Getting a “Real Job” After Graduation Doesn’t Guarantee Success
Maybe your local barista is onto something…
“What are you doing after graduation?” is a question that has haunted soon-to-be graduates since the beginning of time. Everyone and their mother (especially my own) wants to know what my plans are post-grad. They want to know what industries I’m looking into, what companies I’ve considered, and most importantly, what my starting salary will be.
As my friends and I prepare to enter the “real world,” the pressure of having a job with a paycheck that justifies an overly expensive degree looms large. The pressure of being financially secure in an economy where student loans are increasing and average rent is more expensive than my parent’s mortgage is too overwhelming to ignore during the post-grad job search.
Even our universities preach the value of high-paying corporate jobs over the lower-tier salary brackets of liberal arts fields — in 2016, a $15 million endowment went towards creating a program for veterans pursuing an MBA in NYU’s Stern School of Business, encouraging and supporting them to join the business world. No such program was proposed for any other school. Compounded by the weight of our family’s expectations, there’s a general attitude of corporate superiority when it comes to post-grad job titles. But who said success comes from doing what everyone else says you’re supposed to do?
According to Glassdoor and ZipRecruiter, the typical NYC barista makes an average salary of around $31K annually. Comparatively, a current job listing for an Editorial Assistant at Penguin Random House lists its annual salary at $45K — on paper, a $14K advantage. But contrary to reported data, Bailey Cohen-Vera, a recent NYU graduate, said over Twitter DMs that his current bartending job actually pays more than any of the traditional entry-level positions he interviewed for. While applying for full-time jobs, Cohen-Vera was offered an average salary of $30–50K. But he currently makes around $45–55K bartending 4 days a week. (ZipRecruiter doesn’t include tips.)
While salary is a prominent factor in job consideration, it isn’t the most important. After interviewing more than 1,000 students graduating from the University of British Columbia, a 2019 study conducted by Harvard found that graduates who prioritized their time over their salary were happier and more satisfied with their lives two years later. Unsurprisingly, they found more joy in working jobs because they wanted to, not because they had to.
Those pursuing creative fields, like content creation or performing, have found this to be especially true. A recent Columbia graduate who works as a barista said via Instagram message that he decided to forgo the corporate path to focus on making music, “artistic residencies, and other opportunities that aligned with [his] heart.”
Many others like him use an hourly-wage job to support their freelance endeavors (which can earn up to $27,000 a month) in their chosen fields.
Georgia Berg, a 2020 graduate of DePaul University with a BFA in Acting, has found her lower-paying hourly job to be much more compatible with her acting goals.
“I needed a job that was going to be flexible and understanding with me when I had to put my acting career before coming to work for any reason,” she said. Her nannying job allows her to take time off for auditions and other portfolio-building projects like modeling and fashion. Most importantly, she said, it’s “low stress, enjoyable and leaves me with the energy I need to keep up momentum towards my artistic endeavors.”
Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky, a psychology professor with a specialization in happiness told Forbes, “Happier people experience more success, positive reviews, greater creativity, higher incomes, and less burnout.”
Lydia Thompson, a 2020 Puget Sound grad, said they were still scooping ice cream five months after graduation because they just needed a break. “I felt so burnt out from decades of school and a year-and-a-half of Zoom university,” they said. “I really wanted to have a job that would pay my bills, but I didn’t have to think about when I went home for the day.”
At the end of the day, we all just want to find a little joy in what we do. Some people like finance. And I think that’s great. But just like everything else in the world, it’s not a one-size-fits-all. Some of us need a little bit more flexibility or time to work on outside projects or just need a break in the aftermath of school. Burnout is real. The great thing about growing up and graduating is finally getting to choose. And we shouldn’t be shamed for choosing what we want to do.
