Skip to main content
SFU Health and Counselling Services
Registered Clinical Counsellor

A student
Keep your chin up! You don’t have to defy gravity to have a happy career.

“A good manager doesn’t fire people, he hires people”

– Michael Scott, The Office

I’d be lying to you if I said that there wasn’t a lot of talk out there about some pretty negative stuff related to the job market for students these days.  And, there’s probably good reason to be concerned: BC’s unemployment rate is currently a shameful 7.5% (higher in the interior), which is notably higher than the average unemployment rate of 6.0% for BC over the previous 10 years. With the woeful state of the economy, there comes a healthy dose of pessimism, and I’ve seen this in person many times over the last couple months in the form of students coming in to my office.

Well, being the hopeless optimist I am, I’ve decided to write today about a few reasons that I think students can be optimistic about their careers.  In doing so I may fly in the face of simple logic, reason, common sense, and the known laws of physics.  But, if it makes other people (read: me) feel better, does it really matter?

Reason 1: The Hidden Job Market
The hidden job market vs the published job listings

(there’s more jobs than you think out there)

Here’s a fun fact for you: around 80% of jobs are NEVER posted.  But wait, before you get all excited and say, “That’s not good news at all!” stop and think about what this really means.  If you’ve ever tried searching for work using advertised postings like online posting boards, classifieds, etc., and come out of the other end of that process feeling totally demoralized, demotivated, and defeated, you’re certainly not alone.  I’ve been there.  The good news is that there’s a lot more jobs out there than you even knew existed, probably about 80% more.

Why are these jobs never posted?  It’s easy to answer that question if you think about it from an employer’s perspective: the last thing they want to do is to have to sort through hundreds of applications from their craigslist ad, screen a whole bunch of candidates, hold a bunch of interviews, and do all of that WORK, all so they can ultimately hire someone that they just met and aren’t sure they can trust.  It makes a lot more sense to see if they can hire someone internally, or promote someone from a lower level position to the new job opening.  Much less work, much less risk.  If that’s not possible, they might spread the word around to their current employees to forward the job posting to people they might think would be qualified and/or interested in the position, adding one degree of separation to the process.  If that doesn’t pan out, why not pay someone else to fill the position if they can afford to do so, instead of using their HR person’s valuable time?  This is what staffing agencies do.

The last thing that most companies will do is post their job online.  So why would you spend all of your job search time looking at online job ads?  This is a very passive way to job search, and it makes far more sense to use a more active approach.  Contact organizations that you would consider working for, inquire if they have openings, meet people in your field for information interviews so that you can be one of the people that they forward that job posting to.  In doing so, you have learned one of the Zen secrets of tapping into the Hidden Job Market.

Reason 2: Generational effects
Millenials

(goodbye baby boomers, hello millenials)

I like fun facts.  Here’s another one: two of every three jobs created between 2006 and 2015 will have been to replace retiring workers.  That’s projected to be a stronger driver of labour demand than economic growth.  It’s also why certain jobs, like anything in health care, or funeral directors, etc., are predicted to grow very strongly in order to take care of our aging population.  Even if the economic recession delays age of retirement somewhat, a plethora of jobs will eventually be created from retirement.

Reason 3: Post-Secondary Degrees are Worth Something After All

(money, that is)

What’s that?  You want another fun fact?  Well okay then.  Guys, simply by virtue of having a post-secondary degree, you will earn 40% more than your contemporaries that only have a high school diploma.  Ladies, that same number jumps up to 50% for you.  This is a widening gap, and it already may be the widest that it’s ever been.

Isn’t that good news?!

We’re in the age of what the industry folk call a “knowledge-based economy.”  This is in contrast to what was previously a “resource-based economy” in Canada.  Because of this shift, the value of a post-secondary degree has actually gone up (which goes against the popular belief, illustrated in a recent article inThe Peak, SFU’s student newspaper, that everyone and his dog has a BA and therefore it’s rather worthless, though I wholeheartedly agree with the general sentiment of the article and the author’s stance on the value of cooperative education).

So there are my top three reasons to be optimistic if you’re a student wondering about how you’re going to make it in the world with that lonely piece of paper called a degree that you’re working towards.  Keep your chin up!  You don’t have to defy gravity to have a happy career (but if you do, give me a call.  That would be awesome).

SFU Health and Counselling Services
Registered Clinical Counsellor
David Lindskoog is a Registered Clinical Counsellor at Health & Counselling who used to work as a Career Advisor with Career Services. David is passionate about suicide prevention, social justice, career and professional development concerns, and the use of role-playing games in therapy. Check out his group: Dungeons & Worry Dragons. While you're here, check out Dave's Diary! It is an ongoing series of journal entries touching on various aspects related to careers and well-being. Want to hear Dave's thoughts on a particular topic?  Send him an email, and he'll do his best to include it in his next post!  
visibility  78
Nov 5, 2010

You Might Like These... Volunteering, Community Engagement, Professional Development, Personal Development, Life Balance

STC West Coast
Alumnus Profile: How Crystal Kwon Advanced Her Career Through Volunteerism

Students often overlook one important benefit of volunteerism. While students realize that scholarships and bursaries usually require community engagement, they often forget that volunteerism can also give you the edge you need after you finish your degree.

Kyle and volunteers
Kyle Jung: Expand Your Horizons through Volunteering

Did you know that you can make a difference through volunteering, as well as discovering your passions and career goals? These are just some of the benefits of volunteering, according to Kyle Jung, a 5th-year SIAT student who is also the Vice President of Operations, Interactive Arts & Technology Student Union (IATSU) and the SFSS Forum Representative.

Volunteers
Jordan Robinson: Volunteer, Learn & Have Fun!

Do you want to improve your writing and communications skills? Do you want to meet other SFU students? If you answered “yes” to any of the two questions, becoming a peer educator may just be right for you! Let Jordan Robinson, a 4th-year Sociology student, tell you what valuable skills and experiences.

You Might Like These... Personal Development

word no handwritten on brown paper
Learning To Say No To Opportunities

Scouring the internet for volunteer opportunities, I realize there are a lot out there. I make a possible schedule, trying to fit in existing commitments with new opportunities. Eventually, I conclude that if I get so much as stuck in traffic my tightrope of a schedule will fall apart. With so much out there, how do you choose? When do you say no?

phone screen displaying social networking apps
Social Networking: It Could Make YOU More Engaged!

Kerri tells you at to keep up with new trends of posting volunteer opportunities. She give you a few great social media tools to use when seeking opportunities, and accounts to check out. 

Smiling woman stands in front of a storefront
5 Things I Learned About Myself During My Work Term

Have you ever considered what you would say during an interview when asked the “Tell Us About Yourself” question? Courtney, a Business co-op student learned a lot about herself during her co-op and has figured out her answer.  Read her reflection and re-think your answer to the question.