2022 college graduates are searching for something beyond a career. They are looking for a realistic and balanced lifestyle that they can count on and most importantly, last through.
You can either work to live or live to work. I know for a fact with my love for food, I live to eat so it should be incorporated somehow.
Know what you want and stick to it. Might as well enjoy it if you have the power to choose.
Having watched Taylor Swiftâs powerful commencement address given to NYUâs Class of 2022 a few weeks ago, I could tell this class of graduates know what they want and deserve it. Luckily, this is the best time to choose your position in the workforce.
Having started college in 2019, a few months prior to covid hitting hard in NYC, I know what itâs like to have missed a true in-person college experience, the essence of it all. Weâve gone through unprecedented times and 2022 graduates couldnât be more resilient and fortunate with all the plentiful options.
Theyâve hopefully tested various modes of working from remote to hybrid and possibly preferred neither as the majority at this stage in their lives crave the in-person irreplicable experience they need to strengthen lifeâs most important skills: communication and people skills.
According to studies and surveys, this yearâs graduates are very thoughtful about valuing companiesâ priorities and are prioritizing perks, flexibility, and know what they need to not just survive but thrive in terms of pay. In this tight labor market, starting salaries for many inexperienced workers according to WSJ are around $100k and the paycheck is going a long way for various industries. Bonuses are high and competition is fierce yet flexible given that the number of job openings has widened considerably since 2020.
You Do You
Given the influx of entrepreneurship, side-hustles, e-commerce, WFH, and self-employment, as young as high school, students are more intrigued by the solo route. Yet this can get many graduates in a sticky spot, romanticizing startups and not taking into account advantageous opportunities and incentives that companies offer which include retirement accounts such as 401(k), 403(b) match benefit, PTO, parental/maternal, health insurance, pension, etc. that outweigh the benefits of WFH and flexible hours.
Too Many Options, Not Enough Answers
We all face decision paralysis. Itâs whether or not you can rationally decipher and compare the options you have at hand.
These days with the tight hot labor market, this is turning out to be not only the best time to get a raise, promotion, and new job, but an ideal sellerâs market. Yet all of this is due to rising costs as a result. The wage-price spiral goes around and everything must compete and so do the options. Too many of them.
Out of the graduates Iâve spoken to from various universities across the nation over the past few months, at least a half have stated theyâve gotten offers but cannot seem to make up their mind. They know what they want and can get it but everything seems so enticing from every angle!
The truth is, nothing is perfect. There are drawbacks and benefits to everything. If you always want what you donât have, youâll never find something that will suit you.
Now at least this is a good problem to have since diversification in life to oneâs portfolio is always preferred. The more passive income streams you can set up, the safer and more flexible you will be providing a buffer during downturns and for the unpredictable future when a possible recession looms on the horizon.
Given that this generation is the most entrepreneurial and technologically and financially savvy living in the greatest labor market in decades, as long as you consider all factors and listen to everyone but follow your gut, arenât reliant on one source, invest in yourself daily, and have a nest egg in case the inevitable comes, that is the best way to stay defensible forever.
Congratulations! You are in high demand. Now chase after it.