Recent Grad: Need help finding a career

[Bodha]

Swallowing my pride, I need some help. I know most on this site are older than me, so I could could really use some advice, or better yet, a lead.

Graduated in May 2012. Business degree in Economics. Job experience background in sales, customer service and market research/ business analyst internship.

I cannot find a job for the life of me, Im getting pretty anxious. At this point "what do you want to do" doesnt really matter. I feel like ive applied everywhere in AZ. Ideally, supply chain management would be my choice career.


If anyone knows anyone at APS or SRP Id be grateful for a lead there. Id LOVE to work at SRP. Despite my degree in economics, im a workhorse. I am well suited for heavy labor or a more engineering geared job. Great with IT. Great with numbers.


So, I appreciate it, it is tough for me to ask for help even on a forum.

Thank you

 

[LVG]

My brother graduated with a BS Econ degree a few years back. He had a lot of interest from Health Care Insurance Companies doing analysis.

He ended up working for a friend who owned an internet business. He decided to go back and get his masters degree in an unrelated field (an offshoot of political science / public policy) at George Washington.

 

[crisper57]

Look into government jobs. Lots of fiscal staff, economists, statisticians needed. Here is a quick search of some jobs that may be related to your field. The azstatejobs website is typically updated every Friday night, so check back regularly. A statewide hiring freeze was just lifted this week, so I imagine there is some pent up demand to fill a lot of these kinds of positions.

https://secure.azstatejobs.gov/pljb...ainjb/applicant/index.jsp&searchaction=Search

In fact, my unit inside a State agency is probably going to be looking into hiring someone with your background in the next month-to-six-weeks, let me know if you're still looking by then and I will show you how to apply.

 

[Duckjake]

Swallowing my pride, I need some help. I know most on this site are older than me, so I could could really use some advice, or better yet, a lead.

Graduated in May 2012. Business degree in Economics. Job experience background in sales, customer service and market research/ business analyst internship.

I cannot find a job for the life of me, Im getting pretty anxious. At this point "what do you want to do" doesnt really matter. I feel like ive applied everywhere in AZ. Ideally, supply chain management would be my choice career.


If anyone knows anyone at APS or SRP Id be grateful for a lead there. Id LOVE to work at SRP. Despite my degree in economics, im a workhorse. I am well suited for heavy labor or a more engineering geared job. Great with IT. Great with numbers.


So, I appreciate it, it is tough for me to ask for help even on a forum.

Thank you

check this out: http://www.constructionexec.com/Issues/June_2009/Features3.aspx

https://www.travelers.com/about-us/...ams/bond-financial-products-underwriting.aspx

The majority of top underwriters are in their late 50s early 60s so there will be a lot of opportunity is this field over the next 10 years. Pay is pretty good as well. However, it may be hard to find a position in Arizona as opposed to places like Florida, California or Texas where companies have several branch offices.

Won't hurt to check it out.

 

[Bodha]

Appreciate it guys, keep em coming. Need all the help I can get.


I was thinking about underwriting. But what a bleedin boring job. And worse yet, you cant move on from it. Its not really a transferrable skill. So once an underwritier, ill basically be an underwriter my entire life.

"what I want to do" doesnt even matter anymore because I cant afford to be picky.


I knew the real world sucks but gosh damn

 

[LVG]

Appreciate it guys, keep em coming. Need all the help I can get.


I was thinking about underwriting. But what a bleedin boring job. And worse yet, you cant move on from it. Its not really a transferrable skill. So once an underwritier, ill basically be an underwriter my entire life.

"what I want to do" doesnt even matter anymore because I cant afford to be picky.


I knew the real world sucks but gosh damn

There's always a Masters degree.

 

[Bodha]

There's always a Masters degree.

Ha, believe me dude, Ive mulled that over about 100x.


Id be another one of the countless guys who went back to school simply because they couldnt find a job. Most graduate programs are packed full of students who just werent ready for the real world.

Really tho, Masters degrees have lost value. Those who have one can tell you that.


It wouldnt matter if I had a PH.D. Fact is Ive been a non-student for a whole 5 months and so I dont have 20 years of experience under my belt. Thats the catch 22 of College. You need a degree to get the job. But you need experience on the job to get the job.

Its Fn BS

 

[LVG]

Ha, believe me dude, Ive mulled that over about 100x.


Id be another one of the countless guys who went back to school simply because they couldnt find a job. Most graduate programs are packed full of students who just werent ready for the real world.

Really tho, Masters degrees have lost value. Those who have one can tell you that.


It wouldnt matter if I had a PH.D. Fact is Ive been a non-student for a whole 5 months and so I dont have 20 years of experience under my belt. Thats the catch 22 of College. You need a degree to get the job. But you need experience on the job to get the job.

Its Fn BS

Oh I understand. Towards the end of my construction career I was beating college degree guys out for a job because I had 10 years experience and they had 5. I know of one guy who is getting his PhD in literature, and is immediately going to enroll in medical school.

It seems like a bachelors (especially in the social sciences) isn't worth much; you need a Masters or PhD to do anything related to your field. Mine is Public Administration, and if I didn't have 15 years of construction experience, my Bachelors would qualify me for a secretaries or phone operators position in the government.

Of course, that degree was to get me into law school. Otherwise, I would have gotten a science or engineering degree.

