Why can't I get a job? Recent Grad, 3.7 GPA, Good Exp, Year and a half of searching..

I applied to some Ivy yes, I applied for both MBA and Economics PhD's. I have a 710 GMAT, no GRE because I originally had wanted just the MBA programms, but applied to schools that took GMAT in leu.

I had applied to big name schools, because that where I feel I belong. I got straight A's in every class I have taken where I felt challenged. Only dropping below that in boring pointless classes (psych/topics classes/etc). I have always been the guy everyone else in the class attacks for help.

I did not even get in to Stony Brooks Economic program, although I could have gotten into their MBA program, but I feel their MBA is just another worthless degree.
 
Doors are more easily open if you have contacts, if you have friendship with that teacher or that businessman, if you have a experienced counselor that tells you where your next footstep must lay. Intelligence and effort without a guide are not a guarantee for success.
 
Quote from INeedAJob:

I applied to some Ivy yes, I applied for both MBA and Economics PhD's. I have a 710 GMAT, no GRE because I originally had wanted just the MBA programms, but applied to schools that took GMAT in leu.

I had applied to big name schools, because that where I feel I belong. I got straight A's in every class I have taken where I felt challenged. Only dropping below that in boring pointless classes (psych/topics classes/etc). I have always been the guy everyone else in the class attacks for help.

I did not even get in to Stony Brooks Economic program, although I could have gotten into their MBA program, but I feel their MBA is just another worthless degree.
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you seem not to grasp just how really really bad the economy is. I just see a pattern in your posts, that somehow you are entitled or expecting good jobs to come your way.

New grads are a dime a dozen. It takes a long time for entry level people to become really productive for a large company. They can hire you and go through the learning curve, or they can hire the millions of available experience people, and get productivity right now.

Not only were about 5-6 million jobs lost, but normally we create 150K jobs a month. so that is another 1-2 million jobs that should have been created.

Frankly, an econ degree is not worth much right now. Your test scores, your GPA, your school and everything else has very little value to employers right now. And it might stay that way another year or two. In addition, after some time, they want a RECENT grad, not someone who has been bumming around a couple of years.

If I were you, I would get a master's in something really employable. Right now, a computer science master's from a good school (Penn State or a good engineering school) is about as close as you are going to get. A lot less effort? get a second bachelor's in Comp Science. In fact, SUNY Stonybrook used to have a very good Comp sci program, dunno if still true.

Comp Sci represented 5 of the 10 best occupations going forward, in something I read recently. And IT workers who can do financial services are going to be the best off over the next 10 years, with the rise of algorithmic trading.

Bs in econ? Grad work in econ? No one needs that.
 
If your not afraid to dial a phone you can still make 6-7 figs in the biz. Institutional sales trading is just one possible route. Get with a firm that offers a good product and pound the fucking phones.

And how about networking? Dont you college boys stick together? :D

And tape this quote to your pc..gonna need it.

"I never saw a wild thing
sorry for itself.
A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough
without ever having felt sorry for itself."
D.H. Lawrence
 
Quote from TraderZones:


Comp Sci represented 5 of the 10 best occupations going forward, in something I read recently. And IT workers who can do financial services are going to be the best off over the next 10 years, with the rise of algorithmic trading.

Bs in econ? Grad work in econ? No one needs that.
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And then after he gets his Comp Sci degree, what would happen if they ship all the Comp Sci jobs to India?
 
I don't know if anyone mentioned this, but you should start doing a CFA while you are on your own. It will keep you sharp and by the time you are done with all three parts, you will have differentiated yourself in being able to complete it. Maybe more useful than an MBA (which is a social networking degree).
 
I've looked into the CFA, and they require 4 years of full time relevant work experience. It’s a catch 22 just like most MBA/PhD programs. Need the MBA/CFA/PhD to get the job, need work experience to get the MBA/CFA/PhD.
 
I can see your problem right now. It seems like you are long winded as evidenced by the post below. You may not be as charasmatic as you could be and you dont realize it.

Imagine you are the manager who is interviewing you. Would you hire someone if they were not that charasmatic, long winded or a little bit annoying? As the manager, you would have to work with this individual many hours a day and you dont want to be a babysitter for anyone.

In my past occupations, I was a manager at one point and had to deal with problematic employees who I did not get along with. I hired them because I thought they could do the job, but it bit me on the ass because we didnt get along and so they were not very loyal.

Go to Amazon.com and look up Dale Carnegie. He wrote several self-help books on finding employment and presenting yourself during the Great Depression. Although the books are old, some of the lessons in the books are still valid for today because human nature does not change.

http://www.amazon.com/How-Win-Frien...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252527006&sr=8-1

Go down to the library for a day and take some time to read a few of his books on public speaking and influencing people.

