I remember when my younger brother woke up one morning feeling that because he had his driver’s license, he deserved a new car. He first went to my parents and petitioned for his own vehicle. Of course, they looked at him sideways and asked him such reasonable questions as, “Do you plan on getting a job to pay your car insurance?” or “Gas prices are rising. How do you intend to keep gas in the car?” and even, “Your grades aren’t showing that you deserve a car. How do you plan on proving that you are ready to take on this responsibility?”

I suppose my brother didn’t feel like he should have to prove to my parents that he was deserving of his own car. Not only was he convinced that he was deserving of a car but also entitled to one. His next target was our grandmother. After badgering her and going on and on about how much he wanted a car and felt he should have one, she caved and brought him a fairly new BMW.

What should be noted most about this story is not how absurd it was that my grandmother decided to buy my little brother a BMW, but the fact that he truly believed that he was entitled to this car. He was in no position to financially keep the car up, put gas in it or do damn near anything for it, yet he was convinced that because he had his driver’s license, someone was obligated to provide him with his own vehicle. While this story may be a bit on the extreme side, many young adults within this generation seem to share a similar false sense of entitlement when it comes to things in life that should be earned.

I recently had a conversation with one of my classmates who happens to be a seasoned media professional in his forties with many years of industry experience under his belt. In an effort to pick his brain and get an idea of what employers are looking for from new graduates such as myself, I asked him what stands out the most to him when interviewing potential employees. He shared that his biggest problem with recent graduates in the job market is that many of them give off the vibe that says they believe that their potential employer somehow owes them something. “They walk in feeling as if they’re entitled to the job their interviewing for as opposed to realizing that they are competing for it and trying make the best impression.” He also shared that many are not willing to work their way from the bottom up. They come in fresh out of college turning their noses up at the work being offered, expecting to fall into some grandiose position and do all of this glamorous and fun work in their industry when the truth of the matter is that it just doesn’t work that way.

I for one, found his statements difficult to believe considering the state that our economy is currently in and knowing as a recent graduate how challenging it is to find work in your field. However, before I could even argue with him about it, I thought of other young adults like my brother or former classmates who merely made appearances during the semester and barely turned in assigned work, but expected to receive grades worth bragging about once the semester was over. I even thought of former co-workers who happened to fall in my age group who didn’t even put forth an effort to carry their weight as regular employees but felt they should be promoted to supervising positions.

In an interview with the CBS Early Show, Jason Dorsey, author of Y-Size Your Business, shared that in his experience working with millennials and interviewing them, “they would rather be unemployed than to take a job they believe is beneath them.” He also shared that some Gen Y’ers are lazy, but that they also “have a different work preference.” For example, many won’t show up to work on time, but are “willing to stay late. They’re also sending e-mails at 2 am. They just work differently.”

He also urged young adults seeking to enter the work force to take the jobs that they can get because staying unemployed for years and years after college graduation will only make entering the workforce more difficult. “You’ve got to take the jobs you can get now and get the experience, build your network, do these things that give you more options rather than holding out,” says Dorsey.

Do you believe that Generation Y suffer from entitlement mentality or simply just have higher standards?

Check out Jason Dorsey’s discussion of Gen Y in the workplace in a video after the jump…

Source: crunkfeministcollective.wordpress.com

One month following my college graduation, my cushiony paid internship came to an end. For the first time in seven years, I wasn’t a student or an employee; my life had changed drastically. I quickly took to job boards, apps, classified ads, etc. in search of any form of employment in my career field. After filling out what felt like a million and one job applications, I patiently waited by the phone, anticipating a phone call that would change my life. I quickly learned the true meaning of a suffering job market. After months and months of chasing down job leads and open position postings, things looked pretty bleak, so bleak that I began to reconsider applying for internships. This was ironic because I thought I was through with interning, through with making coffee runs, and certainly through with working for free. However, my attitude quickly changed when the increasing unemployment rate became my reality.

Many recent college graduates share in this sentiment.They leave college with high expectations of landing the job of their dreams only to be greeted with a huge dose of reality, courtesy of our country’s poor job market. This leaves many so desperate to break into their field that they are willing to work for free or intern for a little something, especially if it means it will get them noticed by an employer who could possibly be impressed with their work ethic and offer them a paid position. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out this way. Interning after college can be hit or miss, it all depends on what you’re willing to sacrifice to get where you want to be. If you are a recent college graduate who is on the fence about pursuing an internship to gain career experience and exposure, hopefully this pro and con list will assist you in reaching a decision.

Pros: 

They assist you in acquiring hands on experience as well as exposure in your field

• If you have the luck of obtaining an internship that let’s you do more than errand running and a whole lot of nothing, internships are great at helping you gain more experience and learn new tricks of the trade in your field.

Since you’re already an insider you could possibly get first pick at any job openings

• Paying dues anyone? If you put in great work at your internship, or at least enough to impress people there who can pull strings, when positions open up, you could be one of the first to get a call.

They allow you to make great professional connections with those already working in your field.

