British Researchers to New Grads: Goof Off First

The Young and the Restless: For decades, young people have been encouraged to “get their foot in the door” by taking jobs out of college and working their way up the career ladder. But doing so actually may hinder their long-range career goals. They would be better off remaining unemployed. That’s the conclusion of British researchers Tony Cassidy and Liz Wright, who contend that students taking “stopgap” jobs such as waiters, retail clerks or clerical positions often get so depressed or bored by the work that it robs them of all motivation to pursue their chosen field.

Cassidy and Wright revealed their findings at a meeting of the British Psychological Society in Dublin in April. They studied the psychological state of nearly 250 recent graduates. After nine months on the job, people working lower-level positions for which they were overqualified also were found to have poorer diets and sleep habits than those who remained unemployed. In fact, recent grads who remained unemployed expressed more optimism that they eventually would land the much-needed break to launch their careers.