jobs are very hard to find for recent grads.

Anonymous
This WaPo article linked below reminds me of my 1990 job search right after college.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/...rce-gen-z-challenge/

Many of the prestige, high-paying employers and industries that recruit new college grads took a break in hiring starting last year.

In the spring of 2024, my B-school had a job market webinar. At that time, several speakers commented that the hiring could be expected to fall off in summer through the Presidential election based on historical patterns.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Just weighing in here. My DD is at a fairly highly ranked business school undergrad, going into senior year. She struggled quite a bit freshman year, did better sophomore year, then failed an important class fall of junior year. She has really gotten her act together after that (she has severe ADHD--works hard, but could never find the secret sauce for certain types of classes, until now). But because of that, was never able to get a solid internship. She has some finance work she has done that can go on her resume, but other than that, really needs to focus on grades this semester. This job search thing is really stressing her out. I told her to just focus on the moment she's in now. Make the most of the last year she has at this incredible university now that she has really figured out how to "learn," and for the first time in her life is actually enjoying being in the classroom. For this reason, job hunting will take a back seat. It's probably horrible advice, but I just don't see how she'll get a job with a less than mediocre transcript and a need to really focus on her grades, which she struggles with.


Very similar to my friend whose son just finished his degree in May. He had to really focus on passing his classes and had to take some extra classes also. She said between that and other personal issues, he put job hunting on the back burner. As fortune would have it, he starts full time job related to his field after Labor Day. Good luck to your daughter!
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I heard even fresh grads with CS from top 10 CS schools are also having a hard time.


Yes, my nephew graduated from CM and had an offer rescinded at a big tech company. He was devastated. He'd put a deposit down on an apartment in that city and everything. The company made cutbacks/layoffs and rescinded several job offers. He'd even interned at the same company the summer before his senior year.

My sister & BIL had to pay to break his lease because that was cheaper than them paying his rent in that city for the next X months while he looked for a new job.

My BIL said he applied to over 100 jobs but only received a handful of interviews. He ended up getting a job with a smaller newish company in the DMV area. He's living at home and applying to everything he comes across. I don't know what his salary is but my sis said it wouldn't even cover 1 year of tuition at CM.


Sorry to hear about this but be confident that your nephew will do very well with that Carnegie Mellon degree.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I dunno. Im hiring stem grads and cant find many qualified. 3.5 and up GPA, good class experience and willing to work in person every day. And this is for $80k and up.


We also are hiring STEM, want 3.0 GPA, US citizenship, work in the building daily.

Several promising candidates say they will only work fully remote - and their resume address is 20-25 minutes away (so it is not someone applying from Kansas).


Aha! This unwillingness to go into the office is underreported and must be a major factor. My son got a great job well before he graduated but he had to move to another city and go into the office 5x daily. He loves it because this is a big employer with 200 new hires right out of college.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:No idea what CMU tuition costs, but the Federal government will usually hire a CS new grad with at least a 3.0 GPA at around GS-7 pay plus the computer science plus-up (worth about 3 steps, I think).

Local places STEM majors should apply include contractors like MItre and Aerospace and IDA and CNA or government (NIST, NIH, ARL, NSWC, NRL, USPTO, NAVSEA). NSA also reportedly hires tons and tons of CS graduates at Ft Meade.

I have to believe that if a recent CS grad applied to all of those that at least some would want to interview the student.


This is NOT a wise decision or investment. CMU costs 84K/year (post-tax money) to attend and GS-7 step 1 is around 56K/year (pre-tax money) in the DMV. People do not attends CMU for a GS-7 government job.

Jeez Louise. It doesn’t stay a GS-7 job forever.


You must be from a rich family. Unfortunately, most people do NOT.

In order to make 84K/year (post-tax money), you have to be a GS-13 step 4. That will take about four years to get there. Therefore, you run a deficit in the first four years. Let say you attend CMU on student loan of 300K, it is not a wise idea to take that government job. Just saying.


