She had just graduated from Barnard College, landed a prestigious internship in a major city, and was making successful rent payments. Life was going as she had planned until the end of the summer—when she found herself jobless and sinking into depression.
Audrey, a former Spectator editor whose name has been changed due to the sensitivity of the topic, is one of many who have suffered from post-graduation anxiety and depression, an issue some say could worsen with the current recession.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national unemployment rate for 20- to 24-year-olds was 14 percent in March 2009, up from 9.4 percent a year ago.
Student and alumni attendance at the Center for Career Education’s daily walk-in and scheduled appointments has increased since the fall of 2008, according to CCE officials. The number of students participating in this year’s career fairs and networking events has also increased dramatically—even doubling, in some cases.
Yet as graduation nears, many who face uncertain futures may grapple with the conflict between liberating freedom and paralyzing choice.
WORKING IT OUT
An aspiring journalist, Audrey accepted a prestigious journalism internship immediately after graduating in 2007. When her internship ended in August, she sent out applications and resumes optimistically, but no offers came. She had already made the decision to sign an expensive lease in a city where none of her close friends lived.
After college, “you really felt like you were at the top of the heap, and now suddenly you’re at the bottom of the totem pole again,” said Chris Schonberger, the editor-in-chief of Gradspot.com, a Web site that provides resources for graduates transitioning from college to the “real world.”
“It is important that they first understand themselves,” CCE executive director Al Spuler wrote in an e-mail. Spuler recommended that students try various careers through internships and full-time work in order to choose one that matches their interests.
Still, those who have picked a career path face the harsh reality of starting out at the bottom rung.
When Audrey resorted to temping, the respect and validation she experienced as an undergraduate were gone, and in their wake she felt inferior and purposeless. Like other graduates who suffer from post-graduation anxiety, her social circle shrank and she said she felt alone.
She began sleeping 10 hours a night, and while working in her cubicle one day, Audrey broke down and wept.
“It felt like I was curled up inside myself,” she said. “I felt like I was always sitting in a fetal position.”
Students who encounter difficulties acquiring a choice job or internship often experience a loss of self-esteem. Josh Mathew, CC ’09, remembers how he suffered from panic attacks when he was rejected from 30 language programs, research positions, and internships that he applied for during his junior year.
“It was really discomforting and disconcerting,” he said, adding that he felt like he had been “running a marathon for a very long time.”
It’s an experience more students may face this year. Richard Eichler, director of Counseling and Psychological Services at Columbia, said economic anxiety has become an increasingly common topic of conversation among students visiting his office. “I don’t think we’re seeing more people because of that, but of the people coming in, that is an express concern,” he said. “It’s certainly part of a lot of conversations in a way that it wasn’t a year and a half ago.”
Eichler welcomed students to visit CPS even if they just “want a sounding board.”
“I think it’s important for our campus to de-stigmatize the act of seeking psychological help for graduation/job-related anxiety,” Mathew said.
TRYING TIMES
By November, Audrey’s situation had not improved. During a distressed phone call, a friend of Audrey’s worried that she might hurt herself. “That really, really scared me,” she said.
“I had this three-year plan,” Audrey said. “I was going to work at my current job for two years, and then I was going to get hired by a bureau, and then by 2012, I was going to be covering the presidential campaign.”
After reaching a breaking point, Audrey decided to see a psychiatrist who diagnosed her with depression. She eventually began taking Lexapro, an SSRI antidepressant, and the anti-anxiety pill Alprazolam.
Though Audrey’s case was serious, Eichler noted that post-graduation anxiety is normal, especially considering current economic circumstances, and students should feel comfortable talking to a counselor.
By Christmas, Audrey received two job offers and began climbing out of her depression. She currently takes antidepressants, attends therapy once a week, and works at a small niche publication—not her ideal job, but still furthering her career.
OVERCOMING ANXIETIES
Looking back, Audrey wishes someone could have tempered her post-graduation expectations and warned her about upcoming difficulties.
“Everyone wants commencement speeches to be like, ‘Go forth and conquer. You’ve been gifted with the best New York has to offer you. You are strong, beautiful Barnard women. You can do anything,’” she said. “Well, bullshit. You can’t do anything because the economy sucks.”
In response to the recession, CCE has partnered with CPS to provide workshops on how to identify suitable careers, maintaining relationships after college, moving back in with parents, and navigating the sour job market.
“We obviously can’t solve the economic problems or create job opportunities,” Eichler said, though he added, “we welcome students to come in and talk about whatever anxieties they have.”