Employment imperative

Young people are bearing the brunt of the recession, with youth employment at its lowest rate in over 30 years. With these soaring unemployment rates, youths (aged 15-24) face grim prospects when attempting to join the work force. A report entitled Canada’s Vital Signs 2009 from the Community Foundations of Canada found that the normally lucrative summer months were a bust, with the number of hours worked by young people hitting 30 year lows.

The youth unemployment rate currently sits at 16.3%, after an abysmal summer. The report shows that the impact of the recession is most immediate and severe for vulnerable groups. Youth, being one of those vulnerable groups, saw employment fall faster than any other age group during August this year. 19.2% of students looking for jobs were unemployed this summer. Those who were able to find employment only worked an average of 23.4 hours per week, which was the lowest rate in more than 30.

So what are your options besides constantly trolling job forums, sites and classifieds? How can you stay employable with a constant stream of new graduates, theories, practices, skills and technologies emerging while your aging diploma scorns your unemployment? Is it really necessary to buy yourself an internship in the hopes of getting your foot in the door? Or should you just find underemployment and let desire fade to apathy?

Well, my choice as you may have noticed, was to become an intern. The job hunt following my graduation tested my patience, determination, fortitude, and wherewithal. My satisfaction in finding this great internship, was slightly skewed by the lack of opportunity that the current job market posed, but I would rather be producing than prospecting.

The droning, dull chorus of recession talk grated at every fiber of my being and seemingly worked to only exacerbate the situation. Why was I, after enduring so many schooling and work related hardships, left to contend with the most difficult job market in Canada in thirty years?

Probably because completing life on the easiest setting really doesn’t make for a storied experience and sometimes anxiety, uncertainty and a few meltdowns can provide a clarity that no paycheck or job title can.

I hope this didn’t read like a bad motivational poster. The general idea here is don’t get discouraged and step your game up. Fewer jobs, fiercer competition. And making concessions is the hallmark of hard work.