2024 College Graduates, how’s the job market?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have an apartment over our garage in a desirable neighborhood and because of that we've housed 4 kids from the class of 2023 while they've searched for jobs over the last year (including my DS). The physics major landed a job first at a cybersecurity start-up paying $65k a year. The business major, a kid who had the best EQ of the 4, landed a job paying about $80k but it took way more time than he expected. The English major who never had an internship in college really struggled and ended up as a health tech for about $45k a year. The math major is still looking (he had a late start) but he has had good offers that he has turned down, unfortunately because now it is getting tougher to get another offer. Just listening to them, math or physics could be a good alternative to CS.

? both the math and physics majors had offers in CS. So, why not just major in CS?

FWIW, my kid is a dual major, math and CS, and DC has excellent verbal skills (debate team) and writing skills (IBPD). Not graduated yet.

I do agree that graduates need both hard and soft skills, no matter your major.

Many kids do excel at more than one thing. Pretending that STEM kids are unable to communicate is just an old trope with little merit.

No, they're as rare as ever. Just read the posts around here--the STEM posters have tunnel vision and arrested world view.

+1

Most SWEs can't communicate with other people. Ask them to go participate in activities like tennis or golf and they have no clues.

So true! My son is not a SWE, but is close, graduated with a data science degree. He said many of his peers cannot find jobs beucase they have NO social skills. He worked at a golf course and has no problems talking to pople and being engaging. He also joined a fraternity. Many of his peers were so focused on A's and hack a thons and crap like that they never learned how to interface with the world. Kids born to tiger parents who are clueless themselves.

My son got a job in finance and is not even doing data science, but he does know how numbers work (thanks to a very heavy math major) and knows how to talk to people. He also is a great golfer (thanks to spening much of college on the golf course!) and hes always asked to play by people in his industry that are many levels above him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I know several UMD & UPitt CS seniors (all MoCo) doing internships last summer and getting FT return offers. If school is T20 and GPA> 3.0, then should have no issue.

Are these employers asking to see a transcript in their review process? Sincere question as you mention GPA.

Not OP As per my Kid they do put GPA on resume and if GPA is below 3.3 they have seen some hardship to get internship or job offer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have an apartment over our garage in a desirable neighborhood and because of that we've housed 4 kids from the class of 2023 while they've searched for jobs over the last year (including my DS). The physics major landed a job first at a cybersecurity start-up paying $65k a year. The business major, a kid who had the best EQ of the 4, landed a job paying about $80k but it took way more time than he expected. The English major who never had an internship in college really struggled and ended up as a health tech for about $45k a year. The math major is still looking (he had a late start) but he has had good offers that he has turned down, unfortunately because now it is getting tougher to get another offer. Just listening to them, math or physics could be a good alternative to CS.

? both the math and physics majors had offers in CS. So, why not just major in CS?

FWIW, my kid is a dual major, math and CS, and DC has excellent verbal skills (debate team) and writing skills (IBPD). Not graduated yet.

I do agree that graduates need both hard and soft skills, no matter your major.

Many kids do excel at more than one thing. Pretending that STEM kids are unable to communicate is just an old trope with little merit.

No, they're as rare as ever. Just read the posts around here--the STEM posters have tunnel vision and arrested world view.

+1

Most SWEs can't communicate with other people. Ask them to go participate in activities like tennis or golf and they have no clues.

So true! My son is not a SWE, but is close, graduated with a data science degree. He said many of his peers cannot find jobs beucase they have NO social skills. He worked at a golf course and has no problems talking to pople and being engaging. He also joined a fraternity. Many of his peers were so focused on A's and hack a thons and crap like that they never learned how to interface with the world. Kids born to tiger parents who are clueless themselves.

My son got a job in finance and is not even doing data science, but he does know how numbers work (thanks to a very heavy math major) and knows how to talk to people. He also is a great golfer (thanks to spening much of college on the golf course!) and hes always asked to play by people in his industry that are many levels above him.

Honestly, just sounds like those students don't fit with the finance, well-groomed, golfing type. One of the worst parts of the hiring process is trying to evaluate whether you'd get a beer with the applicant when it really should be A) Can this person kinda work well with people (they don't need to be a carpet for everyone to step on and should be able to bring their ideas to the table without being abrasive) and B) Are they the most capable for the role. I've had some tech interviews where the interviewer has just given up on the technical components to ask me more about my lifestory (I have an atypical background for CS), and it's so obvious the system is unfairly centered around people who barely know anything but can flub enough to pass by.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A plumber yesterday told me they charge $420 per hour. I was shocked inflation drove plumbing service to $420 per hour! Now how many college majors offer $420 per hour, even ten years post-graduation? And the icing on the cake is AI will not replace residential plumbing maintenance jobs!

Yep. And if you try to negotiate, they will look at you with a - I just F cleaned up your shit in the bathroom - look and say "don't disrespect the trade." Lesson: Send your kid to trade school?

Go ahead and send your kid then.

This easy glorification of "the trades" as this great solution--always rubs me wrong--I have many tradespeople in my family, grew up around them, respect them plenty. It can be a viable option for some people, but there are lot of downsides that you don't see if you only talk to the middle-aged person who has sustained it all and now runs a business. Sure there are success stories like there are in any profession, but most don't own a successful business--you're seeing the businesses that made it, not all the ones that failed. It's generally a hard life, you get physical injuries and just run down with time. A lot of the smart talented tradespeople I know, who worked in well-off areas, had businesses that never took off, or did okay for a time then were hit by changes in supply costs, labor costs, demand, competition, injuries/chronic ailments etc. There are a lot of famines of work and there's a natural cap on how much you can take advantage of the feast. These days with all the social media ratings etc. residential tradespeople are especially stressed because they have to manage reviews (and there are some unethical people who will use reviews/social media to blackmail tradespeople). As for going back to college after starting a trade (often to pick up the business skills needed), a lot of them find it very rough after not using their brains in that way for a several years even if they were once more academically inclined.

I think there is also too much emphasis on residential trades people, while there are many welders, electricians, etc working for large companies and working 9-5 (+ overtime) jobs.

Going the small business route may be very lucrative for a very small percentage…but it’s not great for most.

Nephew is going the welder route working for a large company. It is hot as Hades this time of year, benefits are meh and they really make you earn your vacation slowly over time. It is a physical job that takes a toll. As others have said, trade jobs are hard on your body.