Another graduation ceremony is upon us with a new crop of graduates ready to move on to other things. Congratulations to you. I wish you well and hope you meet your goals. That may mean college, trade school or starting a career. Choices you make now will affect your future prospects.
Today’s graduates have more challenges than many of their predecessors. The economy is now a major factor. Part time and temporary employment is limited with more competition, with the workforce participation rate at an all-time low. The Affordable Health Care Act and increasing regulations are causing employers to shift their hiring practices. Employees don’t have the luxury of being choosy anymore.
Sadly, finding that dream job is becoming more difficult to do. The unemployment rate for those 18 to 25 years old is still at over 15 percent. Competition for any job is still fierce. You won’t find a job, however, if you don’t look. The couch is not a good employment aid. Use the phone, talk to parents of friends, knock on business doors, and whatever else it takes. Treat finding a job as your full-time job. Be persistent.
If you are going on to college, choose a major wisely. There are jobs out there for engineers, research scientists, nurses, and other similar professions. Byzantine art studies, not so much. Choose a major that makes you employable. Take a course in Constitutional history, preferably from a professor who is not a reconstructionist. If you don’t understand how our government is supposed to work, as opposed to how it is now, you will become an easily led “sheep” subject to the whims of the leadership of the day.
Trade school is another option. There is a shift in the U.S. economy taking place. While many of the new ideas are developed at home, more and more of the manufacturing needs of the country are taking place overseas. This is due to increased taxes, regulations, and labor costs in the U.S. I don’t see this trend changing.
This places more emphasis on jobs that are localized and can’t be easily exported. This means the job demands will be for trucking and transport, plumbers, welders, electricians, computer technicians, and mechanics. Compensation for these trades is generally higher than those of a college graduate due simply to demand.
Stay out of debt. I know education is expensive, but you will be better off to sit out a semester, assuming you are employed of course, to save enough to go back to school again. It makes no sense economically to borrow huge amounts of money to get a college degree. That debt will hang around your neck for a long time.
When you get that job interview, dress appropriately and get rid of your fashion statements. First impressions are hard to change.
Do some research on the company, or at least about the industry. Practice your interview skills before you show up. Try to anticipate questions and have answers ready. If you don’t get the job, don’t ask the interviewer why not. Ask what you can do to present yourself better. Offer to work for free for a couple of weeks. It might make the difference of a job or not.
When you get a job, remember your value to your employer is based solely on how much you produce beyond what you are being paid. Likewise, raises are determined by the same criteria. An employer cannot afford to keep paying you if you don’t produce more than you cost. The single biggest complaint of employers across the spectrum is the lack of work ethic. Prove them wrong.
Be courteous. It doesn’t cost anything and will make you stand out among your peers. And don’t be selective about who you are courteous to.
Leave your cell phone in the car. Your boss is probably not a product of the computer age. Your “need” for constant contact with friends and family will probably be viewed as stealing time from him or her.
Show up early and leave late. And don’t expect to get paid for it. Consider it an investment in your future. If you feel your boss doesn’t recognize your efforts, leave. There are at least five good bosses for every bad one. But after five or six job changes for the same reason, the problem might be you. Take heed.
Your future is in your hands. Make the most of it. May your choices always be good ones. I wish you well.
Tom Riggins’ column appears every other Friday. He may be reached at news@lahontanvalleynews.com.