Overcoming Underemployment

This episode is what I want every underemployed college graduate to know and is what I wish someone would have said to me when I realized this was going to be my reality for a while. What I want you to know: This isn’t your fault. No matter how you got here, it doesn’t change that this is where you are. You will be okay. The bad days don’t have to turn into bad weeks. Or months. Or years. It is of utmost important that you take care of yourself: physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially. Being underemployed sucks and I’ll always be the first one to admit that. I wouldn’t wish this experience on anyone, but now that you’re here, you have the opportunity to learn, grow, and expand yourself. Don’t just look at this time as a waste of your life and your potential. You still have a life and potential, no matter what happens. Choose to see this experience as a time of building your resilience, weathering rejection, becoming more gritty, and getting familiar with vulnerability. Don’t get too comfortable w

This is episode 11 of overcoming underemployment, the third episode in a series on how to cope with underemployment practically. You can find the first two episodes here and here. This episode will be all about dealing with relationships when you're underemployed. Not only romantic relationships, but friendships and family as well. When you're underemployed, one of the best things you can have is a solid support network. The thing about that is that when you're underemployed you're much more likely to isolate yourself and cut yourself off from people because you don't like the way you feel and you don't know how to deal with it. While it might be your natural instinct to isolate yourself and stay away from friends and avoid your family, those people are what you need more than ever. Topics covered in this episode: Why you need people in your life when you're underemployed What the research about underemployment says about relationships My experience with relationships while I was underemployed How underemplo

On this episode, I tell part two of my underemployment story, which blessedly came to an end in February 2018. I take you through my breakdown, and how I finally made progress toward exiting underemployment after years of stagnation.

On this episode, I share part one of my underemployment story! From my upbringing to choosing a college, finding a career path I actually liked, and getting my first job after graduation.

On this episode I talk all about self-care and your health care. When you're underemployed it is way too easy to neglect your health and yourself.From diet, drinking, exercise, and sleep, I give advice for taking care of yourself. Topics covered include: How underemployment can lead to health issues, binge drinking, and sleep problems How meal planning and healthy eating are important when you’re underemployed Why you should exercise when you’re underemployed How you can get better sleep when you’re underemployed

On this episode I talk about one of the many ways you can help yourself become gainfully employed. The focus of the specific episode will be on introspection and taking care of yourself mentally. Topics covered: One of the most detrimental things you can do to your mental health when you’re underemployed and what you can do about it Why therapy is necessary if you can afford it Why you should practice meditation and mindfulness Why you should practice gratitude Why you should read Brené Brown, watch her TED talk, and explore your vulnerability Why you should work to strengthen your resilience and persistence Why you should try this stuff even if you’re skeptical The best books to read when you’re underemployed: Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life by Martin E.P. Seligman Rejection Proof by Jia Jiang Gratitude and Trust by Tracy Jackson and Paul Williams Option B: Facing

This is episode six of Overcoming Underemployment and on today's episode I'm sharing Nathanial’s underemployment story. I actually met Nathanial over three years ago at a professional development conference that I paid for myself to go to when I was underemployed. We stayed in touch through social media and I was so happy to see his name on my list of guests for the podcast. We had a really great conversation and we talked about Nathaniel’s story, how he got to be where he is now, where he thinks he might be going next, and how underemployment affected him financially and socially. If you've been listening to the podcast and you're waiting for the episodes where I tell you how to get through underemployment... wait just a little bit longer because that will be the topic of the upcoming episodes. I hope you enjoy this episode and as always if there's something in it that you like or you don't like or you haven't thought about please let me know on any social media @jessicailutz and make sure to use the #Undere

On this episode I dig into how higher education in America started, why the liberal arts are valued (or not), and what today's college students can do to combat underemployment after graduation. Jeff Selingo's tweet Allan Golston's tweet "The portion of incoming freshmen that cited "to be able to get a better job" as a very important reason for attending college reached an all-time high of 87.9 percent in 2012." College Disrupted: The Great Unbundling of Higher Education by Ryan Craig Higher Education?: How Colleges Are Wasting Our Money and Failing Our Kids---And What We Can Do about It by Andrew Hacker, Claudia Dreifus Designing the New American University by Michael M. Crow, William B. Dabars Reskilling America: Learning to Labor in the Twenty-First Century by Katherine S. Newman, Hella Winston Beyond the University: Why Liberal Education Matters by Michael S. Roth  

Today’s episode can only be described as inspiring. Seriously. After I finished recording this interview I was ready to go hug a stranger and do something I’d been putting off for a while. If you leave this episode feeling anything but elated and inspired, you can have your money back. Just kidding. But seriously. My guest, Shaun Howie, has a ton of great advice for navigating underemployment and really just staying a decent human being in the face of adversity. From the Navy, back to school, to retail, his advice? Stay positive and never settle. Topics discussed: From the Navy to Portland State University and a business degree in marketing Debt + $12 or $13 an hour, Expectations vs. reality Wages not keeping up with the cost of living Trying not to compare yourself to your friends Learning that your degree isn’t a death sentence The experience cycle Watching friends with debt struggle with finances The most challenging part of being underemployed The role of social media: it’s not always inspiring, it can r

This is episode three of Overcoming Underemployment and this is a very exciting episode because this is the first episode in which I share someone’s underemployment story. A big part of this podcast is sharing underemployment stories because if the research on underemployment has taught me anything it’s the experience of being underemployed is pretty consistent and I’m excited to share those insights with you. My guest, Hadar Spector, is actually a friend from college. We met when we were both studying abroad in 2011 and our shared experience of underemployment brought us back together all of these years later. I had a great time talking with her and we discuss everything from how underemployment affected her mental health and relationships, to coping with the experience of underemployment. Topics discussed: Hadar’s underemployment story: six weeks of unemployment, working as a hostess at a restaurant, working four jobs at once, then the restaurant full time, an administrative non-profit position, editorial

The problem? Underemployment, and no one is quite sure what to do about it. In this episode I talk about the effects of underemployment, what it's like to be underemployed, and I ask some questions about what we're supposed to do about underemployment that admittedly don't have a simple answer to. Topics covered: The definition of underemployment from episode one Why no one’s talking about it The focus on unemployment numbers and why it isn't good How many college graduates are underemployed (probably) Why it’s scary that so many college graduates are underemployed The effects of underemployment* What makes underemployment so emotionally taxing Shame and vulnerability researcher Brene Brown’s books and TED Talk Students go to college to get a job, chief academic officers believe they’re preparing them for the working world, but business leaders disagree What it’s like to be underemployed How skilled trade positions go unfilled because so many young Americans are going to college instead of learning a tr

In this inaugural, short and sweet episode of Overcoming Underemployment I talk about what underemployment is, how I came to be interested in it, and what you can expect to get from the podcast. If you're new about these parts this is a fantastic episode to start with. Underemployment has been a part of my life since 2013, and I'm so excited to have this podcast out in the world as a resource for anyone who's underemployed and trying to figure out their life. If you have any thoughts to share, with me, find me on your favorite social media platform (I'm @JessicaILutz everywhere) and use the hashtag #UnderemploymentPod. Happy listening! New episodes are uploaded on the 1st and 15th of each month. Things I talk about in this episode: Where you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter Where I currently write online: Balance + Beam The Cliff's Notes version of my story - AKA how I came to be interested in underemployment The definition of underemployment The only book on underemployment* How the book of r