This year, you Creighton graduates are going out with a strong education into a sturdy job market, and you can look forward to a bright future ahead.
After graduation, the transition from college to the real world can seem scary and confusing. The pressure is on from family and friends to land a job that will pay the bills. A clock is ticking until the student loan payments start. Realistically, you may not get the first or second job you apply for. It can be frustrating and a long process, but in the end it will work out. Do not lose hope just because people say you cannot get a good job right after college. Creighton has prepared you more than you might know.
The reality is that students these days are graduating to a relatively positive-looking job market. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, around graduation time last year, the annual unemployment rate was 6.6 percent. Right now it is around 5.5 percent. The rate is dropping, which means more job opportunities for graduates. According to Creighton’s Undergraduate Admissions, Creighton graduates have a 97 percent success rate; this includes employment, volunteer work and graduate school in the first year after graduation.
For graduating students, this is great news. Your Creighton education has more than prepared you for the future. Not to mention the fact that the Career Center has jobs listed daily. This service is not just for Business students, but for Arts and Sciences students as well, and counselors are there, ready to help. Unlike at big state universities where students are just a number, Creighton’s Career Center has personalized help to fit your major and help you find the job you want.
The most important thing to remember is not to settle. Do not just take the first job offered to you because you think it will be your only opportunity. Make sure it is a company you want to work for and in the field you want. You earned the degree you did for a reason. There will be a job in that degree; you just have to look. Picking a general job that you may not like will lead to unhappiness down the road.
Along with that, do not feel like you need to pick an entry-level job that pays very little. Negotiate for a salary that you feel you deserve. If you had an internship or two, that counts as experience, and bringing that experience to a job is important. It gives you more of an advantage that should be reflected in your salary. Do not let yourself take the first salary given to you if you know you deserve more. Research the company and your career field to know what is reasonable, and bring that information in and use it to your advantage.
Remember that when it comes time to find a career, have faith. You are a Creighton graduate with an education that has prepared you for this moment. Do not settle, because there is not a better time for the job market. If people start telling you to lower your standards when looking, ignore them. If you do not have faith that you can get a good job, then you will not. Be proud of your abilities and go for the job you want.