The light at the end of the economic tunnel is moving father and father away for nearly every working man and woman in the U.S. today. For recent graduates times are even tougher as they face a nonexistent job market with a college diploma as their only defense. With 17,000 jobs wiped out in the month of January alone, the current economic situation is most likely not going to change for recent graduates any time soon.

A mere nine months out of college and many recent graduates are still searching for their first big break. Lauren Goodwin and David Hochman were both members of the class of 2008 who haven’t exactly been welcomed with open arms by the bleak job market. Lauren found her dream job before being laid off during the holiday season, while David has been having trouble finding a full-time position that will jump start his career.