I'm a big fan of DailyWorth. I read an article yesterday titled How Flex Should You Be in Your Job Hunt? You can find it here.
How far would you go to find a job in this economy? I was very thankful to find a job just a short few weeks after I graduated from college. However, some of my friends graduated just this past May, and are not having as much luck. Most of them have not found jobs, even though that graduated from very good universities. Some of them are going to get their Masters since they have been unable to find jobs.
I would think about taking one of the entry level jobs. You never know where it can take you. I am pretty fresh out of college (just graduated in the spring of 2010) and I was always told that if you can't find a job which fits exactly what you're looking for, to take one that is somewhat similar. That way, when you do find the job that fits you better, your resume will still reflect that you were improving your skills and not just sitting back letting your skills go to waste.
I would think about taking one of the entry level jobs. You never know where it can take you. I am pretty fresh out of college (just graduated in the spring of 2010) and I was always told that if you can't find a job which fits exactly what you're looking for, to take one that is somewhat similar. That way, when you do find the job that fits you better, your resume will still reflect that you were improving your skills and not just sitting back letting your skills go to waste.
Some people are forced to take jobs which do not apply to where they want to be or where there degree was supposed to take them. Some are forced to take entry level jobs even though they are mid or senior level management. In this economy, taking a job, any job, might be good for you. You never know where it could take you.
I was always told that if you can't find a job which fits exactly what you're looking for, to take one that is somewhat similar. That way, when you do find the job that fits you better, your resume will still reflect that you were improving your skills and not just sitting back letting your skills go to waste.
However, my friend recently applied for a job through a friend and she was told to leave out information on her year long, unpaid, full-time internship because it did not necessarily pertain to the job field for which she was applying to.
What do you think? Would you take any job? Here are some facts from the Rutgers Survey:
- 65% would take a lower salary
- 59% would accept a lower-status job
- 70% would accept a temporary job
Would you take any job? What would you do?
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Newlyweds on a Budge says
August 10, 2011 at 10:06 amI've taken paycuts and have switched jobs 5 times in 5 years because of the economy. I am happy to say that I have finally found a job I like! BUT too many people think you get out of college and as long as you have a degree you deserve a certain salary. I guess some people are lucky, but the rest of us have to start at the bottom.
Michelle Parker says
August 10, 2011 at 10:13 amWow thanks for your post! The economy certainly hasn't been nice to a lot of people. And yes I agree with you saying that many people to think that having a degree means that you deserve a certain salary or job and so on. My blog post before this one titled "When degrees are NOT worth the debt" goes into detail about this very subject and links to an article where people have an extreme amount of college debt.Some are lucky, but I applied to many jobs and I started my job search at the beginning of the semester so that I could have plenty of time to find something, and also so that I would be ahead of the game of others who were going to graduate at the same time as me. Since I started applying much earlier than others, I was able to decline job offers which I did not like (and I'm very glad that doing this did not bite me in the butt in the end).
Ilene says
August 10, 2011 at 11:04 amI would do anything I had to do for a paycheck as long as it was honest and moral. I'm in a profession I love now, but years ago I worked at many jobs I hated. Those jobs helped me get through college as a non-traditional student (just means I was older when I went to college) and they spurred me on to continue working hard for what I wanted. One horrible job was mowing around tombstones in a church cemetery with a push mower–the cemetery was on a hill!
Michelle Parker says
August 10, 2011 at 11:17 amThanks for your post Ilene. I have a friend who had a job similar to your mowing around tombstones job. He had to mow, but he also had to dig the graves. He said one day he had to dig a grave for a baby. Needless to say, he quit that job the day after.
Sarah says
August 10, 2011 at 11:45 amI took a job with a bank after swearing i would never work at a bank because it was a full time job with a steady pay. And while the job has nothing to do with my interests it has full benefits, stock options and a defined benefits program if i want to say there long term. Its not perfect but its more then most people.
Michelle Parker says
August 10, 2011 at 11:47 amSarah, thanks for your post. That sounds like a good job! Even though it may not align with your interests, it sounds very stable for you.
judy says
August 10, 2011 at 5:07 pmI will take any job I have to in order to pay my bills and feed my kids. This means that if I have to work sweeping streets, then I will. I just don't think alot of people have a choiceJudy
coupleasaving says
August 11, 2011 at 3:01 amI have been looking for a new job for months! My job i have now is ok. I have come to learn that i am going to wait until i get a job i like. Im stuck in a job i hate and i dont want to move into another job i hate because i want to get out of this one.
