The time is getting near and the class of 2012 will soon be graduating and heading out into the workforce to search for a career that they have devoted years of education toward. Or are they?

According to government information analyzed by the Associated Press, one out of every two young college graduates are either unemployed, underemployed, or working at jobs that don’t apply to their area of specialized degree (such as servers, bartenders, or receptionists).

This means that about 1.5 million college graduates age 25 and younger with a bachelor’s degree are underemployed or jobless. This number is up almost 13 percent from 12 years ago.  

Some blame the lack of job openings on a weak economy, while others blame the students for not choosing a degree that has a promising outcome. Research shows stronger employment for jobs in health care, science, and education, while careers in theatre or arts are not as promising.

This Editorial Board believes that choosing a path of study for your future should be something that you are passionate about, but students also need to take a step back and see if they will be able to find a job that will give enough financial support to pay for the future (and pay back possible loans).

Another argument for college graduates not being able to find a job is due to the increase in widespread use of technology. According to projections put out by the government, by 2020, only three out of the 30 professions with the biggest expected number of job openings will require a bachelor’s degree or higher.

These are teachers, accountants, and college professors, which correlate with the degrees that most likely got a job — nursing, accounting, teaching, or computer sciences. The remaining available jobs are those that technology hasn’t replaced yet, such as fast food service, truck drivers, and retail sales.

As stated in the Huffington Post, “College graduates who majored in zoology, anthropology, philosophy, art history, and humanities were among the least likely to find jobs appropriate to their education level.”

Median wage for those with a bachelor’s degree has declined since 2006 and is not going to sky-rocket any time soon. Since some of the successful careers and degrees include furthering your education, is automatically choosing to get a master’s degree or a doctorate the right way to go to make more money?

This is not always the answer and should be considered when deciding how much money will be spent throughout the added years of education. Debt can add up quickly and doesn’t always even out in the long run.

Initially taking a job that you are under-qualified for is not necessarily a bad thing; it is a way to earn money to start paying off loans and bills and can be a good transition to a new job or career. The main point is if you have put hard work into earning a degree, it should be used to its fullest.

Our generation is not to blame for the status of the economy, but it is reality and we must find ways to make money to survive.