[Katileena]

from job-searching stress!

I graduated from college with a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting, have a 3.2 GPA, have office/internship experience, have volunteer experience, study abroad experience, am a smart/hard worker, a little quiet though and maybe this is holding me back.

But I am getting SOOO frustrated with the job search in this economy!! There are tons of job postings for accounting related jobs, but they all want 3-5 years experience!!! for jobs that pay you $10-15 an hour!! On top of the experience they also want you to have a degree! I am SICK of reading job descriptions for hours n hours for jobs I am MORE then capable of doing but I do not meet their "qualifications!" It's making my head SPIN! How can company's request such rediculous demands for positions that are entry level!!! It's just really, really p*ssing me off!

Am I really not qualified to get an entry level accounting position after 4.5 years of education, $30,000 in debt, etc?!

I know people who got entry level type jobs out of high school 5 years ago who are in a better position now then me....and I was suppose to have chosen the RIGHT path of college education?!? Now I feel like this was all a big, MASSIVE WASTE of TIME! Why did I go to college just to get out and not be able to get a job?! I could have gotten a job out of high school 5 years back and be sitting easy. BUT NO, I thought I was choosing the smart route, and now I'm screwed!

I know I'm not alone in this predicament....there are TONS of people out there...but I can't help but blaim our society! Why are we pushing so many people to go to college, rack up MASSIVE debt, just to get out of school and not be able to pay for this debt or find a job?! Why are there millions of advertisements on TV for colleges to shuv secondary education down your throat in a job market not hiring anyone fresh out of college?! Did you know that the population of college students is at its HIGHEST EVER?! Did you know that the population of college students has jumped from 15% to 30% of people in the last few years?! What do you think is going to happen when these people graduate? In an economy already struggling to keep people employed, whats going to happen when the workforce increases by all these new graduates?! So we'll have even MORE people in debt, and even MORE people who can't find jobs...what are we just suppose to default on our federal loans forever and let the government eat it?! Then cause a ripple effect of delinquent financials?

Ok I needed a good rant about this whole mess...because I can't stop thinking about it....my head is constantly spinning....why oh why did I rack up $30,000 debt. I don't know either...

[englishteacher]

At least you stopped at $30,000 - I got a graduate degree and even more debt. I agree 100% - we are encouraging all youth to get a degree...then there are no jobs for them....and how are you supposed to get experience, if no one will hire you so you can get the experience? It's frustrating! I could go on and on...but I'll leave it at that.

[Zelev]

First, thanks [englishteacher] your advice for me was helpful. There's this great video from 20/20 that you can watch on this subject.

I remember during high school my social studies teacher explaining some of the real reasons behind child labor laws and having the legal age for adulthood be 18yrs old. It was to reduce competition in the workforce.

Going to college in a way is stretching out the time that people enter the workforce and protects the jobs and income of people already in the field. College is a business now. With so many online degree programs anybody can get a degree.

If I had to do things over I would have gotten a entry level job in the field I was interested in first, stayed single, managed my finances so I incurred as little debt as possible and went to school part-time instead. Employers want it all so why dig a hole of debt chasing them. Then to top it off we still have to compete with citizens of other countries. Because many times its cheaper to outsource jobs and hire workers from other countries such as India.

Another example is how the Philippines pumps out college graduates every year and most go to work outside of their country because there are so few jobs there that require a degree. We are in a global economy now so all the rules have changed. The rules that worked for our parents don't apply.

[Katileena]

Hey guys,

I just wanted to make an update to this (it's been a while). I FOUND a job! Not only a job, THE JOB I wanted. I'm going to be working as a state government employee in the revenue department. Very exciting! Maybe going to college wasn't a bad idea after all.

[Skully]

I ran into the same situation when I graduated. A lot of people with college degrees end up working in retail or fast food until they find that dream job. I worked at Target fresh out of college. I got a middle management position because of my degree. Look into something like that. Hey, it may not be what you want to be doing but it will pay the bills until you find that job you really want.