41% of college grads overqualified for what they do

[Hum]

A survey out Tuesday found that 41% of college graduates from the last two years are stuck in jobs that don't require a degree.

Consulting firm Accenture talked to 1,005 students who graduated from college in 2011 and 2012 and haven't returned to graduate school. In addition to those who are underemployed, 11% said they are unemployed, with 7% reporting they haven't had a job since graduating.

The lack of job options in their chosen fields are weighing grads down, as nearly half of the recent graduates believe they would fare better in the job market if they'd pursued a different major.

Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed said they would need additional training in order to start their chosen career, with 42% saying they expect to go to graduate school. That's a sharp change in thinking from those still in school: A separate survey by Accenture found that only 18% of the class of 2013 expects to need graduate school.

It will likely be much higher, as job prospects are grim for the class of 2013. The unemployment rate remains stubbornly high at 7.6%, and recent graduates fare even worse, according to the Labor Department.

The weak job market will continue to make things difficult for recent graduates, according to Katherine Lavelle, managing director of Accenture's Talent & Organization practice in North America.

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[Growled Member]

I'm not surprised. The job market sucks overall. You have to accept whatever job you can find.

[123456789A]

That's what happens when you study liberal arts instead of engineering.

[soumyasch]

Only 41%? I expected it to be lot higher.

[Atomic Wanderer Chicken]

I think the best degree to get is in computers and/or technology. That is what will get you a job. There are so many things that a person can do in the technology field. Its also a rapidly growing field too.

[Hum]

^ But I thought tablets and touch-screen computers were going to replace everything. :laugh:

[-Himanshu-]

^ They are still computers in the broad sense, albeit with a different form factor.

[+ir0nw0lf Subscriber²]

If "by what they do" = being a generation of self-entitled people, then yes they are overqualified and then some. :pinch: (and yes, not all you young grasshoppers fall into that category, but damn a crapload of you do LOL).

[(Account no longer active)]

This of course impacts people that don't have a degree.

[Growled Member]

That's what happens when you study liberal arts instead of engineering.

http://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/articles/2013/03/14/engineering-grads-enjoy-greater-job-prospects

Engineering has become an "it" degree, recent grads are discovering, in both traditional tech professions and across the economy. While the unemployment rate for people with bachelor's degrees was 3.9 percent in December 2012, says Mark Regets, a senior analyst at the National Science Foundation, the rate for engineers was 2 percent.

[ozgeek]

^ They are still computers in the broad sense, albeit with a different form factor.

For which you don't need a degree to master operation in. No more computer classes. They are now "pick up and use".

[I am Reid]

Sometimes you don't need a degree to have a good job. I was in school fulltime and got a part-time job that helped pay for my schooling, slowly ended up taking less classes and started working more, because I liked the job. I eventually stopped going to school because I realized I didn't need it to advance in my job and could get a decent salary around the same time I would have been about finished with a degree. So now I have ended up with a good job without the huge debt. I can of course always go back to school, but im in no hurry because I enjoy what I do now and it pays well. Point being, some people go through school and end up in jobs that they like that didn't even need the a degree for in the first place.

[+Red King Subscriber²]

Some Computer Science students I know are serving cheeseburgers and fries.

[Growled Member]

Some Computer Science students I know are serving cheeseburgers and fries.

They'll probably be there for the rest of their lives.

[Hum]

^ If the fry system goes down, they should be able to fix it. :p

[Growled Member]

^ If the fry system goes down, they should be able to fix it. :p

True. :D

[+Red King Subscriber²]

They'll probably be there for the rest of their lives.

Possibly. I think you outlook is bleaker then mine.

[Growled Member]

Possibly. I think you outlook is bleaker then mine.

Probably. My outlook on life seems to be getting more negative all the time.

[Twiddle]

I think the best degree to get is in computers and/or technology. That is what will get you a job. There are so many things that a person can do in the technology field. Its also a rapidly growing field too.

And nursing. Always positions available there as well. I'm getting ready to go back to school and get my RN license. Pretty excited to get on the path to helping people, while bettering myself. :)