New college graduates have an average annual starting wage of $27,000, an amount that is hard to live off and down $3,000 from 2007. In order for professionals to make a higher wage in the new economy, Â LZ Granderson says “hustlers” will become the norm, in the article “The fastest-growing job in America.“
What does a hustler do? A hustler has multiple jobs in order to make a living wage. In the article, Granderson gives the example of the 26-year-old University of Chicago graduate who was profiled in The New York Times as a representative of people who must hold down several jobs. At the time, the new graduate was making a living through e-commerce work, translating textbooks, and developing reality TV.
And he isn’t the only one. In fact, as a University of Chicago graduate, it could be assumed he has a better chance of a higher paying job than other college and high school grads with less reputable degrees. The changing economy is requiring many to go back to self-employment, or become what Granderson calls “reluctant entrepreneurs.”
The new job seeker might not only have to stretch themselves between multiple jobs for income, they are also encouraged pack-up and look across state borders for employment. According to the article “The Go-Nowhere Generation,” Â the number of young adults living at home almost doubled between 1980 and 2008. New job seekers could move to states with lower unemployment rates, but many choose to settle with lower-paying and -skilled jobs to live with their parents.
The economy has changed and continues to change. Resisting the economy and staying at home won’t change that fact, neither will looking for 20-year careers that more and more don’t exist. Whether you’re a teacher or a parent, how can you support the new generation of graduates to explore their options? How can you encourage and support them to take on more responsibility for a higher income? What’s something that you enjoy or have always wanted to do that can supplement your own salary?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Source:
“The fastest-growing job in America,” by LZ Granderson. 13 March 2012. CNN. Accessed on 13 March 2012. http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/13/opinion/granderson-hustling-for-work/index.htmlÂ
“The Go-Nowhere Generation,” by TODD G. BUCHHOLZ and VICTORIA BUCHHOLZ. 10 March 2012. The New York Times. Accessed on 13 March 2012. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/11/opinion/sunday/the-go-nowhere-generation.html?_r=1
