This year’s class of 2014 expects to earn higher income than those who graduated in 2013; however, they are falling behind in the first step to that, finding a job.
The reality is, the current job market for recent and soon-to-be grads is difficult. Based on the study Accenture conducted in March, there are an increasing number of college graduates, ages 21-24 that are not working. A lot of those that have been able to find a job are being started at a lower pay then the previous years.
According to Sara Leombruno, a Staffing Manager at THRIVAS, one of the local temp agencies in Florida, “To gain an advantage, recent graduates may supplement their diploma with additional career skill-building classes, internships and temp jobs in order to build their skills and resume”.
Local staffing agencies, otherwise known as employment agencies or temp agencies, may be a perfect resource for you to gain permanent employment. There are many myths about staffing agencies; however, the facts are: over 2 million individuals are employed by staffing companies every business day and 80 percent of the companies that use staffing services say it is good way to find people who can become permanent employees.
2014 is a tough year for graduates. According the survey, a couple months before graduation, just 11% received job offers. At the same time, far more of the graduates are leaving school in debt. Almost 80% that took part in the survey are looking at $10,000 in debt, or more.
The survey showed that about half of the recent graduates are making less then $25,000, while 82 percent plan on making more then that right out of college.
The survey found that, when compared to last year, there are more graduates that are working in jobs that do not require a college degree. Down from last year, only 46 percent of the students that graduated within the last two years have full time jobs. That is down 68 percent from 2013.
Here are some job search tips:
- It is a difficult job market so work harder then the person standing next to you.
- Sign up with local employment agencies. Just do a quick search online for staffing agencies near me. It is easy to sign up with THRIVAS. All you need to do is submit your resume to get started.
- Take some free skill-building classes. Many of them are offered at your local library. If you live in Florida, contact the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO). They offer services such as the WIA Program (Workforce Investment Act) that may help out.
- Search for free skills tests and classes online, do a quick google search and you will find them. Don’t have a computer? Visit your local library and use their computers.
