5 Reasons Your Degree Won’t Land You a Job

Current university students can learn a very valuable lesson from the students who recently graduated. Many of those recent grads are ready to embark on a new journey… to their parents’ basement.
Unfortunately, this scenario is a reality for too many recent college graduates. Whether they spent too much time studying in the library or didn’t take advantage of their university’s career services, university graduates often struggle with their initial job search.
Although this post presents a harsh reality, here are straight-forward (and preventable) reasons why many college graduates face unemployment after graduation. Learn from these lessons now while you’re in school. So you face a better reality when you graduate:

1. You Don’t Have Internship Experience

Completing internships can be the most important thing you can do to guarantee success after college. Internships provide valuable hands-on experience that make college graduates marketable to hiring companies. Employers expect university graduates to have gained experience in addition to their diploma. If you don’t go above and beyond while attending the university, you will have a more difficult time finding employment.

2. You Earned a Liberal Arts Degree

If you heard about the university graduates who ended up working at banks instead of starting their career, it’s mostly likely because they earned a degree that has little or no growth in the job market. Today, there are too many university graduates who earned degrees in areas such English, sociology, or history, where jobs simply aren’t in demand.

3. Your High CGPA Doesn’t Mean You Deserve a Job

Sorry, but employers don’t care if you pulled countless all-nighters in order to graduate with a 5.0. Unless you are trying to get accepted into graduate school, your grades aren't a top priority when employers are looking to hire. Employers want to hire people who gained valuable experience while in the university. It’s also important to remember that employers pay attention to skills, personality, and passion — not how many consecutive years you made the dean’s list.

4. You Didn’t Learn a Hard Skill

University graduates who went to school to learn a skill like accountancy or engineering can usually find a job in their field without having much experience. Their education was able to provide them with the hard skills needed to be successful in that field. Although experience is very important when applying for jobs, college graduates who earned a degree that provides a hard skill will have much better luck landing a job.

5. You Didn’t Seek Career Advice

Polytechnics and universities offer endless resources for students to make the most of their job search. Many provide career counseling and classes that help students learn how to be successful in their search. However, when students don’t take advantage of these tools, they miss out on important career advice. They don’t realize a poorly written resume or bad interview etiquette can cost their chance at a job.
Keep in mind: just because you earned a college degree doesn’t mean you’ll automatically land a job after college. The job search is a process that begins at the start of your college career. It’s important to remember to choose a degree that is in-demand, gain experience outside of the classroom, and learn valuable skills.