LOL at the post that asserts Colgate University isn't built around sports. Colgate athletes get the prized jobs.

I’ve heard a lot of these stories. It’s hard to justify a private college in a struggling economy. The job market is so uncertain.

This is an unfortunate situation for the OP’s son. It also highlights the advantage of attending a smaller school like Bucknell or Colgate with a strong Greek system and a tight alumni base that isn’t built solely around sports. Your career network has way more tentacles at those schools. The OP mentioned that career services was no help, but what about fraternity connections or reaching out to alums eager to hire him simply because he's a Wolverine? My guess is OP didn’t mention those options because they weren’t available. There’s a reason very few kids in business or finance majors at Bucknell or Colgate graduate jobless, and it isn’t just because of the academic reputation. Attending one of those schools, joining a top-tier fraternity, building a relationship with career services early, and tapping into the alumni network is basically a cheat code for stacking cheese right out of college.

What was his BBA specialization? GPA? Where exactly is he looking for jobs?

Accounting may lead to more internships right now than finance.

Anonymous wrote:Why is he limiting his job search to the DMV? Definitely needs to cast a wider net with a business background.

I think OP, who may well be a troll, was just saying they paid OOS tuition.

Anonymous wrote:Give him time. You can evaluate in a couple of years if his degree is useless. In these crazy times, jobs are not easy to get. Celebrate his graduation. Give him a month to relax and chill. And then have him buckle down on the job search. He will be fine. Have empathy. These are difficult times for young people

Agreed. And blaming the school is not setting a good example.

I assume most of his friends from Michigan, as well as friends from "lesser" schools have jobs (or got into grad school), so he is stressed. Which is very understandable. The world is turned sideways right now. Lots of kids locked in jobs last fall or earlier. Now companies are uncertain about their hiring needs. But there are plenty of jobs out there. Just need to be smart about it. Often the best first jobs are one-offs at smaller places rather than being analyst #471 at JP Morgan or entry-level brand manager #87 at P&G.

My kid had a terrible time finding an internship after junior year and kept saying that the career services office wasn’t helpful. 2nd semester of senior year, I encouraged her to go meet with several different counselors and find one she liked. She then started going to -2 times per week for mostly quick check-ins. They didn’t necessarily help with job leads, but it turned out our kid just needed help staying on top of the process/ when to follow up, how to follow-up, etc.

Ended up with 4 offers by the end of the semester.

Give him time. You can evaluate in a couple of years if his degree is useless. In these crazy times, jobs are not easy to get. Celebrate his graduation. Give him a month to relax and chill. And then have him buckle down on the job search. He will be fine. Have empathy. These are difficult times for young people

Anonymous wrote:Why the hell did he go to Michigan if he was instate for UVA? That makes no sense. That was a dumb decision on your part.

+1

For Northeastern most have to apply to 100 + internships to secure an internship for their co-op.

Expect the same for most coming out of undergrad.

They can help with your resume , with mock interviews, etc. but after that it is up to your child to do the rest.

How many times has he met with the career office to review his resume?
Done mock interviews?
What internships did he do while at Michigan?

I graduated with an MBA from a top tier school in the early 2000s. Many of my classmates didn't initially have jobs.

The career office cannot guarantee a job. The responsibility is primarily on the student. What do they want to do? What relevant experience do they have? Have you been leveraging your network? Did they do interview prep - I'm sure that was available at the career center.

Stop blaming others and roll up your sleeves and help your child get a job.

Why is he limiting his job search to the DMV? Definitely needs to cast a wider net with a business background.

Why the hell did he go to Michigan if he was instate for UVA? That makes no sense. That was a dumb decision on your part.

FYI: DS will graduate from University of Michigan Ross school next week and is still jobless for a 300K education because we live in the DMV. Has been looking for jobs since September 2024. The career office has not produced any leads. In hindsight, DS could have gone to UVA and saved 150K in the process. It is really depressing.