So, April is here…college students are preparing for their graduation in another month. Are they excited, nervous, happy or what?  I mean what do they do after graduation? With approximately 1.6 million students graduating across the country, there just really aren’t enough jobs to go around.  The competition just keeps increasing but the number of jobs decreases.

Of course, we hear over and over again that this is a time to think outside the box, network and be flexible with your career goals. Well, what if you went to school not just to get a degree in the hopes of securing a better paying job so you can just pay bills but you actually studied something that you are truly passionate about?  You want to make a difference in the world.  Well, with the state of the economy it appears you have two choices: find a job wherever you can and work to get a paycheck to pay the bills and make a difference in your own world or become one of the many unemployed.  It’s sad but true.  Maybe in a few years once things get better you can pursue your dream job and feel that school wasn’t all for nothing.

Unfortunately, many college students will not only face the stress of searching for a job in a market where there simply aren’t enough jobs to go around but they will have the additional stress of preparing to repay student loans. This makes the search for a job more urgent and even more stressful.  So, in a job market like this one maybe the best advice is to listen to what people keep saying over and over…this is a time to think outside the box, network and be flexible with your career goals.  All of this being said don’t give up on your dreams or career aspirations…you can still network and make connections with people so when things do open up you will be ahead of the game.

What do you think?  What are your personal experiences, stories or advice for others?