It Costs A Lot For New Grads To Live On Their Own
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Finding a job that pays a salary that new grads can live on is extremely important. And yet, year after year, college freshmen and sophomores make decisions that hurt their chances for landing a job that pays a decent starting salary. These new students:
  • Have no idea what they want to do when they graduate
  • Select fields that have few good paying jobs
  • Fail to conduct the research that can give them the information they need
  • Fail to figure out what the best employers want, need and expect of them
  • Never perform the activities that can demonstrate their capabilities and potential
  • Fail to seek out part-time work opportunities in their fields of interest
  • Do not learn how to conduct a comprehensive and effective job search
  • Do not understand that job search preparation is the key to employment success
  • Avoid the Career Services Department until they are desperate
  • Make unrealistic assumptions about their ability to compete in the job market
  • Believe that they will obtain a job offer from one or two campus interviews
The most successful students quickly realize that what they can put on their resumés and what they can talk about during interviews are the things that they have accomplished during the freshman, sophomore and junior years. That means that students who remain inactive during the first three years of college will have little or nothing to present to potential employers. On the other hand, students who actively and enthusiastically participate and accomplish much will stand out and attract great interest from the best employers.

When students graduate from college and do not live at home, they must be ready and able to handle the financial responsibilities that go along with that independence. Potential expenses include:
  • Rent
  • Utilities
  • Household Furnishings, Bedding & Towels
  • Appliances
  • Pots, Pans & Kitchen Utensils
  • Plates, Cups, Glasses, Silverware
  • Cleaning Supplies
  • Food
  • Transportation
  • Clothing
  • Electronics and Service Providers
  • Insurance
  • Leisure Activities
  • Savings
  • Taxes
  • College Loans
  • Credit Card Debt
A new graduate?s starting salary matters a great deal. Of course, the amount of money needed can vary greatly depending on where the student works and lives. In some areas of the country, $35,000 may be enough to live on. However, in the more expensive areas and in the major cities, $50,000 or more can be a difficult living experience.

Students should enter college with their eyes wide open and a realistic approach to achieving their personal wants and needs when they graduate. Then they should investigate:
  • Fields of interest that can utilize their strengths
  • Jobs within their fields that pay a living wage
  • What the employers with those good jobs want need and expect of applicants
With that information, savvy students perform the activities and gain the experience that their target employers want from them. Students who wait until the senior year to start thinking about their employment strategies and activities may find out the hard way that:
  • Finding a good job is not easy
  • The competition is stiff
  • The best employers have tough requirements
It costs a lot for new grads to live on their own. Therefore, students who plan to leave home when they graduate should realize that a good paying job is one of the requirements of independence. To achieve that goal, they should use each semester of their college years to meet or exceed the expectations of the best employers in their fields.