Where's My Job?

By Kathleen Holder

Janice Morand, an Internship and Career Center coordinator for science and health students, says she meets more and more students who chart their careers, sometimes with the help of life-planning coaches, before they start their first year at UC Davis.

Morand tells them: “It’s great to have a plan, but write in pencil and carry an eraser.”

The high expectations of students and their parents don’t always match the realities of the job market or even students’ own strengths, she said. “I want them to be confident, but I don’t want them to graduate and be disappointed.”

Millennial students, who grew up in small families believing that they’re special and can change the world, often experience an immense letdown when they enter the work force.

“It’s not that they’re less prepared,” said Griselda Castro, assistant vice chancellor for student affairs. “I think their expectations are different: ‘I got my degree. Where’s my $60,000 starting job?’ The expectation for recognition and being rewarded for their efforts is high. But in the world of work, you can’t start at the top.”

Campus officials are looking for ways to help graduating seniors adjust.

“It’s hard for students to make the transition now,” said Al Harrison, a psychology professor and director of the Internship and Career Center. “There are more jobs, but companies are trying to minimize payroll expenses, keep their staff lean and mean. Because employers are simply assigning more work to current employees, the number of new jobs is not increasing as rapidly as we would like. Also, companies are less willing to make a long-term commitment to employees, so there’s a lot of turnover. People can expect to change jobs 10, 12 times.”

Morand said students can be overwhelmed by the number of decisions they face, with a job market no longer just in their home community but around the globe. “I think people can withdraw just because there are so many options and choices.”

Of course, many students, particularly science and engineering majors, have clear ideas about what they want to do after graduating and succeed in finding jobs or getting into graduate school.

For others, help is available at the Internship and Career Center, which offers a two-unit career exploration course, workshops, employer presentations, online tools and career counseling. Said Harrison, “The issue is getting more students involved in the process earlier.”

Making a difference

Paying the way

Plays well with others

Helicopter parents

Stressed and depressed

A shift to the left

In the spirit

Beyond black and white

Born to be wired

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Kathleen Holder is associate editor of UC Davis Magazine. David Owen and Joanna
Robinson contributed to these stories. Photos by Debbie Aldridge and Rachel Van Blankenship.