Just saying - kids are not allowed to take out $300k in student loans. If the parents did this, shame on them. You do not compute a deficit based on earnings vs cost of education. That would be an RoI calculation and the earliest you would do that is five years out, then again every five years. $56k would be tough in DC but with roommates and a place in the burbs it would be do-able, though tight.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:In order to make 84K/year (post-tax money), you have to be a GS-13 step 4. That will take about four years to get there. Therefore, you run a deficit in the first four years. Let say you attend CMU on student loan of 300K, it is not a wise idea to take that government job. Just saying.


DP. I started out of school as a GS-9 and ended up as a 15 after 8 years before leaving and now make $260k. Plus government has student loan repayment programs. GS-7 is not beneath a new grad, even one that went to an expensive school.


GS-7 is NOT beneath for a new grad but it is also not a good idea to get that GS-7 job if you have 300K in student loan from CMU.

As of August 2024, federal student loan interest rates range from 6.53% to 9.08%. For example, if you had $300,000 in federal student loans and paid them off over 10 years at a 6.22% interest rate, your monthly payment would be $3,364.


Folks: NO undergraduate has $300k in federal student loans. If their parents took out federal “parent plus” loans in $300k, that is on the parents.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Things my dc did as an intern that get them a full time job offer. Went into the office everyday even when option to work at home. Smiled at people. Engaged in conversation with everyone, especially the admins. Offered to help, Jane needs help making 500 copies, oh of course I will help. Attended all intern events. As they met people at the company connected via LinkedIn. All things which are simple but to this generation are a struggle.


THIS. Yes! Similar story to my kid. Be sure your kid is polite, social and understands the office environment.
Anonymous
Should’ve been an accountant.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:CS is mentioned often in this thread.

Any insight into how the market has been for new grads in accounting, finance and the like?


Accounting is very strong - there is a national shortage.

Finance is hiring but you need to be top of the heap at your school for a good job, plus be able to network your way into a job if attending a non-target school.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:In order to make 84K/year (post-tax money), you have to be a GS-13 step 4. That will take about four years to get there. Therefore, you run a deficit in the first four years. Let say you attend CMU on student loan of 300K, it is not a wise idea to take that government job. Just saying.


DP. I started out of school as a GS-9 and ended up as a 15 after 8 years before leaving and now make $260k. Plus government has student loan repayment programs. GS-7 is not beneath a new grad, even one that went to an expensive school.


GS-7 is NOT beneath for a new grad but it is also not a good idea to get that GS-7 job if you have 300K in student loan from CMU.

As of August 2024, federal student loan interest rates range from 6.53% to 9.08%. For example, if you had $300,000 in federal student loans and paid them off over 10 years at a 6.22% interest rate, your monthly payment would be $3,364.


Except, again, there are programs for this. Income-based repayment, public sector loan forgiveness, and agency-specific student loan repayment programs. A new grad with debt looking for a job should not exclude these options.


This is definitely a consideration. My friend's agency paid off all her law school loans and now she's using an agency program that will pay a chunk of loans for her DD's college.


This is phenomenal.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the notion of graduating and then looking for a job. Are these kids really just applying to random jobs with no specific plan??

I spent all four years of undergrad networking, interning, volunteering and strategizing so I'd have a job post-graduation. I knew I couldn't live at home again (mentally unstable parents) so I got off my tush and worked it. I did something to build my career options every summer and every semester of college. I had plans A, B, C and D, with sub options in the wings. My resume was highly tuned and demonstrated specialization in several highly desirable skills and I had recommendations from several folks who were well respected in their industries. I received several job offers by January of senior year. Waiting until graduation or close to graduation to find a job is stupid IMO.


Same! After several internships, I had my job lined up early in my senior year. I felt pressure to leave school with a job. My parents sacrificed for my education, and there was no way I was going to ask them for more financial support after paying for four years of an expensive private education. I have no empathy for the kids who start looking for employment after graduation. It screems of codependency.


A lot of these upper middle class kids never have had any type of job. The same parents who pay $60k a year for school are the type who don't make their kids work in high school or college because they don't need the money. Working in high school and/or college is not just about the money but also about learning people skills and how to get along in the professional world. A lot of this is on the parents.


