# How long did it take you to find a job? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 28, 2015, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-did-it-take-you-to-find-a-job/738882 "2015-11-28T22:43:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-did-it-take-you-to-find-a-job/738882/21 "2015-11-30T01:43:24Z")
In 1973 I had an offer well before graduation, but luckily I turned it down for grad school. Because I missed the degree window I had been working five months before I officially got my PhD, though I had passed my exam and it was all signed off before I left for my job. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-did-it-take-you-to-find-a-job/738882/22 "2015-11-30T01:44:19Z")
> [@brahmsacademic](#): > > How long after you got your Bachelor’s Degree did it take you to find a job that paid enough for you to support yourself? In years and months please. Thanks! About 6-7 months after graduation from college. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-did-it-take-you-to-find-a-job/738882/23 "2015-11-30T11:19:03Z")
> [@brahmsacademic](#): > > How long after you got your Bachelor’s Degree did it take you to find a job that paid enough for you to support yourself? In years and months please. Thanks! Zero. I started a (very) small business doing pipeline and field repair in my freshman year. I had to interleave work with college semesters and gradually changed to contract work in the oilfields. Prior to graduation I was earning 3 times the median income (US) and had supported myself for about 8 years. I graduated with a standing offer and went right to work. Oddly enough, it was an income reduction for me, but that was to be expected since I was starting in a new field. This was in the early 80’s, if it matters. ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-did-it-take-you-to-find-a-job/738882/24 "2015-11-30T11:46:15Z")
I graduated in June 1997 and was hired in late December of that year. However, I had to undergo training first which means that I only started working and making enough money to fully support myself in February 1998. So, depending on the way you see it, 6 or 8 months. I probably could have gotten a job sooner but I was picky and the typical career that awaited me after my studies didn’t appeal to me. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-did-it-take-you-to-find-a-job/738882/25 "2015-11-30T13:08:57Z")
About 4 months after graduation IIRC. Although even though I “could” support myself on around $30k (an entry level structural engineer’s salary in the mid 90s) I opted to live with my parents as the job was with a local engineering firm 5 minutes from their house. About a year later I changed careers to technology consulting (during the height of the dot com / Y2K tech boom) and moved to Boston. About a year after that I opted to not have roommates anymore and moved to a small 1BR. So overall, about 2 years and change to go from bachelors degree to completely self sufficient. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-did-it-take-you-to-find-a-job/738882/26 "2015-11-30T13:39:13Z")
It took me three months to start teaching after graduation, but three years as a subsitute teacher really didn’t make me independent (paid rent to my parents and took care of my car). My one full year of teaching was not a success (I was ‘laid off’, but could have been fired–I was not that good a teacher) and after another year of subsituting, I got a US Government job…from which I plan to retire in about 4 months after almost 35 years. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-did-it-take-you-to-find-a-job/738882.md?page=1)