Who's Underemployed?

I can't read a newspaper, magazine or trade paper that doesn't include a headline such as, " Half of new graduates are jobless or underemployed" writes USA Today, or 53% of Recent College Grads Are Jobless or Underemployed—How?" reports The Atlantic. Today's headline in a Times Newsfeed, "Over 50% of Grads Live at Home and are Unemployed or Underemployed."

With everything that's been reported on this topic, I started to wonder is there really such a thing as underemployed for a recent college graduate?  

Coaching recent college graduates, I understand the pressure you are under and expectation you have about graduating, and then finding a job commensurate with your education and degree.   It's perfectly reasonable to think when you  graduate there should be a good job for you, and that you can get your post-college live started. However, listening to recent grads to talk about employment I think there are unrealistic expectations perpetuated by schools, parents and the media especially around underemployment. 

Let's differentiate between underemployment and developing a career where putting in your time—your dues—is just part of what you have to do. What we all had to do. Here are two stories.

Ms. Chio, told Adam Bryant, Corner Office,  she started as a math major at Cornell and in her sophomore year switched majors to theater. She went on to receive her MBA from New York University and went to work for a big accounting firm.  But then a Hollywood producer came knocking on her door and offered her an assistant position.  She did everything from picking up his dry cleaning, getting his Starbucks, taking his calls and reading scripts.

Two degrees both from brand name schools and picking up dry cleaning! By today's standards Ms. Chio would be underemployed.  I totally disagree. Ms. Chio was learning how to run a small business.  Learning the business from the ground up aka entry-level job, she developed the skills and qualities necessary to assume the leadership of Bulbrite from her father who started the business.

Mr. Adler, with a BA in sociology from Emory University, headed to Hollywood after graduation and the basement-located mailroom of Brillstein-Grey Entertainment.  He did get to see the light of day there reading scripts but moved on to Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment. At Plan B Mr. Adler  cultivated feature film projects and now oversees all aspects of creative, development and production for MRC Film.

Literally the mailroom. I don't say underemployed. He was gaining the experience needed and making contacts in the industry he wanted to work in.  Again, by today's standards Mr. Adler was underemployed when he started in the mailroom.

Ask your mother when she graduated with  BA what her first job was.  The likely answer: secretary or teacher. Did  I feel underemployed working as a secretary? Yes. Was I? No.

I eschew using the term underemployment. Instead, for recent college grads there are jobs that are career builders—where you gain experience and skills even if a BA isn't required to do the job—and those where you take home a paycheck but nothing else.  Is working as a barista at Starbucks underemployment? Not for someone who has a hospitality major but certainly for someone with an engineering degree.
 © 2012 More Than A Resumé