The reasons to go college are simple: to obtain a degree and to set up a better future. College is designed to give students the skills, tools and knowledge to be successful. The problem is that even with a degree, a job or career is not guaranteed.

Most graduates struggle with the same dilemma. It’s obtaining a job either before or after graduation. On most job applications, experience is required, even with entry-level positions. How are students expected to get a job if the odds seem stacked against them?

The problem is that too many students are graduating completely unprepared to enter the job market.

As a staff, we think college as an institution should do a better job in helping students use their degree to harness their future. In the many college classes students pay for, they only get a general idea of what is needed to do a job but we don’t get the nitty, gritty details that will actually help students succeed.

By the end of 2016, about 1.9 million students will have graduated college, according to CNBC. But only about 21 percent of college students graduate with a job before the completion of their degree, according to a college graduate employment study by Accenture.

The post-graduation job market is extremely competitive. Luckily, employers are estimated to hire a little more than five percent more graduates from the class of 2016 than last year, according to a report by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

To help students get ahead of the curve, colleges should have a career-centered staff. Fortunately, VSU does an excellent job with Career Opportunities in helping students with obtaining jobs. The only issue is not that many students know what they do or even that it’s available to help them. Career Opportunities can do more if students know about it.

Colleges should also get with the times. The same advice that were given to advisors when they were in school might not be relevant. Staffs should keep up-to-date with the newest technology to help students take advantage of all the opportunities available.

Teachers and advisers should teach students how to network, interview and prepare students for not only success but failure as well. Too many students have high expectations about obtaining a career right after college. In actuality, on average it takes about one to six months to secure a job after college, according to a study by Accenture.

In turn, it’s not all on a college institution to help students obtain a job. Students should take a majority of the responsibility of securing their future. Students need to make sure they are doing all they can to become successful. This could include getting a mentor, interning or getting a part-time job.

Students need to take the initiative. A job isn’t going to be given to you. Do the work and the rest will follow.