According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 284,000 American workers toiled for minimum wage last year, despite having a bachelor’s degree. CNBC points out that this number, while significantly lower than the 327,000 overeducated minimum wage earners in 2010, is up a whopping 70 percent from 2002. To some extent, it’s because today’s college grads need to have more skills than previous generations, in order to impress employers.
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“There is absolutely no doubt there is a talent gap when you think about who’s graduating from college today and what many corporations need,” Chad Oakley, president and chief operating officer of executive search firm Charles Aris Inc. tells CNBC. “So many of our clients have significant talent shortages at lower levels of the business.”
The answer? College students should factor in a few, seemingly unrelated, but crucial courses, including:
1. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Classes
Oakley tells CNBC that STEM classes are particularly important if you’re a liberal arts major, but that employers like to see them on a resume, no matter what. Big data analytics is an especially good idea, he says.
2. Business Writing
When you’re in the work world, most of your communications with people will mostly be in written form. That’s why it’s such a shame that so many workers can’t seem to string an email together without making mistakes that make them look less savvy than they actually are.
3. Leadership Studies
Any coursework that shows that you have the ability to manage others and get along in a social situation will serve you in good stead when it comes time to get a job.
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