When Your Job is a Joke: 5 Ways to Combat Underemployment

June 22nd, 2012 - By Alissa Henry
"underemployed"

Source: shutterstock

Are you underemployed? If so, you’re not alone.

Recently, the Associated Press reported “1 in 2 new graduates are jobless or underemployed”.

According to the AP:

“Young adults with bachelor’s degrees are increasingly scraping by in lower-wage jobs — waiter or waitress, bartender, retail clerk or receptionist, for example — and that’s confounding their hopes a degree would pay off despite higher tuition and mounting student loans…About 1.5 million, or 53.6 percent, of bachelor’s degree-holders under the age of 25 last year were jobless or underemployed, the highest share in at least 11 years.”

Most would agree being underemployed is better than being jobless, but that doesn’t mean individuals who are underemployed have it easy.

While looking for the job we want, some of us have realized it is necessary to take any job we can get as long as it stops the slow drain of available funds in our checking accounts. However, underemployment doesn’t have to be a permanent situation. The following slides will show you five ways to combat being underemployed.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

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  • rachel

    I am currently underemployed and I will be quitting the job in the next two weeks. I am getting SSDI for my son’s disability and I will be receiving money from a settlement in a few weeks. I also am currently enrolled in law school. I figure my energy and talents could be used to caring for my children and doing a good job in school than exhausting myself at a job that I loathe. Before anyone thinks I am a sandwich short of a picnic basket let me give some background on my job. I have been working at the same position for three years, 17.5 hours a week ( no additional hours in 3 years), and I started at 14 dollars and I am still at 14 dollars 3 years later. I have been passed over or not considered for promotions at least three times (despite having a bachelors degree) and now my new supervisor is a decade younger than I am treating me like a lackey. I am getting pissed just typing about this. Lastly, I want to be an attorney and this job is in social services. If my situation does not scream underemployed I don’t know what does.

  • ceenikki

    Great article and great advice to recent college grads and just anyone who is feeling “stuck”

  • sabrina

    Although I’ve been complaining about my current job and sometimes wishing I was simply waitressing, this article definitely made me feel more grateful to at least have a job in my desired field upon graduating.
    I needed this! So thanks :)

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