“Yeah … ’cause you know, the economy sucks right now …” For the love of God, my friends, shut up! I am thoroughly sick of having heard those words for the past six months, especially since I will graduate in three months with a degree in financial economics.
Do people even comprehend or understand what they are instinctively saying (always offhandedly, by the way) when they point out, “the economy sucks, bro”? Let’s take a quick look at the actual stats: Our gross domestic product was down 3.8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008, the national unemployment rate increased 0.4 percent (7.2 percent to 7.6 percent) from December of last year to January 2009, and the number of available jobs decreased to 504,000, a 179,000 decrease over the last year. However, on a more positive side, thanks to declining gas prices, inflation (as revealed by the consumer price index) has been kept in check.
There. Now all you phonies who have been saying how worthless the economy is without knowing what an economy actually is may feel a bit more confident (and less stupid) in the future. OK, so we are in the downward swing of the business cycle, and thus (big) businesses have failed, jobs are being cut, stocks are down, banks are halting loans, college seniors are desperate, the Career Development Center Career Fair is a waste of time (I do not put on a collared shirt and tie to apply for a job online, thanks) and life goes on. So boo-freakin’-hoo.
Allow me if you will, my jolly ol’ chums, to provide you with a few personal reassurances and very possible alternatives to our current quagmire: that analyst/investment banking position you desire so much is more than likely boring as all hell anyway. When applying on Monster.com or craigslist.org, search for employment not only within your major, but within your own personal interests/hobbies as well. As mentioned earlier, I’m a financial economics major, yet I’m applying not only for those stereotypically boring financial desk jobs but also at publishing firms, broadcasting companies, TV/entertainment venues and a variety of other corporations as well. So what if it is not what you initially expected, or if the pay is below 50 grand a year. God forbid you might actually discover what your true calling is every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Especially for us seniors, it is crucial that we also learn new skills, adapt our own unique talents to other various industries and perhaps be a tad bit more open-minded. Don’t whimper upon hearing the outright useless jargon of CNN or the phony dope at your side, times are indeed tough, but to sound completely unoriginal, such is life, and the entire situation may be swept aside with no more than an open, ambitious and unwavering attitude and vision.
The next time you hear (and I am quite sure you will) an ignorant bloke (may very possibly be a professor) mention the downfalls of our current economic state, ask them very pointedly: “Well, what are you going to do about it, bro?”