How easy is it to get a minimum wage job?

Struggling when you first graduate from college is the norm for many people. Unless you get "hooked up" be a relative or close friend of the family you usually have to send out a lot of resumes and bide your time doing part-time jobs until something opens up. The other option is getting a great internship while still in school and hoping the employer decides to keep you on but that isn't typical in most cases. The phrase "It's not what you know, it's who you know" holds some weight unfortunately.

Experience matters a lot and in most cases everyone has to start at the bottom to get their foot in the door. The amount of time it takes to get your first real job after college varies from person to person and industry to industry. For example, someone who is a recent law school grad that didn't graduate from a tier 1 school might have a difficult time finding work in their field because the profession is overwhelmed with the number of lawyers. On the other hand, a graduate from MIT or Stanford in technology might find work rather quickly if they look in Silicon Valley.

Your best option, and something I actually did myself, is to send out as many resumes as you can. You should also try to make contacts in the field you want to work in by going on informational interviews. This will help as well.

Hello Leah!

While you are quite young I think it's important to build up the good work habits and do not worry about what jobs you want to be in. Get something that you can show people that you're willing to work. I was working in a Pizza Shop before I got a job in a pretty awesome company. Ray Kroc didn't start his business until he was 55! If you're not sure who he is, he was the founder of McDonalds who was selling paper cups prior.

Ask yourself if you've really exhausted through your resources. When I was your age I felt the same but looking back I only applied to like 10 places and got rejected by them. I then met some people who were applying to 100 until they got an offer they liked.

The world we live in today is not as small as before. It's become a global market place and jobs can be scarce. When looking for career choices also keep in mind if this is something that might get automated away.

Another thing you can do, which is what I did is find someone you really want to work for and just simply put yourself out there and ask them how you can work for/with them.

ALSO, If you really think you do not have anything to do maybe look into teaching yourself how to program, some of the best programmers I know are all self taught. There's lots of great free resources online that you can use. The technology industry definitely wants more female programmers and leaders in the industry!

Hi Leah,

Depending on what kind of positions you are seeking, may lead to different results. Entry level positions right out of college can be difficult to find, especially if they are in a more specialized field. Not all entry level positions require a college degree, so you may have additional competition with others applying. I would recommend to consider having someone look over your resume to ensure it is appealing, and consider creating an e-portfolio. When you send out an application, especially if it is one that is online only, you may want to send over an email to the hiring manager with a power point that includes your strengths, your history, and potentially even a photo. Finding different ways to get noticed and be different is something that can truly benefit you in the long run.