• Networking is everything these days. And even if you don’t get the job of your dreams after interning, you have the chance to make great connections. These connects in your field can keep you in the loop when job opportunities open up, and just put in a good word for you. They can also become good mentors, and who knows, maybe even friends.

They provide you with the platform to prove that you posses the skills to get the job done.

• When all else fails and you can’t seem to find the job you’re looking for as soon as you would like, why let your talents go to waste? Getting to gain some experience in your field and getting the chance to both showcase and cultivate your skills is a good thing.

Experienced gained at an internship makes you more appealing to other potential employers.

• The more internships on your resume doesn’t come off as a bad thing. That means you’ve gained a great deal of real-world experience and you have no big breaks in your work experience, even if it isn’t full-time work experience.

You are able to learn the inner workings of your field before you actually begin working.

• This one pretty much speaks for itself. So you don’t look like a fish out of water when you finally start working, internships definitely let you know what kind of work you will be doing, and can definitely help you be more help than a hassle that someone has to train longer than necessary.

Cons: 

Most internships are unpaid

• Times are hard, and while accepting an internship for more experience is great, it would be better if you were getting paid for it. Folk have bills to pay…A recent graduation sometimes means student loan payments (and possibly other expenses) are lurking around the corner; many new graduates can’t afford to work for free.

Many employers are aware of the troubled economy and as a result are taking advantage of the free labor since people are experiencing difficulty getting full-time jobs.

• That could mean that many employers at different internships have no real plan on hiring you after you put in all that hard work.

Internships can become burdensome to those trying to work another job on the side.

• Sometimes the expectations employers at internships have of you can keep you in an office for half of the day, making it hard to find a part-time job that fits your complicated schedule. And if it does fit, you might find yourself a bit exhausted and overwhelmed.

You may be working with other interns who may sometimes be younger and less mature than you.

• If you’ve been out of school for a while and are still trying to do internships, be prepared for fellow interns who act like they need their hand held all the time, are ultimate brown nosers, or worse–complete slackers.

A large number of intern programs require you to receive college credit in return for your intern hours.

• Who has money just laying around to pay some university for college credit so that they can work for free?

In the end, although interning after graduation can be a pretty challenging experience, it seems that the positives can certainly outweigh the negative in the long run.

What are your thoughts on post college internships? 

Jazmine Denise is a freelance writer living in New York. Follow her on Twitter @jazminedenise

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For recent college graduates, this fall marks the first that they are not gearing up to head back to class for another academic year. While some may be in the throes of entry-level positions, others are still seeking employment. The glee that accompanied them as they walked across the stage and graduated into the job market has likely dissipated, wilting at the awareness that not only has the frivolity of summer ended, but they are degreed up without a job prospect in their grasps.

Though the Seattle Times reports that the job market is on an upswing for 2012 college graduates (citing a 10.2 percent increase in the hiring of 2012 college graduates over those who entered the job market in 2011), employment rates have yet to meet or surpass pre-recession levels. For many would-be professionals, the back-to-school season—a time that once signified a fresh, hopeful start for students—has ignited a bevy of post-graduate anxieties, including the following:

Should I go back to school, too?
Those who may not have considered an advanced degree in their field of study may consider waiting out the economic storm in the shelter of graduate school. While attaining additional education is not a bad idea, doing so for the sole purpose of killing time is not ideal, especially if it means incurring additional debt. Does professional success in a graduate’s field of choice require a Master’s or Doctorate degree? If it doesn’t, would-be grad students should determine whether they are quenching a natural curiosity and affinity for the subject matter, or if their hearts are not in it at all, in which case, graduate school can be a waste of money and time.

When does the living start?
Combing through Facebook timelines and seeing photos of friends’ vacations, their new cars or their newly furnished apartments are enough to make a recent graduate wonder when his or her turn is coming. While some may have avoided the economic fray and scored well-paying jobs in their fields, some graduates are awaiting the moment in which they can get a head start on their bills, move into a place of their own, and start living the golden young adult lives they dreamed of. This is where getting out of the comparison game is absolutely necessary. While wondering when their time will come, recent grads should take advantage of the joys that are within reach, like road trips, free outdoor concerts, community festivals and staycations. Volunteering is also a feel-good way to spend downtime from the job hunt.

What will happen when my student loan payments kick in?
Taking out a student loan to pay for educational expenses was a much easier concept when the idea of snagging a job or launching a well-paying career immediately after graduation didn’t seem like a far-fetched possibility. Now, with loan repayment plans starting six months after a student has graduated, tackling a hefty loan bill without a job can be disconcerting. However, recent grads shouldn’t be dismayed; private lenders and the federal government offer loan deferment and loan forbearance options that allow for a temporary postponement of repayment or a reduction in monthly repayment amount.

Should I make a switch and start again?
Fruitless job leads can tug at a grad’s insecurities, making him or her wonder whether that English degree was worth the sweat. Recent grads might be riddled with thoughts of taking a chance at another career field (by taking additional undergraduate courses to count for a second major, or becoming certified to be a teacher) or settling where they are because it’s paying the bills (like working the same waitressing gig they held down in college). This is often where the crossroads of chasing a passion and getting paid veer onto separate pathways, and new grads are yanked in a tug of war between likely playing the job search game longer than their classmates and determining whether they should start from scratch.

