Recent College Grads - We are Victims

I've been unemployed for about a month now. And it's been a great month. All I do is hang out at home, job hunt online, organize things, clean, cook, bake, paint, and visit friends. Notice how exercise is NOT on that list? It's on my "To Do" list... really.

But, this is all good and fun... but my bank account is starting to get low. I am starting to get a little worried and stressed out. I need to find a job soon. But, I don't want just any job. I want a job that I will like and that is on the career path I want. 

I guess I could just get a job at a store until I find the job that I want. That's no fun.

Years ago, a bright college graduate wouldn't have any trouble finding a job. If you went to college, you were pretty much guaranteed a good job with benefits. These days, it's not as simple. College graduates everywhere are forced to work at as receptionists or at Applebees, and if they are lucky, Starbucks (because at least Starbucks has some good benefits). We are everywhere. Serving your your espresso, selling you your new sweater at Macy's, seating you while you are on a date at a fancy restaurant, making your appointments at the chiropractor, filing your documents in an office... college graduates are the new high school graduates.

We go into debt getting a higher education, and then we can't find a good job in order to pay off that  debt. And we are living our lives earning a little more than minimum wage, with no health insurance. Ages 24-30 are victims of two screwed up systems in the United States: the costs for higher education and health care.

This is sad. I don't feel like I can go to Grad School or the Peace Corps because I don't want to keep putting off this massive debt. I avoid going to the doctor as much as possible... even though I HAVE health insurance, it just doesn't really cover anything. I feel like the only choice I have is to find a job with benefits and keep paying those student loans until I am 50 years old. And that's if I don't defer my loans. If I defer them... I could be paying my student loans into my retirement.

What can I do about this? Write my congressman? I guess I could. Maybe start a petition or something. But for now I am just going to sit back and enjoy this Law and Order SVU marathon.