U.S. grads work for free, look abroad

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Americans fresh out of university are

discovering their expensive degrees are not the entry ticket to a job

they had hoped in the face of high unemployment.

Some young graduates are working for free to enhance their skills

and bolster their resumes. Some are looking abroad for work while

others are determined to push their way into the U.S. job market.

Jessicalind Ah Kit got off to a great start in her job search. One

company flew her abroad and gave her a rental car. After a first day of

interviews, the company told her it had a freeze on global hiring.

Ah Kit studied management information systems, economics and

Japanese in college. After an 18-month search, she has taken an unpaid

internship -- her third.

The National Association of Colleges and Employers says only 19.7

percent of 2009's graduates who applied for jobs had them as of May

2009. During the second quarter this year, unemployment for workers

under 25 years of age was 17.3 percent, nearly double the national

average.

Read the entire article.