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Options for Graduates

The already nerve-wracking transition from college campus to life in the ‘real world’ has been made more difficult for soon-to-be graduates across the United States thanks to the worst economic slowdown in generations. From the halls of Ivy League universities to the classrooms of community colleges, graduates are dealing with the hard realization that their diploma does not guarantee them a job in their field (or perhaps any field, for that matter), are forced to reevaluate their short and long-term plans.

With hiring freezes and layoffs becoming the norm in so many sectors of the American business world, graduates are quickly learning their resumes look more attractive to employers outside U.S. borders. Consequently, international jobs, internships, and volunteer opportunities are receiving more consideration from American college graduates.

“I am going to China for a couple different reasons – I want to experience another culture and I am not sure what kind of job I could get here right now if I were to stay,” said Minneapolis native Andre Cretella.

Cretella will graduate with a degree in business administration from Drake University in Des Moines, IA, in May. In mid-August he will depart for a job teaching English at a university in China’s Hebei province. While he has no teaching experience, speaks no Chinese, and previously hoped to work in professional sports promotion after receiving his undergraduate degree, Cretella is sure moving to Southeast Asia and teaching English is the smartest thing he can do right now.

“It’s going to be an excellent experience, it will look good on my resume, and hopefully by the time I get back home the job market will have rebounded,” he said.
Cretella’s story is becoming a more common one. CNN recently reported Reach to Teach – a company that places U.S. college grads looking to teach English in China, South Korea, and Taiwan – has seen more than a 100 percent increase in applications in the last six months, with 3,784 applicants compared to 1,488 during the same six-month period last year.

While teaching English abroad may be the route many recent graduates go, it is just one of a plethora of options Americans with newly-printed degrees have in the international market. The Peace Corps has long been a favorite among young people looking to make a difference in the world, the Corps’ Master’s International Program has become a more popular choice in recent years, allowing participants to work toward their Master’s degree in conjunction with Peace Corps service.

While some college graduates may turn to jobs, internships, and volunteer service abroad because they cannot find jobs at home, statistics show their employment abroad will serve as much more than just a way to kill a year or two. A recent report from Washington University’s Center for Social Development concluded “research suggests international service increases volunteers’ skills and ultimately employment and earning potential 36%.” In other words, hanging their hard-earned diplomas at their parents’ houses and moving out of the country for work may ultimately pay off very handsomely for this generation of Americans plagued by threats of unemployment at home.