A mentor notices recent graduates stuck in a loop: they won't apply for jobs they're not perfectly qualified for, so they stay unemployed. The real problem isn't the market. It's that they're waiting for experience they can only get by taking a job they think they're not ready for.
Occasionally, I help recent graduates with their careers and come across a common archetype. I can see it from a mile away. Just a few weeks ago, I spoke to someone who had spent the past year looking for a job but hadn't found one. After digging more, I realized that a tough job market was not the issue. Turns out my young friend was a bit picky and only wanted jobs that he was unqualified for. Like so many other young graduates, he couldn't get the job that he wanted without the experience, and he couldn't get the experience without the job.
