: secretary) at a firm you would like to move up in, and work your ass off and be prepared to make $15/hr. Or continue to study and better your education...get your licenses, go to grad school (can usually defer payments on current loans), etc...

At least you're not in law. I've been waited on by wayyy too many lawyers this past year...sad really. Most people I know without connections are stuck working 2 jobs at best buy type places. If you need money, consider ditching some of your more expensive assets (cars?)

[ac1208]

Network with your school's alumni. It is important to know what exactly in finance that you want to do, and do extensive research on the type of roles you are interested in [FO/MO/BO]. Research on the alumni's background and show genuine interest in how they entered the industry or how they got to where they are today. Let them know you are looking for opportunities in the industry and possibly their companies, they will try to help you if you can show them you are smart (again, do your research).

If you haven't done so already, see if you have any family connections that are in the industry.

Networking is key.

As mentioned above, find a decent job to get your foot in the door, rack up some experience and while doing so, don't give up on the job search. If you are doing nothing now, beef up your resume through volunteering, etc.

[ragingclue]

Originally Posted by Freakazoid

if I read you correctly, you didn't do an internship. Not doing an internship is probably what is screwing you over the most. Personally as a guy who does some hiring, I would never hire a new grad who had never worked at anything even close to the field in his life.

My bud did the same thing out this way and it screwed him over too, he ended up having to start an entry level job getting paid next jack (in fact I think he might have been working for free for the first 6 months). It sucks something horrible, but it can get you a foot in if you don't have the networking setup.

+1

I had a lot of buddies that worked their asses off and made their schedule fit internships and co-ops, as painful as it was. I had others who didn't bother. It made a big difference. As you can see, OP, everyone wants experience but no one wants to be the one to give it to you.

The only advice I can really give is to keep positive about the situation and be confident you'll land a job and if you're lucky, a career spot. It's ok to have constraints on where/what you'll accept or apply for, but don't forget beggars can't be choosers.

And honestly the military route is one to look into if that's something you'd consider doing anyway. If not, then don't bother. You could always try to get into Club Med (US Chair Force) and with a degree, you'd be looking at being commissioned instead of enlisted, which is always better (unless you like grunt work).