The Lemon Life | online magazine offering a fresh perspective on post-grad life.

Words by: Ryan Scholz

Image by: Lianne Gesior

Every morning I wake up at a decent hour, make a fresh pot of coffee, get a bowl of bran or flax, and turn on CNN to see what catastrophes have made the headlines.  Lately, one headline has been speaking to me more than any other: the high rate of unemployment for recent college grads.  The statistic shown this morning broke down like this:

Percent of grads who had a guaranteed job after graduation was less than 20%.  This was compared to over 50% that had a guaranteed job less than 5  years ago.

Now, I am not the kind of person who looks for excuses or pity.  I am currently unemployed and do find this current job market rather difficult and lacking opportunity; however I have spent a large portion of my life loathing those who complain about their hardships while waiting for ‘luck’ to come their way.

The economic situation we find ourselves in is not unfamiliar.  I have read articles where people relate our current state of unemployment to something that people in the 60’s went through.  (Mind you, I have always thought that living in the 60’s would be fun, loving, and filled with amazing music; however, I would rather not repeat history, but make it.)

Only time will tell if this is a Darwinistic test to weed out the under-qualified people or to just really test people’s patience.  I wake up some mornings wanting to put on my favorite tie-dye shirt, grab my Guess Who CD, drop acid and protest in a field somewhere - and while that would be fun for a short while, the real test these days is to see who comes out of this slump hungrier and more determined to succeed.

Don’t let statistics dictate how you spend each day.  If you do not have a job and feel restless, find what you are interested in and make something happen for yourself.  Too many people rely on others to give them opportunity.  The greatest nations in this world have built their foundations on the idea that opportunity is available to everyone, no matter what sex, race, or religion you happen to be.  So, the next time you find yourself sitting on your ass complaining about how you can’t find a job, look around and see who really cares about your cries for help - I will guarantee you that you are not alone and the ones who aren’t complaining but rather creating are the people who will come out of this on top.

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