From Classes to Cash: Landing the Gig that Pays the Bills after College
Spring break is but a distant memory. Those days of fun in the sun with nothing more to do than roll out of bed and head to the beach are long gone. Like it or not, the time to get motivated is NOW, especially if you are a college senior and do not have a job waiting for you after graduation.
Getting a JOB (short for “Just Over Broke” in some circles) takes on a new meaning for a poor college student. After being poorer than poor and subsisting on packing-material grade Top Ramen for food, and struggling to make ends meet with handouts from your parents, along with a low-paying part-time gig, getting a job after graduation does not seem like such a bad idea after all. In fact, if you want to avoid moving back in with Mom and Dad Inc., getting a job is MANDATORY.
College Entrepreneurs Shun Corporate World
However, many recent college graduates no longer are looking to enter the work force and becoming part of the corporate culture once they graduate. In fact, according to the blog “Gen Y Choosing Entrepreneurship” posted by Steven Rothberg and found at CollegeRecruiter.com, http://www.collegerecruiter.com/weblog/archives/2006/02/gen_y_choosing.php#comments , 30 percent to 40 percent of recent college graduates would prefer to start their own business rather than enter the corporate culture of mainstream America.
Those entrepreneurs who have taken the leap caution that recent grads should not buy into the late night TV infomercials. These infomercials pitch get-rich quick solutions where you can score loads of cash doing little more than sitting at your kitchen laptop for a couple of hours per day. Instead, these entrepreneurs paint a picture of working harder and putting in more hours with less pay (read profit). The payoff? You work your own hours doing something you absolutely love, and find fulfillment and satisfaction in the process.
What’s Your Preference?
Now really, how many people working in corporate America can say that they love their job and are “fulfilled” or “satisfied?” My guess is not many. However, that may be changing soon, as corporations are endeavoring to create a friendlier, encouraging work environment where employees are valued as contributors, not assets to be exploited.
Many recent graduates who are labeled “Generation Y,” or those loosely identified as such by being born between 1976 and 1982 or graduating from college from approximately 2004 onward, demand it. Call them the MTV generation and the reason why “Short Attention Span” theater was invented, among other things. I am talking about those individuals who possess an entrepreneurial skill set (or would like to), are independent thinkers, and look for a challenging, start-up-type work environment.
Many small businesses and even larger corporations are moving to accommodate these individuals by becoming more project-centric and less authoritarian in both management structure and overall focus. These types of companies allow the Gen Y individuals to express themselves creatively, participate in corporate “intrapreneurship” activities, and retain their motivation through being involved in projects that stimulate their personal aspirations and passions.
Both options, entrepreneurship or a corporate gig, appeal to two totally different sets of people. The real question is: Which are you, and where do you want to go with it?
Tools for Your Search
If you recently have received a job offer after diligent preparation, searching and interviewing, congratulations! Go to this Web site so you can evaluate your offer and starting salary: http://www.payscale.com/.
If you are just getting started, no worries! Check out this site for podcasts relating to job search activities: http://www.collegerecruiter.com/podcast/.
To research the best companies for which to work, start your efforts here: http://www.greatplacetowork.com/best/list-bestusa.htm.
If you do not fit the corporate mold and see yourself as an entrepreneur, here is a Web site that contains tons of resources for college entrepreneurs: http://www.quintcareers.com/college_entrepreneur_resources.html.
The Education Finance Advisors at NextStudent can help you figure in all your college expenses so that you get the student loan that best suits your needs. Don’t get caught short. Go to www.nextstudent.com for all your student loan needs.
Check back here next Friday for my next blog on Campus Life.
Student Loan Girl