The reality of being a college grad during a recession: Compensation

The past few weeks I have continued my job search. I recently had three interviews with different companies. So far I have heard back from two and was offered a position at each. This should be a wonderful event and don't get me wrong I'm so happy to finally have a yes, but the problem seems to be compensation. Both jobs were only offering minimum wage. I don't want to sound ungrateful but did I just spend three and a half years and thousands of dollars to make $7.25 an hour?

I know that economic times are tough but taking a minimum wage job, repaying loans and trying to survive seems quite impossible. I have applied for all these opportunities that want a degree but it seems that just a degree isn't worth much anymore. Employers want you to have experience but it has to be full time experience out of school. How does one obtain that? I have been wracking my brain trying to figure out which avenue to take and how to get myself out of this rut.

Now that the new year has started and companies are out of the end of the year crunch and I have been told that they actually looking for applicants fresh out of college. I am being extremely optimistic because I have a great resume and believe that I would be an asset to any company. At this point its all about the waiting game. Though it is taking longer than I thought , I am sure the right opportunity is out there for me. I still have not heard back from one company and that may be my chance. Whatever the outcome, I am thankful that I graduated, have a place to stay and made it into the new year safely.

I am so overwhelmed and excited about the recent traffic that I have been receiving! I hope that my journey is giving someone else comfort in knowing that they are not alone. I personally felt alone until I talked to classmates that were going through the same thing. This made me feel better and at ease. As always thanks for reading and please comment.

The Beginning of The End

Well it's finally here and I can't believe it, the summer is over and my final semester of college is about to begin. This summer has been such a learning and growing experience for me. I am so glad that I decided to take the internship at The Hanger Project, because it has developed many skills and increased my knowledge. I feel that interning with this smaller company has given me a more in depth experience than any other larger company could have.

I have been so busy that I haven't updated as much as I'd like but I'll feel you in on a few things:

1.)I finally got another colleague this summer who was a perfect match, the few weeks we worked together were amazing and we are sure to be life long friends.

2.) I was offered a part time position to stay on in the fall, which is great because I really love what I do.

3.) I have a fabulous new apartment

Now that my internship is over I am focusing on finishing this semester with a bang and securing a job. I have looked into a few graduate programs and have learned that I need a little bit more work experience if I want to get into some of the top programs that I am interested in. In addition to that I am enjoying my final months of being a college student. Looking back at the past three and a half years, I have changed and done so much. These years have truly been the best of my life so far and I can't wait to see what's next.

Overall this summer has been filled with both wonderful and less than desirable moments but I have learned more about myself and life. I can honestly say that I wouldn't change a thing, even the moments when I thought life really sucked, I see it all as a growing experience. As always please continue to comment and let me know what you think.