Am I Doing This Job Search Right?
After countless job interviews and an immeasurable number of resumes and applications submitted, recent grads wonder if there is something they’re doing to count themselves out of landing a new gig. Perhaps a seminar on interviewing and resume creation is in order? Many universities offer career counseling, training sessions and mock interviews with evaluations for its alumni at no cost. Face-to-face connections (like mixers and career fairs) are networking staples, but leveraging social media outlets like LinkedIn can also be beneficial for getting leads on jobs that graduates may not have been able to find elsewhere. Also, finding opportunities to fatten a resume without a “traditional” position can be impressive to employers. Aspiring writers and editors can start a blog or write for online magazines. Those with eyes on public relations careers can offer freelance support to small, local events and friends with businesses to tout.

The period of time after college graduation is one in which young adults are often rapt with life-changing decisions and thoughts on whether their choices have been correct ones. One piece of advice, however, applies no matter what path a recent graduate decides to take: Always keep moving forward.

Welcome to the slowest job market in 20 years! If you’re out there trying to find a job, check out the top nine ways to impress your interviewer. These tips come from professional headhunters and popular job posting sites. When it comes to interviews, first impressions are everything, and can be scary. According to the Association for Psychological Science, you only have 1/10 of a second to make your first impression. Lord, the pressure!

UC Davis Human Resources explains that many companies will call to speak with you before even scheduling an interview to “pre-screen” you. Yes, this means that you have already used your 1/10 of a second. However, if you score an interview, then you have clearly already made a good impression, so when you walk into the office, be sure to exude confidence,  a smile, and be sure to do a few of these other things as well…

When it comes to finding a new job, there are a few obvious things that you must make sure are on point and represent you in the best possible light. Your checklist must include a flawless resume spell checked, on quality paper, with an updated and professional email address (no–sarahhotchocolate555@hotmail.com), along with informative job descriptions; a black and grey suit for interviews and your overall appearance – well groomed hair and nails. While these items are a no-brainer, there are a few things that are not so obvious. What most people forget or just do not take into account when making job moves, is–their current or past employer.

Read the rest of this entry »

(Businessweek) — After graduating from the University of Kentucky in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, Nick Such accomplished the near-impossible: He somehow managed to get accepted into the MBA program at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, which accepts about 6 percent of applicants, a tiny fraction of whom are, like him, fresh out of college.  Two years later, as his two-year deferral was coming to an end, he did the near-incomprehensible: He told Stanford thanks, but no thanks. A fledgling entrepreneur, Such had hoped an MBA would be a good way to advance his career. But after forging his own path, he decided to defer his MBA indefinitely and backed out of the Stanford GBS Class of 2013 at the beginning of August.  “An MBA would be an incredible experience, open a lot of doors, and probably change me as a person for the better. There are a lot of lessons to be learned from that environment,” Such says. “But I came to the decision I’m way too excited about what I’m doing now.”

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(AJC) — Metro Atlanta not only saw unemployment skyrocket in June, but it had one of the highest jobless rates among the nation’s major cities.  Rising to 10.5 percent unemployment in June, up from a revised 9.7 percent in May, metro Atlanta’s rate was better than only a handful of major metros, according to recently released Bureau of Labor statistics. Those areas include metro Las Vegas, with 13.8 percent unemployment, Detroit (12.5 percent), Miami (11.8 percent), Los Angeles (11.6 percent) and Charlotte (11.2).

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(Washington Examiner) — The Washington area is losing jobs and the region’s top economic driver is cutting back, but one consulting firm says it’s not going to be that bad.  A new report by Delta Associates says the federal government’s budget tightening won’t result in the doom-and-gloom scenario some economists are predicting, even though the metro area lost jobs in June for the first time in more than a year. “Things are never as bad as they seem and they’re never as good as they seem,” said Delta Associates’ CEO, Gregory Leisch. “This week things seem terrible, and they’re not that bad.”

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(New York Times) — The individual stories are familiar. The chemistry major tending bar. The classics major answering phones. The Italian studies major sweeping aisles at Wal-Mart.  Now evidence is emerging that the damage wrought by the sour economy is more widespread than just a few careers led astray or postponed. Even for college graduates — the people who were most protected from the slings and arrows of recession — the outlook is rather bleak.  Employment rates for new college graduates have fallen sharply in the last two years, as have starting salaries for those who can find work. What’s more, only half of the jobs landed by these new graduates even require a college degree, reviving debates about whether higher education is “worth it” after all.  “I have friends with the same degree as me, from a worse school, but because of who they knew or when they happened to graduate, they’re in much better jobs,” said Kyle Bishop, 23, a 2009 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh who has spent the last two years waiting tables, delivering beer, working at a bookstore and entering data. “It’s more about luck than anything else.”

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