When I graduated college in the early 1990s, I was ready to start my career. The only hitch was that I had no idea how.

Armed with a degree, boundless optimism, and zero practical knowledge of how to get a job, my grand entrance into the workforce led me straight to a mall software store, where I became a proud purveyor of floppy disks and CD-ROMs for just above minimum wage.

That was not exactly the triumphant start I had envisioned after years of all-nighters, working my way through college and accumulating student debt. Eventually, I found my way to a fulfilling career — but it took a few more wrong turns, sheer luck, and, eventually, going back to school.

Decades later, the job market has changed. Software isn’t sold in boxes, and malls are an endangered species. But the struggle of new graduates remains remarkably similar. More than 40 percent of college graduates start their careers in jobs that don’t require a degree, and that shaky start has lasting consequences. Research shows that a worker’s first job isn’t just a stepping stone — it’s a launchpad that shapes their entire career trajectory.

For those who start off underemployed, the odds of escaping that trajectory are alarmingly slim. Three

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