Remember when you could actually go out and look for a job? Remember how you would actually have an employer, a set salary and pretty much be set for life within a day, maybe two days at the most? Unfortunately, that is not how it works anymore. With entry level jobs requiring much more experience, an overly competitive job market where students are competing with those who have much more liable experience. As well as, a lack of internships to help students get that much-needed experience finding a job is one of the hardest things in the world for recent grad students. Here are the five greatest challenges current grad students face when searching for a job.

1. Lack of opportunity

Nearly every single graduate will go through this process many times. They'll apply for an entry level job, and never receive a call back just because they did not meet the qualifications the company wanted. Or they will receive a callback, only to find out that they were unable to get the job simply because the person they were competing with had much more experience. This tends to give students a lack of opportunity when looking for a job, which makes it quite difficult to achieve the task of finding one.

2. Competitive job fields

Years ago the job market was relatively open and had a guaranteed job spot for everyone. Now, despite the fact that the economy is slowly getting back on its feet, the job market is much more limited making employment opportunities a virtual battleground in a sense. Grad students are not only competing against each other for this career opportunity, but they are also competing with undergraduates, those with much more experience, and even other employees already working at the company they wish to be employed at. When it comes to getting a job in this world, you must be prepared to fight your way through.

3. Change in demand

With an ever changing economy needs and demands of consumers will evolve over the years, even job opportunities that seem endless will not always be available due to these ever changing needs. For example, three years ago the demand for massage therapists was enormous. There were hundreds of job opportunities in the field and hearing about this many people went to work the receive that degree. Now the demand for massage therapists has dropped drastically, and everyone is either going into medical billing and coding, or dental assistant degree programs.

4. Having to settle for working for free

With even the simplest of entry level, jobs needed at the minimum of six months of prior experience students will take whatever they can get, even if it means working for free for a couple of years. Internships are usually the first experience opportunity one receives as they require only a degree or proof that you are studying for a degree in that particular field.

5. Entry level jobs requiring higher levels of experience

These bottom step of the ladder jobs that were once made for those looking to improve themselves now need much more experience than they used to. Many are actually questioning why these jobs are still being considered as entry level positions despite the obvious fact that college graduates are being turned down on job offers due to the fact that they do not meet the experience level requirement. Some of these jobs actually are not available unless you have anywhere between 6 months and up to 3 years of experience in that career field.