ResumeBuilder.com Survey Reveals One-Third of Recent College Grads Work in Roles That Do Not Require a College Degree

Most new graduates say it was difficult to find a job, and many hold positions that only require a high school diploma or no education at all

ResumeBuilder.com, the premier resource for free and professional resume templates, has published a survey report that examines how recent college graduates navigate the job market in a post-pandemic economy.

The study also highlights employment rates by education level and in specific fields. The survey generated feedback from 1,000 young adults who graduated in spring 2022 or fall 2021.

Survey results indicate that 34 percent of employed college graduates are working jobs that do not require a college degree.

Twenty-eight percent of respondents work in roles that require a high school diploma. Likewise, 6 percent of new graduates say their current jobs have no education requirements.

Nearly 90 percent of respondents are employed, while the remaining grads are still job-searching.

The study also shows a correlation between graduates who are overqualified for their jobs and their education level.

Sixty-three percent of vocational or trade school graduates and 61 percent of respondents with master’s degrees since 2021 are underemployed.

Similarly, 52 percent of PhD graduates are working at jobs that require a master’s degree or less, and 43 percent of respondents with associate degrees hold positions that demand a high school diploma. Only 40 percent of respondents with a bachelor’s degree are underemployed.

“With the current economy and rising inflation, college grads are probably anxious to get to work, move out of their parents’ homes, and start their lives,” job search coach Stacie Haller says.

“But I work with college grads who don’t understand the job market or how to search for a position that’s aligned with their education. Very often, their resumes aren’t representative of the reasons a prospective employer would reach out to them. There are many entry-level positions unfilled due to these disconnects.”

According to the report, 84 percent of new college graduates had difficulty finding a job. Job postings without salary info, lack of responses from employers, and job offers with inadequate salaries are some of the top challenges respondents encountered during their job searches.

Forty percent of unemployed graduates are willing to accept a below-average starting salary of $40,000 if they can not find work through the summer. Thirty-eight percent of respondents from this group are considering starting their own business, and 36 percent will expand their search outside their field of study. Additionally, 25 percent of unemployed respondents say they might return to school for more education or training.

Graduates with jobs related to their majors vary based on their field of study. Seventy-nine percent of film and television majors and 78 percent of healthcare majors work in their respective fields.

Recent graduates who studied business (78 percent), technology (76 percent), and finance (75 percent) also have jobs In these industries. In contrast, only 38 percent of graduates who studied humanities, liberal arts, or foreign language work in roles related to their majors.

ResumeBuilder.com commissioned and conducted this survey via the online platform Pollfish. The survey was distributed on June 24 – 25, 2022, and garnered responses from 1,000 graduates who attended post-secondary institutions, such as community colleges, four-year colleges, and vocational/trade schools.

All data found within this report derives from the survey and appropriate respondents were found using Pollfish’s screening tools. To view the complete report, please visit https://www.resumebuilder.com/one-third-of-recent-college-grads-are-working-at-jobs-that-dont-require-a-college-education/

ABOUT RESUMEBUILDER.COM
ResumeBuilder.com provides free templates to help create professional resumes. The website also offers up-to-date information and machine learning tools for job seekers. With a team of certified resume writers, recruiting experts, and hiring managers, users gain a competitive advantage and confidence to get hired faster. To learn more, visit https://www.resumebuilder.com/.

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Ray Hanania is an award-winning opinion columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

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Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

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