PR Start by Nick Lucido

If you think the recession is over and jobs are everywhere, you need to think again. As if the class of 2009 didn’t have a hard enough time finding a job, predictions for 2010 are just as bleak. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (and via Culpwrit), U.S. employers plan to hire 7 percent fewer college graduates than the class of 2009.

Crap.

From my own personal observations, there have been several unique things happening to the public relations industry. Although PR budgets have been relatively more stable than in advertising, there still have been some jobs lost. Additionally, the entry level is increasingly difficult for college graduates to break into. I think this is happening for two reasons. First, more people are willing to take a lower level job than be totally unemployed; AAE jobs are being filed by folks with 3-5 years of experience and internships have an unofficial prerequisite of many previous experiences. Second, with all the journalists losing their jobs, many attempt to jump into public relations, thus leaving fewer jobs for public relations practitioners.

So what about us Gen Y folk? I don’t know about you, but I’d like a job when I graduate. That’s why Come Recommended is so sweet; they’re advocating for all of us by demanding equal opportunity employment for Gen Y. Here are some pretty interesting stats about our generation that should make you worry:

• Unemployment for people age 16-24 is nine points higher than the national average
• Typical full-time workers age 25-34 are making less than workers that age a generation ago
• Middle-management jobs have been reduced, so it is harder to move up the corporate ladder
• The 1-24 age group represents 15 percent of the labor force AND one-third of the unemployed
• The average student graduates with twice as much debt, yet the economy has fewer opportunities

Times are definitely changing, and it appears that it is not in favor of Gen Y at all. However, I know our generation has so much untapped potential. Our generation is changing the way we all communicate, entrepreneurship is more prevalent in our minds than ever and we are overcoming numerous challenges.

This is where we all come in. Start by checking out the We Want Jobs Not Trophies Web site. There is a lot of information on there on how to get involved with the campaign and begin advocating for the rest of your generation. Also on the site is a toolkit section that gives you the opportunity to run the campaign at the local level. This is a great opportunity for you to get some public relations experience while doing something that will help you in the long run.

Thanks to Heather Huhman and her team over at Come Recommended for leading this. We all can benefit from advocating for our generation, so I encourage you to check out the campaign.

Also, Come Recommended has some great virtual internships. The deadline is coming up for next semester, so be sure to check them out.