I haven't been on much because I was swamped with projects for school. But I just graduated about a week ago with my B.S. degree in Environmental Biology.

Now what?

I started to search for jobs and I quickly realized that there really isn't any near where I live. Not even many in the state. The jobs that seem to apply to my degree all want experience in things that I never even heard of.
My boyfriend, who graduated in December still hasn't found a job. He has applied for so many, but they all seemed to instead hire people with experience (which isn't a surprise). Its starting to feel like the same things is going to happen to me.

So here I am. Scared. The reason I went for a degree in that area was because I wanted to help save the environment and to do things to help preserve the animals and plants that live in nature. Now it feels like I won't be able to get a job period, let alone do what I wanted to do to begin with. I'm starting to think that I just wasted four years of my life and getting myself into $15000 of debt.

Am I freaking out too early? Should I be worried?

that will be me in a few weeks :(
im pooing myself about finding a job
all the junior jobs requires 2 years experience so i dunno how the hell im gonna find one

oh yeah, got a degree and jobless. good stuff.

Try looking for internships and volunteer work perhaps? You can try getting your foot in the door for the field you're interested in while you work at a most likely unrelated job to keep the bills covered etc.

Also, you're probably going to have to suck it up and apply to places outside your area. Generally places have some sort of moving compensation if you need to relocate to work for them. You also get tax breaks for taking trips to look for a place to live etc.

I'll be out of school with my BFA in 2 1/2 weeks myself (oh lord D: ) so I rather feel you. I'm lucky in that I can bum a job off my parents for the summer but yea it has nothing to do with my field of study and I'm not sure I'll be able to get into that field anytime soon D:

Hi guys. Haven't been around for a while mainly due to college myself. I have some positive advice, but may be hard to swallow. The simple truth is that most employers want people with experience, but you can't get experience without getting employed (talk about a brick wall). You may want to think about interning (unpaid even). Then you get the experience these employers are so hungry for and job references. Several of my friends have been hired on by their intern companies. I myself am doing a semester as teacher's aid (My design professor has his own design firm and this puts me in his good graces and shows him my level of professionalism). The old adage about it not being about what you know, but who you know is part true. You need to know people in the sense that they can trust your work style. Internships build bridges, and even if you do not want to be there permanently, you can make an impression and get references for future employment. Stay strong and dive in, you will make a difference to the world, but you have to start climbing the ladder from the bottom up.

yeah, unfortunately that's the world we live in... it's a catch 22, sometimes you can get lucky and snag a job with no experience, but i don't hear of it very often. i didn't realize there were so many people here about to graduate. wow, good luck you guys. :smirk

i was there once as well. i have no good advice for your field that has not already been noted.
sounds like a field that for your first lower on the totem pole (proving yourself gig) you will have to relocate yourself.
good luck to ya.

i was lucky that i got a job long-term subbing and was quickly hired during that.

Well, I wanted to hear "Don't worry, you'll get a job. Just be patient." Oh well.

As far as internships go:
I worked in two different areas and have volunteer time. But the job market in those areas are so tight that it probably doesn't matter. It seems as though the people who get in those jobs never leave until they're retired.

I worked as an intern at the local health dept.
We did a school inspection after the laws in Ohio changed and it was crazy. Waxc, I thought of you because of all the things we had to remove in the art room in the school.
The art room had a weaving loom, and when I first saw it I thought it was really cool because my school never had a loom. Then the inspector asked him to remove it because it could cause allergic reactions. I just thought that was a bit crazy.

I also worked as an intern at a research station banding different birds. Dirty Jobs taped me banding canada geese, but I never saw it on tv, so I don't know if they cut that part out. I did get to meet Mike Rowe so that was neat.

I also volunteer at a nature reserve around here whenever I can, but there doesn't seem to be any good contacts.

So I tried. I don't want to move. I guess I'll just keep looking.

I'm finishing up my first college year at Nassau in two days. While I'm not graduating anytime soon, I still think and worry about what I want to do when I get my associates degree in Commercial Arts. Yes, many people in my stage of life are in the same position, but I still wonder if I want to go to a four year college afterwards. Especially since graphic design is a highly competitive field.

It seems like an issue for many. My sister is going for her masters in Social Work, and she had quite a hard time finding an appropriate internship. So you aren't alone in this it seems.

i'm 27 and i'm still wondering what i want to do in life. :doh

arctic phoenix you are into graphic design too then?
its getting scarily close for me now. i dont wanna be living at home too long. i enjoy my freedom at uni too much to be sstuck there again.

vix what area did you study in?

Graphic design is highly competitive yes, but I think there's still a lot more job opportunities for it than for other areas... not to mention it's a broad enough subject that you can dip into other fields (sequential, illustration, advertising...).

I'm getting my BFA in Illustration in just two weeks D: And I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to do with it. For now my idea is to work with my dad for the summer while I refine my portfolio and promotional materials... then start applying places and considering teaching. The problem with illustration is that a lot of it hinges on freelance work D: Which can be awesome... if you're good enough to get consistent work.

i have a BA in Communications/Film Theory with and uncredited Music Minor.

you run an awesome website... i appreciate THAT very much.

she just needs to charge us a quid per post and she will be "rolling" in it :D

eep, then i'm in serious trouble :lol

i owe the most then :doh hmmm a "quid".... yea i dont have any of that anyway.

Ha, that would be something now wouldn't it. Then it really would be dead around here. :P

(crickets, crickets, crickets....)

wax youve really overtaken me in the posting stakes :eek:
i didnt even notice

im not sure what its like in amarica but over here in england if you take any job you can get (even a supermarket or mcdonalds job) it shows willingness to work and so you are more likely to get a job
im not really sure though as im not there yet

there is a difference between a mcdonalds job and a proper job tho :D

yeah but any experience give you a slight upper hand to someone that has none