College Grads Get Creative in Job Search
With the market downturn, some students cast a wide net to find work.
GAINESVILLE, Fla., Dec. 2, 2008 -- The job market for recent college graduates isn't the best. Rather than bothering with the rat race, spamming resumes and hoping to come out with at least an entry-level grunt job, some recent alumni are forging their own paths -- for better, worse or simply an adventure.
Danny Djeljosevic is an Internet-era bohemian. No "real" job, just whatever work he can scour from the annals of Craigslist, the classified ads of the 21st Century.
His resume now includes ghostwriter, reality TV blogger and one-time extra on a TV show. The way he now makes a living isn't what he pictured life would be like six months out of college, but -- que será, será. Besides, what else would he be doing?
As an student approaching graduation at the University of Florida earlier this year, the 23-year-old was socked with apprehension about his future. He didn't think anyone would hire him at a TV writing job with just an English degree and little experience, and he knew he couldn't stay with his family in Fort Lauderdale. He feared he'd get stuck.
So Djeljosevic and three friends piled into a Honda Civic and drove from Florida to San Diego, Calif., where they now rent a house together.
"I realized I couldn't get a real job right away," Djeljosevic said. "San Diego, it seemed sort of a fun, romantic, interesting thing to do."
But eschewing the process of finding a company, a boss and a steady paycheck has led to a new fear: literally becoming that starving artist.
"Living on your own with a dwindling supply of money leads you to get cracking and find a job before it's too late," Djeljosevic said.
And some of the jobs he has come across have bordered on the bizarre.
"I found one site that wanted people to blog about colons," Djeljosevic said. "It's a matter of finding something that interest you and pays well but won't be embarrassing. It's not easy."
Despite the quirky writing jobs and low pay (some blogging assignments net only $15 per week), Djeljosevic said he's hoping the hands-on experience he's getting could sometime soon land him a steadier writing post. In the meantime, he'll continue to start his days with coffee while refreshing the Craigslist page.
