When you graduate from Whatcom Community College or a four-year university, it may be more difficult than you thought to find a job.
Melina Saxman, a student in Business 223, wanted to find out more about why it’s hard to get hired.
She says “It can be difficult to find a sustainable job that lines up with their education, degree, and intended career path, especially in today’s crowded labor environment.”
One reason, she says, is because recent college graduates are being pushed out of the job market by younger teenagers and more seasoned workers alike, and this phenomenon is resulting in a concept referred to as underemployment.
Saxman used the Insider database to indicate “that this is largely due to the fact that recent college graduates are being pushed out of the job market by younger teenagers and more seasoned workers alike, and this phenomenon is resulting in a concept referred to as underemployment.”
She uses data she found to substantiate this, and she found that according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which she accessed from a 2013 report by the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, 48% percent of employed U.S. college graduates are working jobs that require less than a four-year college degree.
Saxman gives several reasons to hire recent grads. Among them: they are significantly more technologically adept than older generations, according to a post on Linked In.
In the same Linked In post, according to writer Zoryana Cherwick, the salary expectations for recent graduates are inherently lower than more seasoned, experienced employees.
Saxman surmises that “The relatively low upfront cost of onboarding an employee is an obvious pro, but the ability to pay that employee more as they become more experienced and reward them with raises, promotions, and benefits will also significantly aid in long-term employee retention.”
She admits that employers are reluctant to hire people with little or no experience, because of the lack of skill levels and the need for additional training, but she says that “Transferable skills like leadership, communication, resilience and problem-solving are often far better predictors for future success,” according to a 2019 online article by Arlene Hirsch from the Society for Human Resource Management.
Saxman says that having an internship or volunteering may place students at an advantage in finding a job.
Using a variety of research from reputable sources, such as the Pew Research Center and an online book from OpenStax,, she concludes that “Coupled with adequate preparation, such as participating in internships, volunteering, and effectively communicating their skills and abilities, hiring recent graduates could prove to strengthen and grow companies through new perspectives and creative innovation.”
To locate current articles in our databases, such as Academic Search Complete, Business Source Premier, ProQuest’s Research Library, or JSTOR IV Business Collection, use the key phrases “recent college graduates” and jobs or employment or career or occupation or workplace; or use OneSearch to find a wealth of resources.