According to a recent report from Indeed Hiring Lab economist Nick Bunker, today’s college graduates are prioritizing passion over pay. According to the report, today’s tight labor market is giving recent graduates more confidence, allowing them to look for work that gives them personal fulfillment rather than following a more traditional path. Compared to four years ago, these graduates are looking more at creative and social service roles and less at financial and business occupations. We spoke with Mr. Bunker about today’s graduates and why they’re choosing passion over pay.
What types of jobs are garnering the most interest from recent graduates?
Overall, recent grads are looking at more media, arts, and social services roles compared to past years. However, the most popular jobs still include occupations in engineering, such as mechanical engineer, industrial engineer, chemical engineer, and civil engineer.
Why do you think more young people are choosing passion over pay?
Recent grads are seeing more job opportunities due to a stronger labor market and realizing they can follow a less traditional path without worrying as much about finding a typical steady job. A business job might have been the only ticket to a decent paying job in a weaker labor market, but now a newly-minuted college grad can find stability in other areas.
How can one find a job he or she loves while still ensuring the bills are paid?
Because the labor market is so strong right now, workers are able to ask for higher pay in jobs that may have paid less when the economy was weaker. This is a great time to ask for a raise or negotiate a higher starting salary. Of course, not every job that offers personal fulfillment will also pay the bills, so it’s important to be realistic about whether or not taking a lower-paying but fulfilling job is a good choice for you.
Find the full report here: https://www.hiringlab.org/2019/04/11/college-grads-jobs/
[wpedon id=”11354″ align=”center”]