The Reality of Entry Level Jobs

By Tatiana Serna, Campus Representative, University of Rhode Island

Peter Vogt, a MonsterTRAK Career Coach, wrote on March 16, 2009, about what the entry level job market is looking for in new applicants. Here are his key points from the article, "Dealing with the New Reality of Entry Level Jobs"

- “The pool of applicants is larger, thus the talent level is higher. And due to the shortage of jobs at higher levels, there is a surplus of overqualified candidates.”

- While jobs have never been guaranteed, not long ago, a college degree alone could set you up for some kind of entry-level position. Today, most bachelor’s degree holders will be taken seriously by entry-level employers, but the degree won’t land you a job by itself.

- Your written and oral communication skills need to be not just acceptable or even good, but “superb.”

- You won’t be able to fake your way through most of today’s entry-level jobs if you don’t have at least average computer skills.

Once again we see another article talking about the intense competition there is in the entry level job market. Employers are in a good position right now, they have thousands of applicants who over qualify for the job. This market isn’t what it used to be, before a degree would certify you a position after graduation. Now we must take advantage of the internships and the real world experiences we can get. As a senior at URI, I see all my peers completing more than one internship, I plan to be one of them, I plan to take advantage of this last year and milk it for all it’s worth! I also would find other ways, such as additional certifications, to prove to my future employer that I am the one for the job.