Recent Grads: Landing a Job No Easy Task

The stock market bottomed out three years ago, but recent college graduates hitting the job market say they still feel the recession pinch.

Kailah Hayden-Karp, 22, took a job as a clinical research coordindor at Massachusetts General Hospital right after graduating from Tufts in 2010 with a double major in women's studies and community health. But the job had little room for growth and left her feeling overqualified.

“I personally felt my education served me well –if not too well – for my first job,” she said.

So she decided to head back to graduate school this fall.

“The job influenced my decision to go back to school so quickly," said Hayden-Karp, who is living in Boston. "Initially, I thought I would want to be in the workforce longer."

Hayden-Karp's method of returning to school is also impacted by the economy. She'll be taking classes in the evening at Boston University, as she plans to work during the day full-time to pay for the degree.

“It’s a way for me to pay for my degree without taking out loans,” she said.

Hayden-Karp left her job at Mass General and took a temporary position for the summer as she looks for full-time employment in the fall, she said.

Eric Parry received his master's degree in education from UMass-Lowell in May. He's looking for a job teaching English at a middle school or high school, but it hasn't been easy, he said.

He's willing to fill in for someone on maternity leave or take a job as a full-time substitute just to get his foot in the door, he said.

“It’s tough," said Parry, 27. "I put in a lot of applications and haven’t had a whole lot of success. I guess you just have to keep trying."

For now, he's working as a life guard and swim instructor at a summer camp until he finds something more permanent. He moved to Medford after receiving his master's to be closer to the Boston job market.

It's a lot harder to find a job than it was a few years ago, Parry said. Parry was hired as a newspaper reporter after receiving his bachelors in journalism in 2006. At that time, he had numerous interviews and wasn't afraid to turn down a job offer, he said.

“I had a lot more opportunities the last time around. I didn’t have to work as hard to find a job," Parry said, "and I felt comfortable turning down offers because I was consistently getting more interviews."

When Ben Filippo received his diploma in food policy in May 2010 from Tufts, he looked at an unsatisfactory work outlook and decided to head to the farm. Filippo spent several months as an apprentice on an organic farm in Maine.

"I thought that would be more worthwhile than some random job that would just pay bills,” Filippo, 23, said.

From there, he bounced to Butterbean, a food start-up based in New York City. But it couldn't pay enough to keep up with the big-city cost of living.

“It's not very easy to live in New York and get paid under 30 grand," he said.

Now he's living in Chapel Hill, N.C. and hoping to find a job. With a child on the way and looming student debt, he's looking for something that can pay the bills.

"I’m actively seeking jobs with better salaries and benefits,” he said.

Cameron Archibald, 22, graduated from Tufts in 2010 wanting to go into event planning. After months of sending out ten to 15 resumes a week, she decided to take a job as an administrative assistant for the Unitarian Universalist Church of Boston.

“Really highly educated people are competing for simple jobs,” she said.

What's a Recent Grad to Do?

Whether going to grad school, taking an entry level job or getting some life experience that may not pay so much (if at all), recent  grads can find ways to make opportunity for themselves. But they think other things can be done to help, too.

Filippo tried to start his own jam and preserve company while living in New York, but had to give it up because he couldn't afford the risk of starting something himself.

He said he would like to see more small business loans available, particularly for recent graduates who may not have the work experience but have good ideas.

“Without some sort of angel investor, I’m stuck,” he said.

Getting some work-place experience before receiving a degree could be a invaluable, Archibald said.

“The change from waking up at 10 o'clock everyday and going to class in your jeans to going to a working life is a big change,” she said.

But, in her view, landing a job comes down to having the right connections.

“It seems to be about who you know and a lot of luck, too,” she said.

Parry said he wasn't sure any could - or should - be done to improve the situation.

“I don’t know if they have to do anything," he said. "They (schools) are entitled to be selective. It really benefits them - I don’t see any reason why they should have to change.”