3 Ways to Overcome No Job After Grad School
1/21/2023 by HIGHERGRAD
In a perfect world, you spend your time in graduate school building knowledge of a specific topic all to make yourself ultra-hirable. Then the last few months you fine tune your resume, do job interviews, and secure your career. Good luck with that perfect world! It almost never happens the way you plan it. Having no job after graduate school is a real possibility. So much so, that you should plan for this alternative. Overcome not having a job after grad school with these strategies. They will help your search, keep you afloat, and keep you from getting stressed about finding a job after college.
According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), 23.3% grad school graduates in 2021 were not fully employed after graduation. The top 3 ways to change that situation are:
Options If You Have No Job After Grad School
Whether it has been 1 day or 3 years after graduation with no job, it is a tremendous personal challenge. Almost a quarter of all grad school graduates fail to find a job after college. The best advice if you are in that group is to not be overcome with worry. There are many opportunities for work if you are struggling to find a job after college.
We all need a source of income to survive. Younger graduates need to start their lives and support themselves while graduating adult learners may have a family to support. However with no job after graduate school, income becomes your focus. There are several things you can do to supplement income while your job search in underway.
Alternative Sources of Income While Job Searching
There are several ways to make money if you can’t find a job after grad school. First, offer your skillset as a consultant. Many companies look for freelance consultants to fill gaps for specific projects. This saves the company overhead but gives them a skilled resource. These positions can be lucrative; however, they usually do not include any benefits. Furthermore, many consultant roles lead to full-time employment down the road.
Second, you can start your own business. Although not as easy as it sounds, it can be an option for younger grads who have more flexibility to start from scratch.
Finally, you can freelance in different areas. Plenty of online opportunities such as FIVERR allow you to do any number of tasks others will pay you for. All these alternative sources of income can pay the bills while you continue your job search.
3 Ways to Get a Job After Grad School
The situation of having no job after grad school is not comforting. It is a letdown and stressful time having just finished your graduate degree. No one said life after grad school was going to be easy. These three ways are among the top solutions to find a job quickly after grad school.
Network Your Way to a Career
Companies need to know who you are. If no one knows you (or your skills), the chance of finding a job is slim. This is where networking comes in. Networking is the sharing of information between people and businesses. Information shared grows relationships and builds connections between people for professional and personal development.
Networking is one of the best ways to speed up your job search. SHRM has a great article on exactly how networking does just that. The article can be found here, "How Networking Speeds Your Job Search".
Places to Grow Your Network
People to Increase Your Network
Relocating After Grad School
It is not always possible to get a job where you live. Nowadays it is easier with more companies offering remote work opportunities. Although, depending on your field, employers may not have remote options. Relocating can increase your options.
Consider expanding your job search to nearby cities or across state lines. Being less concerned about location and having the flexibility to move will let you submit more applications for jobs.
Give Away Your Expertise
Sometimes you have to show companies your value. If you have no job after grad school, seek out companies and prove your value. See if they have unpaid internships or have a need for a specific project where you can show how you can help the company. Often doing so often leads to a full-time job.
Nobody wants to be in the situation of not having a job. Especially, no job after grad school can be debilitating for any recent graduate. Don’t let it get to you. Slow down and start to work the problem. First look for other sources of income while you continue to submit resumes and go to job interviews. Next, build your network, consider relocating, and prove your expertise to increase your chances of securing a job after grad school.
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