Survey Finds College Grads Opting Out Of Bigger Salaries

It is no secret that college graduates are facing a tough time in today’s workforce, but what is surprising is finding out that part of the reason is choice. College graduates and young adults under the age of 30 have become a big portion of the demographic for bankruptcy filings. With tuition costs at all time highs and student  loan debt accounting for nearly $1 trillion of the nation’s personal debt burden, many college graduates are underemployed. However, a recent survey shows that not all of the employment problems faced by recent grads is the result of a turbulent economy.

Survey Says

A review of recent college graduates found some shocking answers to their questions about employment and the job market. Over half of all college students said they would refuse a job offer from any employer that banned social  media site access during work hours. Nearly two-thirds of graduates admit to asking potential employers about their policy regarding social media sites during an interview. Many more stated they would prefer a lower paying job with flexibility regarding access to their personal mobile phone and social media sites.

At first glance these statistics appear to suggest a shift in priorities of young employees. However, further investigation revealed that 31 percent of recent graduates reported that it was their knowledge and proficiency using social media sites that helped them land their job in the first place. 41 percent reported that employers used their flexible social media access policy as a perk to influence them to accept the position. It seems as though the paradigm of employment has shifted quite a bit in recent years.