In the past, people who graduated from college felt proud of their academic(学业的) achievements and felt confident that their degree（学位）would help them to find a good job.

        However, in the past four years, the job market has changed greatly. This year’s college graduates are facing one of the worst job markets. For example, Ryan Stewart, a graduate of San Jose State University, got a degree in religious studies, but no job prospects. He points out that many people already working are getting laid off and don’t have jobs, so it’s even harder for new college graduates to find jobs.

        Four years ago, the future looked bright. There were many high-tech job chances. Graduates received many job offers（工作机会）, and they were able to get jobs with high salaries and benefits. However, “Times have changed and it’s a new market.” according to an officer of the San Jose State Career Center.

       Many students started preparing for their future jobs two years ago. They worked during summer vacations, they have had several short-time jobs, and they’ve majored in one of the few fields that are still hot, like chemical engineering, accounting, or nursing, where average starting salaries have actually increased over last year. Other popular fields (like information system management, computer science, and political science) have seen big declines(下降) in starting salaries.

      In conclusion, these days a degree may not be a ticket to instant wealth for some students. For now, they can only hope the value of their degree will increase over time.