Put the 'real world' on hold

If you seniors haven’t heard of the employment catch-22, you’re about to experience it.
You can’t get a job if you don’t have work experience, but you can’t get work experience if you don’t have a job.

Ideally, that college education you just spent 80 grand on would make up for you having to start out at Steak ’n Shake . But it doesn’t. The world is becoming increasingly specialized, and the four-year college degree is losing its weight – especially majors that provide no differentiable skill.

According to The Wall Street Journal, although statistically college graduates earn more during their lives than non-graduates and are less likely to be jobless, a four-year degree is no longer a guarantee for a steadily increasing paycheck.

The Wall Street Journal continued, “Economists chiefly cite globalization and technology, which have prompted employers to put the highest value on abstract skills possessed by a relatively small group, for this state of affairs.”

On top of that, although our economy is no Spain – whose unemployment just hit 17.4 percent last month – job prospects will remain tough throughout the year. Also, considering the market will be flooded with applications this May, it might be a while until you find a job.

But this might not be all bad. It could give each of us that push we need to actually go through with those idealized fantasies we had of backpacking Europe , teaching English in China or making a documentary film. By the time you come back and are ready to enter the real world, you’ll have something that finally differentiates you from others, and the economy will be back on its feet.

Your 20s are yours after all. You’ll never be as free or without responsibilities as you are today. Mortgages don’t have nine-month grace periods; children can’t just be slung over your shoulder and taken with you like a backpack; and your body will never be healthier.

So while you’re sitting at graduation listening to some Australian guy’s funny accent, think about all the romanticized places you wanted to go. Unless you fantasized about sitting next to Milton in some cubicle, remember the best time to go is now.