Anyone with a college degree (BA) ever work a low level job after graduating?

Question

My job search is not producing any results and I am tempted to take a job as a dishwasher/waiter just to keep occupied and feel like I am doing something after graduating with a great education that I enjoyed. Has anyone else ever faced this hurdle when graduating, what jobs did you have? any advice

Answer 1

Yes, I graduated from the University with a BA degree in Geography and a Minor in Art, and a 6 week internship in Film Production. The Internship provided me with the best experience of all. The jobs I obtained were just like any jobs out there. Mundane and uninteresting. There was a psychological hurdle to overcome. Depression set in and often working for others proved a complicated task since personalities are so random and chaotic. Government work provides the best stability however what I needed was a creative outlet. Now I am close to getting my Film Production Studio up and running. My business started as a hobby. When I was unemployed and frustrated, but had to wait until the summer for a job, I would work on my business. If you have a vision or dream that is greater than the common career then you may be meant for something else. Many people will tell you that you are too picky or that you have to lower your standards to fit in. I washed dishes and waited tables for a few companies while building my business. I began in 1994 when my business idea was just a hobby/dream. It is not fully up yet but very close. While I was living in Sacramento, California, I used my Geography degree knowledge to perform a study, using the internet, of the Unemploymnet Rate in the Area. After performing my research and doing some statistical calculations I discovered an approximate rate of between 25 - 28% Unemploymnet of about 30 Cities and Towns in Northern California. I submitted my results and discovery to the Bureau of the Census office in that area and they stated that I was wrong. There was only a 7% Unemploymnet rate. However, while watching the News, about 1 month later, the Bureau of the Census made an announcement of about 25% Unemployment in the region. It was good to know but not good news. I moved back to Fairbanks Alaska, several years later, and read, about 6 months ago an article in the newspaper that there was a 33% Unemployment Rate in the Fairbanks, Alaska region. This news has prompted me to move further into the direction of developing my Business. It seems that there is a new direction for young people today and that is the Business Development generation. Relying on others to give you a job is no longer prudent in my opinion. Yet I keep looking, off and on, while I continue the long and arduous task of getting the business up and running. [e-mail]

Answer 2

I'd work on trying to get some relevant work experience while in school - part time job, summer job, co-op, internship - anything. This way, when you graduate you'll emphasize your work experience - not your schooling. Everyone graduating with you has taken the same classes, done the same projects, blah blah blah. But having real-world work experience (and hopefully, good letters of recommendation) will make you stand out a lot more to employers. I didn't even put my GPA on my resume when I was coming out of college and after you get your first job, no one bothers to ask about it. I mean, why should they? At the same time, you should be prepared for it to come up in interviews. Having a low GPA isn't necessarily a bad thing - you just have to know how to explain it. Maybe you goofed off your first year, or had some sort of hardship, but then buckled down and brought your grades up - that shows employers you can deal with adversity and learn from failure. It also shows you took responsibility for your actions and worked on improving yourself. I'd rather have someone who knows how to come back from a failure, than someone who breezed through school never having faced a challenge like that. Also, you can provide a GPA based on classes that were only related to your major. For instance, I botched a chemistry class my freshman year, and it hurt my overall GPA. However, since I didn't major in Chemistry, I just left that grade off and presented a GPA based on classes directly relevant to my major, not my overall GPA.

Answer 3

Sure, my husband graduated with a BA degree and was the Captain of the defensive line for San Diego State U. and his first job was at the local park checking out recreation equipment. Hey, you have to start somewhere! Now he is a police officer. You'll get there, just be patient. :D

Answer 4

Several guys that worked with us had college degrees .
Apparently , the union job paid better than the white collar ones they were anticipating .

FYI - you did Not tell us what your field was so responses can't really be relevant .
A degree in liberal arts ? English ? engineering ?

Some fields are hiring like crazy , others are mostly for self gratification .

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Answer 5

What is your major?

Lots of people find out college advisors lie and many "great" degrees are nearly worthless.

Can you use your education to benefit a charity? If yes, then I would try to break into the field by using your time to help other and help yourself.