Graduates fear taxes more than job hunt

Searching for that first job after (or even before) graduation can be a pretty intimidating process, especially considering the load of student debt many grads are carrying, but there’s something that the Class of 2018 fears even more.

Taxes.

According to a survey from LendEDU, while many newly minted grads are already working or have already found a full-time job, 31.2 percent say that finding a job was the “scariest aspect” of the “real world,” even more—39 percent of this year’s class—fear budgeting and paying taxes/expenses.

And speaking of the real world, while among graduates who have already found a job, salaries for 33.41 percent are running to $35,000 or lower, and 26.63 percent are making between $36,000 and $50,000, a very unrealistic 5.52 percent of those who haven’t yet been hired expect to make $100,000 or higher and just 24.71 percent actually expect that $35,000 or lower.

Among those who have found a job, 13.08 percent say it’s in finance/business, while 11.38 percent are in tech, 14.77 percent are in education and 17.19 percent are in medical/health positions.

And these grads aren’t afraid to get a little help from their friends, capitalizing on connections or networking with friends and family to find work. In fact, 28.33 percent say that’s how they found their jobs—through mutual family or friend connections.

Other methods that grads said paid off in getting a job included previous internships at the same company and college career programs.

Among those who haven’t been hired yet, 21.8 percent blame a lack of connections for their lack of a job.

Only a little over a third—36.56 percent—plan on staying at that first job longer than three years, while 27.85 percent would stay up to three years, 25.18 percent only intend to linger for six months to a year and 10.41 percent say, “I would leave as soon as a better opportunity arises.”