+1 Some Bethesda neighbors looked quizzical that our kids were working in the summer at minimum wage jobs instead of flying off somewhere to pay to do charity work. Our kid accepted a six figure job offer before graduating. Many of these kids who have never earned a buck on their own end up coming back home for a year while applying to graduate programs.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Why so many wealthy kids from good schools and connected families go for federal jobs?

Do they?


I’m only aware of a very few at State, CIA, FBI, NIST, and Secret Service. Not that popular an option but after law school DoJ and other agencies become very attractive.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the notion of graduating and then looking for a job. Are these kids really just applying to random jobs with no specific plan??

I spent all four years of undergrad networking, interning, volunteering and strategizing so I'd have a job post-graduation. I knew I couldn't live at home again (mentally unstable parents) so I got off my tush and worked it. I did something to build my career options every summer and every semester of college. I had plans A, B, C and D, with sub options in the wings. My resume was highly tuned and demonstrated specialization in several highly desirable skills and I had recommendations from several folks who were well respected in their industries. I received several job offers by January of senior year. Waiting until graduation or close to graduation to find a job is stupid IMO.


Same, but without the unstable parent situation.

Probably triple tracked my grad plans with lsat test, banking recruiting in the fall and internship offer at Fed reserve bank. Never took the lsat, had an offer by Christmas 2000. Then the market tanked and things were dicey, but I made it through 3+ years in nyc summer 2001-2003.

Did same thing when switching jobs or considering b school. Interviewed for jobs plus applied, took the best option, didn’t dwell on it.



This is the part I don’t really understand. In the two areas I went into from undergrad and grad school, recruiting took place during the year before graduation. Is that not common in some fields?


For big programs at larger companies yes they recruit 9-18 mos ahead of time. So that would be if OPs young adult wanted to do sales & trading, or equity research in healthcare or Pharma companies or corp finance/banking in the health care group.

Corp jobs hire ppl with 2-4 years of experience from that, or if have a training program hire as needed from undergrads. Amgen? Pfizer? Eli Lilly? Go to europe? Startups?


PP here. I realize that and I think this is kind of my point. I did undergrad in a business program and tons of companies recruited there through a formal process and most kids left with jobs in hand (and this was 2010/2011 when the job market was much worse). I guess this isn’t common in other academic areas then? If the ivies are so great you would think they would have this figured out.


PP, would you mind naming your undergrad institution?
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

Because for a recent grad, it helps you pass through initial screening, for jobs, grad schools, social situations etc.


I don’t think T-10 is that important - my kid went to UMD (ranked about 50) over a T10 (northwestern), most companies recruit from both schools. A few companies don’t (McKinsey, Bain, etc.). Interned at a B4 (got the job through on campus recruiting), received a return offer, starts in September. On campus recruiting for internships/jobs is important and most schools have many major employers attending.


ditto ( CS major)


My DS recently graduated from an Ivy with a CS degree and is still looking for a job. My brother worked for Intel and he got layoff. My sister worked for Dell and she also got layoff. The job market is terrible right now.


Lots of teaching jobs to be filled.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I dunno. Im hiring stem grads and cant find many qualified. 3.5 and up GPA, good class experience and willing to work in person every day. And this is for $80k and up.


We also are hiring STEM, want 3.0 GPA, US citizenship, work in the building daily.

Several promising candidates say they will only work fully remote - and their resume address is 20-25 minutes away (so it is not someone applying from Kansas).


Aha! This unwillingness to go into the office is underreported and must be a major factor. My son got a great job well before he graduated but he had to move to another city and go into the office 5x daily. He loves it because this is a big employer with 200 new hires right out of college.


+1 Take the in-office job, especially the in-office internship. Much better for making a good first impression and learning office etiquette, business social skills, etc. My son, just started senior year, had a 100% in-office internship this summer at a firm with a big intern program. Had a great experience and they are keeping him on the books part time during the school year (10ish hrs per week) with an expectation that it will convert to a regular full time job after graduation. He's not 100% sure that's the job he wants but so great to have it in hand while he also explores other options. And the security clearance he got for the internship is a big asset.
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