This is the second article in an article series in three parts.
In the first article in this series, I interviewed current students at Antioch Santa Barbara to find out how they felt about their education and their future chances of reaching their dream career. In this part I went further and interviewed former students to understand how they have experienced the process of finding a job after graduating. Here is what they shared:
Lyric Randall – Graduated June 2016
What do you do today?
– I took a leap of faith and moved to Seattle in January and I have been super fortunate and really lucky because I found a job within a month of being here. It is a great paying job at the Premier Athletic Club in downtown Seattle. I got the job through my network; I think it is all about who you know because my mom works with someone who’s best friend is now my boss. I am not super happy with this job but it is a great landing spot to start establishing myself. One reason was because it is the premiere club so I figured I would make some great connections. I am now applying for other positions but it is really competitive and really long processes.
What did you expect from going to college?
– I expected to educate myself further to put me one step ahead. And I had the expectation that what I learned would actually be applied in my field. I did not expect to have a job lined up immediately but I did expect to get connections and grow my knowledge.
What do you feel that your education gave you?
– It gave me a whole bunch of things. It gave me a lot of confidence actually, I know that it [Antioch] is not a top school but I can actually talk about projects that we have done.
What do you feel that it did not give you?
– Real world experience. I had to supplement my education with a job, because you need experience to get a job. To get that first job they will ask you what experience you have, and a lot of graduates often do not have any.
What do you recommend to students that feel concerned for the job searching process after graduating?
– It takes time, so I think that it is important going into it knowing that, so start early. I would also recommend to really analyze companies’ values, cultures and truly putting yourself in the position you are applying for and making sure that you want to do that. Also, to get real world experience in the form of internships or volunteering, and obviously building your network.
“I had to supplement my education with a job because you need the experience to get a job.“
Scarlett McDonald – Graduated in December 2016
What do you do today?
– I am still working at the same job that I had throughout my time at Antioch, and then I am working at another place here in town – in a retail store owned by two interior designers where I mostly help their clients.
What did you expect from getting your education?
– I never really went to college for a certain thing. It was something that I felt that I needed to do in order to be able to get a job and to be able to compete for a job. Without a degree I felt that I would be overlooked. However, it is just as hard today and it feels like a lottery system. When I first got my degree I was on LinkedIn all the time applying for any job that I could find, but I never heard back from anybody. I guess what I lack is the work experience but how do you get that if you don’t get a job?
What do you feel that your education gave you when it comes to applying for jobs?
– I actually feel that I got the most out of the students, it was not really the teachers and the school. I mean, I loved it but it was the people that I was around that were the most motivating to me when it comes to working hard, to find a job, or to make end’s meet.
What did you feel that your education did not give you?
– I felt that I learned how to work hard, but I also never felt that I could fail there. I felt that it was almost too easy, and that was a little bit of a let down in the sense that I did not really feel that I was really challenged. With that being said, certain classes and the focus on critical thinking and real world application I found rewarding. But I never really felt that I could do or say anything wrong; it feels like everyone is there to hold your hand and walk you through getting your education.
What do you recommend to students that feel concerned for the job searching process after graduating?
– I would say that don’t set your expectations too high on the job that you are going to get right after school because that was what I did. I felt that I needed to get a marketing job, 9-5, and just learn how to do that lifestyle and have that adult job. My best advice would be to work hard and be prepared that you will have to keep putting in the work for a while even when you are done with school.
“When I first got my degree I was on LinkedIn all the time applying for any job that I could find, but I never heard back from anybody.”
Jasmine Maggard – Graduated in December 2016
What do you do today?
– I am the Public Relations Manager at Ontraport just as I have been throughout my education.
What were your expectations of your education?
– I expected my education to give me all the tools and skill sets that I needed to land a job, and to know exactly what to do to be successful your first day at a new job. And as you might now, that is not the case.
What do you feel that your education gave you?
– At a very minimum, it gave me that piece of paper that tells employers that you can start something and finish something, that you can work hard no matter what challenges you have to overcome, and that you can accomplish something. In my opinion, that is what your education really gives you. Also, an education gives you the confidence to know that you are ready for the next step which naturally is to get a job. For myself, my education more indirectly impacted my job life due to the fact that I was already employed and still am.
What has your education not given you?
– For me, in PR, I need to write in a way that is not academic and is not even professional, but it is rather to write from a marketing sense. Writing in a creative, clear way that entices people to listen to me. That I did not learn from my education, and it took me a long time to bridge that gap. I also feel that I did not get a sense of what I could truly be good at either. I have always been comfortable and recognized for my writing skills, but outside of that I never realized what I was good at, and how that would apply for a job that I could potentially get. I never got a sense of how my education would directly benefit me getting X job.
What do you recommend to students who feel concerned about the job searching process after graduating?
– I think that internships are extremely important, and especially right now because there is not really a solution to the problem: “I don’t know what I am good at and I don’t know what I want to do.” Therefore I recommend to do internships or taking personality tests to really discover what is unique about you because you are valuable and you are smart, you just have not yet discovered what that is to give you the competitive edge for that dream job. The way I did it was through an internship and I gained so many skills and more important – so many insights on what I was good at and what I was not good at. I also developed a longing for certain elements of my job and that was very important to develop the career that I have now.
“I recommend people to do internships or taking personality tests to really discover what is unique about you because you are valuable and you are smart.”
Next week, I will meet with Faculty at Antioch to talk about their thoughts on the purpose of education and how Antioch students can increase the value from their time on campus with the use of existing services and programs offered.