Michelle Parker says
August 11, 2011 at 3:18 amJudy, I agree. Many people are forced to take jobs they don't want in order to make ends meet. But I believe a job is a job, so people should be greatful right now.@couplesaving, I hope you find one that you like!
Stephanie says
August 11, 2011 at 5:19 amThis comment has been removed by the author.
Stephanie says
August 11, 2011 at 5:20 amIf I didn't have a job, I'd probably take whatever I could get just to bridge the gap! When I finished college 6 years ago, I took a low-paying, entry level position at a nearby county government center entirely because of the benefits. But within 4 years I more than doubled my starting salary due to promotions. And I still have awesome benefits. ;-)But knowing that nothing is guaranteed, I do have multiple income streams – I work part-time as a librarian (my masters degree is in library science, and ultimately I want to do the library thing full-time) and that actually pays very well. Plus I make and sell jewelry on the side, which is a very part-time gig, but if I found myself without a full-time job I could always focus more on that.So… in other words, I am very flexible, career-wise. 😉
Michelle Parker says
August 11, 2011 at 5:36 amGood job on doubling your starting salary! I actually thought about getting my masters in library science because that leads to many jobs in the government, however, there are no good schools where I live that offer a masters in library science, so I didn't do it.I wish I was more flexible like you! How many hours do you work as a librarian? I've thought about getting a real second job, instead of the freelancing things that I do now.
slobely838 says
August 11, 2011 at 5:49 amI think I would be willing to take anything, but I'm not sure. I'm still now sure what I want to do.
Serendipity says
August 11, 2011 at 7:27 amRefering to a comment up above, I don't want to say if you have a degree you deserve a certain salary, but I do think you should have better opportunities because of your degree sometimes. A degree entails a lot of hard work. Regarding paycuts, at this time regarding mu budget, I can't really take a paycut anymore. I see a lot of jobs that will start me off at a lot less ( And I don't even think I make a lot!) and to me it's not worth the trade off.
Stephanie says
August 11, 2011 at 7:29 amIt depends on the time of year, but my regular schedule is one night a week (4 hours) and one Saturday a month (8 hours), plus extra shifts here and there to cover sick time or vacation time for my coworkers. When all is said and done, I make about $8,000 a year at that job, and my student loan payments are just over $2,000/year, so it's a net gain of 6k! And I absolutely love that job. :-)Oh, and I live less than an hour from Rutgers, which has one of the top MLIS programs in the country. But the pay for librarians varies wildly depending on where you live. Here in NJ the recommended minimum hourly rate is more than $27 (just under $51k/year for full-timers working 35 hrs/week), but in some places (especially in the South and the Midwest, where you live) a full-time librarian might only make $25k/year in a small local library. So I'd say you made a good decision going with the MBA. 😉
Michelle Parker says
August 11, 2011 at 8:56 am@Serendipity, I agree, a degree does entail a lot of hard work, which should lead to opportunities.Wow Stephanie! That's a great part-time job. I need to find something like that. That's good that you enjoy it also. And that's awesome that the hourly rates are so high there.
Anonymous says
August 17, 2011 at 5:54 amWhen I was working I was lucky enough to get into my field…Pre-K teacher….now I'm a SAHM, but if I need to get back into the working world I'd be happy with any job.Hopping in with Wednesday Window.Now following=^DPamela @ http://anoterote.blogspot.com
DNN says
February 28, 2018 at 4:13 amMichelle my friend,
You made the best choice of your life walking off your cushy day job and doing the transformation business work out of sheer inspiration. Congratulations on making the best of your side hustle and going from employee to entrepreneur. It’s not always easy making that mental transition because you get in a mental pattern of waking up in the morning at a certain time, going to work, and left to think that working a regular job is the only way to survive. Once thing about side hustle entrepreneurship is it’ll definitely not only separate the men from the boys, but it’ll also show who has the real business muscle for the hustle.
It’s humbling to have a grand opportunity to work on numerous side hustles and for anyone go go from a side hustle to having a full time online business operation while lifting others up and helping them be their best. That’s the heart of a true transformation business champion like you, Michelle. Keep up the good work! 🙂