First Job

Fifty-four percent of college graduates under 25 are unemployed or doing a job that doesn't require a college degree: waiter, retail clerk, receptionist, and so on. That is according to an analysis of government data conducted for The Associated Press. People can debate what's causing that horrific statistic ...

Inspired by Kent State University professor Bill Sledzik's blog post, "Dear Millennials: Your Parents Lied to You," Todd Defren, an employer, wrote an open letter to college grads. Defren gave AOL Jobs permission to reprint his letter here. Share your thoughts in the comments section below. By Todd Defren ...

By Sonia Acosta You did it. Four years of college went by in a haze of parties, new experiences and, hopefully, at least a few dozen textbooks. Now it's time to go out into the world and get a job. Should be easy, right? You've done your part, and someone out there owes you a job. Wrong. Companies are ...

In my work helping women build successful, fulfilling careers, I started to see something quite troubling. Women who had been high achievers in school-good students who earned good grades-were finding that the very skills that served them well in school were holding them back in their careers. "Good student ...

By Debra Auerbach A college major gives a student direction and builds a foundation of knowledge for his future career. Yet it doesn't always define what industry he'll work in post-college. For instance, a journalism major may end up working as a communications director in the health-care industry, or a ...

By Susan Ricker Your first full-time job may have been ages ago, but it taught you more lessons than you may realize. From spending habits to co-workers to promotions, your entry to the workforce was a never-ending learning experience. Reflect on your first job, and apply those lessons to your current ...

By Melissa Woodson If you've ever changed careers, you know what a challenge it can be to settle in to a new position. But what if you've been in the workforce for several years and suddenly find yourself in an entry-level job? Whether it's a desired change or one forced by cutbacks in your previous ...

By Lindsay Olson It's frustrating: Spending four or more years studying at college only to not be able to find a job when you graduate. With a fierce job market, new grads have their work cut out for them. Many companies are biased against hiring recent grads. Diana Zimmerman, of the marketing ...

By Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter Many new hires are so anxious to make friends and a good impression that they often make mistakes that will leave them with neither. To ensure this isn't you, check out the list below of 10 things you should be cautious of when you're the new kid on the block: ...