Do not blame the economy for not having a job. Blame yourself. What are you saying to these people that are turning them off? When you figure it out, then change it.

Its all about selling yourself to someone else just as a car dealer might sell a car to someone else. Think of how a car salesman might sell you a car and in that same way sell yourself to the interviewer. Go down to a dealership and see how car dealers successfully sell cars. They use salesman who are usually very positive minded and aggressive and formally dressed.

The interviewers will NEVER tell you what turned them off for legal reasons so you will have to figure it out.

Quote from INeedAJob:

Thank you for all the replies! I have read them all, but there are allot so if I miss a question/comment please do not hesitate to repost it.

Originally I had wanted to be a Financial Analyst. There were lots of good paying and interesting jobs in the market when I was choosing my degree. Now would gladly take anything that will keep me in tune with the markets, and would settle for anything that would lead to an interesting and rewarding career (leaning toward the technical side).

I am in the greater New York area (Long Island) so I am at the heart of finance. I had worked for a small brokerage on Wall Street (where I got my 7) after not finding a salaried position after a few months of searching. I have to say I did not like the work at all. It had zero job satisfaction and the pay was far too unstable. I was not helping anything get done, just taking peoples money. They should have all gone to IB and bought indexes with their money.

I have literally sent out thousands of resumes. About 5 a day for over 2 years (I was searching well before I graduated). When ever I have walked in anywhere, they just turn you around and say go to the website. In follow up calls, they just asked if you went to the website to check your application status. The only people who respond are commission based positions (almost all scams) and staffing agencies (I am registered at about a dozen).

I was actually in the Military (Air Force) in the past. I was lucky enough to go to school and get a degree so I could be a civilian free to use my brain rather then a mindless cog (so I thought).

I have many hobbies, and I have tried to turn any and all of them into careers/part time income. None have worked. Not even web design/programming (which I am fairly advanced at even though it is not my degree). I have applied to it/programming/QA jobs as well to no avail.

I did not even get replies to 8$ an hour phone tech support jobs I applied too.

I had worked as an electronics rep (doing very well for myself) part time through college. I had a wide district and many contacts. I had even been scouted by 2 competing firms to work higher up the food chain. Both fell through when the companies lost their contracts, and my firm had the same problem soon thereafter.

I applied to grad school, and was rejected. I was told applications are up about 30%, and that over 75% of the spots are going to foreigners, the US citizens getting in are almost all the same Harvard/Yale/etc taking the jobs, or ones with 5+ years of work experience at big firms.

I have been trading since before I graduated. I have a great knowledge of the markets. Yet I have not been able to be profitable enough to make it pay the bills. I like it allot, but it just hasn’t worked for me.

I truly enjoy macro, I have dozens of books and spend countless hours researching on the internet. I have some great theories I have developed. Yet I have not been able to do anything with them. I was hoping grad school/automated trading would make something from them, but it apparently isn’t in the cards.

I have been thinking about going back to school as an undergrad, maybe electrical engineering or something like that? Another 3-4 years before working full time is going to be really hard for me, but I don't seem to have much of a choice in the matter anymore.

My big regret is busting my ass playing catch-up (from time in the military) working through summer and winter sessions and loading up on credits every semester instead of getting an internship. If I had a foot in the door somewhere I know I would have wowed them.

As far as Government jobs I am on usajobs.com every day. I apply to anything local and anything not local paying enough to be worth the move.

I was originally hoping to get 55k+, now I would be happy with 45k (remember I am in NY rent/bills are expensive) and have been applying to jobs down to 28k.

I am 25, so I need to start a career, not just have income. I would like to stay in the markets, but anything where I can use my brain that has job satisfaction and contributes to society I would gladly do.

Again, that you for the overwhelming response and support. I appreciate any and all replies
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Quote from INeedAJob:

I've looked into the CFA, and they require 4 years of full time relevant work experience. It’s a catch 22 just like most MBA/PhD programs. Need the MBA/CFA/PhD to get the job, need work experience to get the MBA/CFA/PhD.
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You don't need work experience to take the exams. You need work experience to actually become a CFA. You can still list the exams that you passed on your resume. After you pass all three, which will take a few years, you have seven years to get the work experience.

I don't agree that you need a PhD. It's useless for an analyst. I also don't understand why you're so dead set on pursuing an MBA. To get into an MBA program at an Ivy League school requires work experience. Either that, or you need to do something extraordinary or be a minority. Put the MBA off for a while and pursue something more useful.
 
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