My brother had the same problem with his Econ degree, which is why he went back to get a Masters.

Hell, you may have better luck getting certified as a welder or electrician and finding work.

 

[Bodha]

Oh I understand. Towards the end of my construction career I was beating college degree guys out for a job because I had 10 years experience and they had 5. I know of one guy who is getting his PhD in literature, and is immediately going to enroll in medical school.

It seems like a bachelors (especially in the social sciences) isn't worth much; you need a Masters or PhD to do anything related to your field. Mine is Public Administration, and if I didn't have 15 years of construction experience, my Bachelors would qualify me for a secretaries or phone operators position in the government.

Of course, that degree was to get me into law school. Otherwise, I would have gotten a science or engineering degree.

My brother had the same problem with his Econ degree, which is why he went back to get a Masters.

Hell, you may have better luck getting certified as a welder or electrician and finding work.

Dude, you have no idea how much you just hit the nail on the head.


Ive been thinking about just going into a labor job for awhile now, screw my Econ degree. If anything, my degree proves im intelligent and good with numbers.

In the long run, some construction management job would probably be better (both job satisfaction and monetary) than any office job.

I might be suited for a job like that anyways. Im a outdoors enthusiast. I dont know of anyone who can work harder than me physcially. I moved 5 tonnes of gravel and landscaping material across my folks place with nothing more than a wheel barrow and shovel. Only took me 2 days.



If you have any advice on how to get into that, ASAP, Id appreciate it. Id could totally be a technician. I just dont know in what.

 

[MigratingOsprey]

check this out: http://www.constructionexec.com/Issues/June_2009/Features3.aspx

https://www.travelers.com/about-us/...ams/bond-financial-products-underwriting.aspx

The majority of top underwriters are in their late 50s early 60s so there will be a lot of opportunity is this field over the next 10 years. Pay is pretty good as well. However, it may be hard to find a position in Arizona as opposed to places like Florida, California or Texas where companies have several branch offices.

Won't hurt to check it out.

Surety Underwriting does skew a bit younger - also, keep in mind a surety bond is not commercial insurance, so it does vary to a slight degree than insurance underwriting

Many insurance companies offer development programs - Travelers has a fantastic one.

Not a boring job by any stretch - but it is an office job. It is also more limited in AZ than other markets as far as growth.

I majored in finance and economics - personally, I think the finance work translates a little better into the job field as far as skills - where economics is more of a frame of mind

It seems like for your path/experience a gov't job, insurance job, analyst job, etc would be the path.

It just doesn't sound like you have much interest in those things.

You can do well in construction management - it's a demanding job though and may be a little more difficult to break into at the moment ..... if that's the path you want to explore, check out the below link - you can access lists of top companies, etc ..... then explore them for openings

http://southwest.construction.com/

 

[Bodha]

Surety Underwriting does skew a bit younger - also, keep in mind a surety bond is not commercial insurance, so it does vary to a slight degree than insurance underwriting

Many insurance companies offer development programs - Travelers has a fantastic one.

Not a boring job by any stretch - but it is an office job. It is also more limited in AZ than other markets as far as growth.

I majored in finance and economics - personally, I think the finance work translates a little better into the job field as far as skills - where economics is more of a frame of mind

It seems like for your path/experience a gov't job, insurance job, analyst job, etc would be the path.

It just doesn't sound like you have much interest in those things.

You can do well in construction management - it's a demanding job though and may be a little more difficult to break into at the moment ..... if that's the path you want to explore, check out the below link - you can access lists of top companies, etc ..... then explore them for openings

http://southwest.construction.com/

Ill take any Con Management advice you got. thanks


The underwriting thing is an option. I just dont know how hard itd be to get into. If it is an older industry, then id expect they require alot of experience to get hired.

I might try calling one up and saying I want to learn from all the elderlies so i can take o ver when they retire. Which is true. I collect mentors and wise older people. But itd also be a great "In".

Just depends on if thats the career I want. Insurance? Blah, lol.

 

[BigRedRage]

Swallowing my pride, I need some help. I know most on this site are older than me, so I could could really use some advice, or better yet, a lead.

Graduated in May 2012. Business degree in Economics. Job experience background in sales, customer service and market research/ business analyst internship.

I cannot find a job for the life of me, Im getting pretty anxious. At this point "what do you want to do" doesnt really matter. I feel like ive applied everywhere in AZ. Ideally, supply chain management would be my choice career.


If anyone knows anyone at APS or SRP Id be grateful for a lead there. Id LOVE to work at SRP. Despite my degree in economics, im a workhorse. I am well suited for heavy labor or a more engineering geared job. Great with IT. Great with numbers.



So, I appreciate it, it is tough for me to ask for help even on a forum.

Thank you

we are always hiring sales if you need something for now. PM me any time

 

[82CardsGrad]

A friend recently told me about this company that is presently hiring in Phoenix: http://www.zocdoc.com/. Click on the careers tab... Sounds like a very, very cool company that is extremely well-funded. Ya never know...

 

[Bodha]

A friend recently told me about this company that is presently hiring in Phoenix: http://www.zocdoc.com/. Click on the careers tab... Sounds like a very, very cool company that is extremely well-funded. Ya never know...

Ha, I heard about them the other day too for the first time.


They are an option. I appreciate you dropping in with some advice.