SO. This morning I was on the phone interviewing a recent college graduate (we're talking May 2008 grad). This person had no experience other than retail at her local mall; no internships, no extra curricular activities. When I'd ended up asking her about what she was looking for in a salary, she replied "I won't accept anything less than $35-$37K". Let's kindly forget the fact that at an entry level demands aren't taken kindly and concentrate solely on her gross distortion on what an entry level candidate can expect to make.

Let me preface my rant with the fact that this young lady isn't in a boat all by herself. If you would have spoken to me a few years ago when I was freshly graduated from college I would tell you that I WENT to college to be able to make more than entry level pay. I PAID my dues for FOUR years (both literally and figuratively) to be able to enter the working world on a plane higher than the average man. Yes, I too was part of the optimistic college graduate group. The kids who graduated with a degree with no practical application in the real world who expected to hit the big time at 23.

TIME FOR THE REALITY CHECK

Today (unlike 20 - 30 years ago) a college education with more of a liberal arts degree (meaning you're not going straight into a pre-set profession like pharmacology or medicine or law) merely demonstrates that you can reason, read and write. While this is all well and good, you still have to expect to come into the working world at an entry level. You haven't yet proven that you can take that learned information and apply it to practical situations. I know it's a hard pill to swallow but RECENT COLLEGE GRADUATES STILL HAVE TO PAY THEIR DUES AND CLIMB FROM THE GROUND UP.

Now in this girl's case, we're in the Buffalo, NY market which means entry level begins anywhere from $23 - $27K depending on the position and company. Of course in larger cities the entry level pay will increase and conversely decrease in smaller areas.

What could this girl have done to increase her intial worth in the working world? Any internship or even a part time job in an office setting will be excellent assets to a resume. Extracurricular activities like student government or serving on the executive board of either a fraternity or sorority are excellent qualifiers too.

so with that having been said,

good luck college grads! don't eliminate yourself from a fantastic entry level position with growth potential bc you're overshooting your salary requirements.




Love,

Workin Girl