College grads experiencing a real downturn


BY DENISE CHAN New America Media


grads are shifting their priorities away from forging a career path in their desired field to more im- mediate demands, such as paying the bills. As a result, many are taking jobs out of college that they never imagined themselves doing and are finding that once they’ve taken that turn, it isn’t so easy to find their way back. “From late June until now, I’ve probably applied for about 90 positions,” Ramsey Magana, a 22-year-old Chemical Biology graduate from the University of California Berkeley explains. “The call back rate is about 5-10 percent, and that includes yes’s and no’s... Most positions, I never hear back.”


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Living with two friends in a small, one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco, Magana says he’s grateful that they were willing to house him until he gets on his feet. “If I didn’t have this offer from my friend, I don’t think I would be able to look for the jobs I’m looking for now... because if you’re not in the immediate area, some jobs won’t even call or con- sider you,” he explains.


As a tech and pharmaceutical 8 ASIA November


s the economy continues to floun- der, a growing number of college


hub, San Francisco is an attrac- tive place for job seekers looking to enter the industry, despite the high rent and cost of living.


For Magana, the pressure to find work increased after his job as a research assistant at UC Berkeley’s Department of Envi- ronmental Health and Safety ended last September. It was his only source of income, leaving Magana little choice but to ex- pand his job search beyond the confines of his chosen career. “I’ve talked to some people who own a restaurant... and the manager at Whole Foods. It’s kind of disheartening to realize that I went to school all this time... but after four years, I still have to consider jobs I was quali- fied for in high school.” The latest report from the US Department of Labor shows that unemployment rates among youth have in fact hit an all time low. The August 2011 summary indi- cates that 48.8 percent of young people were unemployed during the month of July, normally a peak period for youth entering summer jobs.


Noelle Stearns is a 21-year-old graduate from UC Santa Cruz with a major in psychology. Since graduation she’s worked the same job as a hostess for a local restau-


rant that she says recently went through a downsizing because of the current economic climate. Her own hours were cut from full to part time, meaning she no longer receives the benefits she once did as a full time employee. She’s now looking for a second job to see her through.


“I’m holding back on my next


step career-wise... I’m waiting for things to settle down... waiting for equilibrium [in the econ- omy],” she says.


But the wait can be excruciat- ing, especially with student loans hanging over your head. That’s the case for Jennifer Chen, 21, who graduated recently with a B.A. in anthropology from UC Riverside. Since then, she’s had to move back in with her family despite wanting to push forward with a career in public health. “I’m about $25,000 in debt.


With interest, it will go up to $32,000,” she says ruefully.


According to a recent Pew


study, average tuition and fees for public universities have tripled from $2199 in 1980-81 to $7605 in 2010-11. As a result, the num- ber of students taking out loans has risen from 52 percent in 1996 to 60 percent in 2008. The aver- age student in 2008 that left school with a bachelor’s degree


owed around $23,000. Student loans nationwide amount to roughly $1 trillion, ac- cording to the non-profit College Board. The amount owed on stu- dent loans now exceeds the na- tion’s total credit card debt, a fact that prompted President Obama to announce a debt relief program that would lower monthly pay- ments and forgive remaining debts after 20 years.


But for Chen, that may not be


enough. Towering debts drove her to take a managerial position in her hometown of Temple City, something she says she’s ashamed to admit. “I haven’t told anyone because I’m not proud... it’s like a step backwards,” she says.


Falling off the career path after college is becoming an in- creasingly common trend today. In fact, for some “stepping back” may be the only way to get ahead. “Until I find a job, grad school is not an option because I have no way of paying the application fees or the fees for the GRE,” Magana explains.


But for Magana and others like him, the danger is that these temporary decisions could carry long-term ramifications. As more and more young people enter into low-skilled and low-paying jobs, their resumes become outdated.


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