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FEATURE

College Grads of 2010, It's Time to Face Tough Job Market

Labeled Gen @, the Millennials, or Gen “Y2K”, the bright young class of 2010 had started their freshman year with promises of a booming job market and shrinking pool of applicants.

In 2007 career videos documenting Gen @ called this generation the new workplace: Highly skilled, tech savvy kids who had never heard the words “You can’t”.  The new graduates are more likely to have studied abroad, speak another language, know how to program your BlackBerry, have blogged, have held an internship, have done volunteer work, and have never worked for minimum wage.

Last October as Wall Street went into free fall, the graduating class was patiently waiting for their pre-packaged job offers to start pouring in.

When their inbox remained empty, students faced the failing market with surprising pragmatism. Even as job offers were rescinded from companies facing hiring freezes, the “Yes We Can” generation rallied fast. From the Peace Corps, to non-profit desk jobs, to accounts payable departments and translation services, they proved they weren’t just going to wait out the recession.

CareerBuilder’s annual survey showed sixty-eight percent of companies are still willing to hire grads, though on smaller salaries. Like their young applicants who championed “Change” a few months before, companies are deftly aware that in today’s rapidly changing global market taking a chance on new ideas might be the only way to stay on top of the competition.

While the job market isn’t the gold-paved road it once was, the class of 2010 still knows they bring to the table skills, training, unique experiences, and an innovative, anything-is-possible attitude characteristic of the times. Even in the midst of the financial crisis, a feeling that the old regime, the old ideas had failed motivated the largest turn-out for young voters in history. Unlike their parents, you don’t hear them quoting “in this economy” with Doomsday references to the Great Depression. Instead the “Participation Awards” grads are looking starry eyed into the future that was promised to them.

As May comes to a close, already the hiring freezes have begun to thaw. The dollar and pound are rising in the face of recent international threats. Retail spending has begun to level off, and stores like Wal Mart, Home Depot and Gap have even reported significant profit margins. The health and science industries which are holding out strongest in the recession are still snapping up freshly trained grads. Law firms which were bleeding a month or two ago, are looking at retaining now. Best of all, no more bailouts are looming to be dumped on new taxpayers.

Congratulations graduates of 2010! Remember the future is still yours...now go earn it!