A challenging job market has students faced with a difficult choice follow their dreams or pursue a traditional career and improve their odds of finding work.Students who hoped to return to Bermuda and find work in their field of choice have encountered placement issues and job shortages.And in many cases, they’re stuck with student loans that must be paid off.In 2010, the Bermuda Department of Statistics reported that six percent of young persons between the ages of 21 and 30 — with degrees ranging from a BSSC certificate to a Master’s degree — were unemployed.More recent statistics have yet to be released however word of layoffs and business closures have left a number of young Bermudians feeling abandoned, helpless and reconsidering their education and employment options.One graduate, who asked not to be named, said he returned to the Island with a Master’s degree in English and health science. Finding employment was an uphill battle.“[It] was difficult for me for a while although I had work experience and a solid educational background,” he said. “I didn’t feel that there were many opportunities for young people that chose to study programmes that didn’t involve business, banking, or insurance.“This was very discouraging. I didn’t expect finding employment easily because of [the economic climate in Bermuda], but I did feel that there were individuals in organisations that were benefiting from tenure as opposed to offering value to their companies.”He said he was able to obtain a government position with assistance from the Department of Labour and Training, but left because he felt his skills were being taken for granted.He said he is content with his current position as a corporate sales executive, but was dissatisfied with the result of his hard work. “When you see these instances it makes you frustrated,” he said. “Sometimes I felt that my decision to go to school was not the right one. Perhaps I should have just gotten a job and worked my way up.”He argued that more should be done to support Bermuda’s young people who are actively seeking employment: “It is important that we stop creating a generation of disenfranchised young people.“Everyone wants to be successful but young people can become negative if there are few opportunities and resort to negative alternatives to make money.“Everyone knows that it is expensive to live in Bermuda so something as simple as basic health insurance can sometimes be a stretch for someone without real income.”He advised students to look at job opportunities both in Bermuda and abroad before deciding on a career path.“I think depending on what the student is interested in they should assess local opportunities in the field,” he said. “If there are few to none perhaps that person should look at the overseas possibilities. “I know of a few friends that are working abroad so I my advice wouldn’t be to abandon your true passion for the sake of residing in Bermuda.”Krista Dyer, who studied anthropology at the University of New Brunswick, said she was warned that it could be difficult to find employment with her major.“Even before I headed off to university, people were telling me to rethink my decision,” she said. “Business, or something business-related, was always brought up as a better alternative.“I knew from the start that I’d have to forge my own path when it came to finding employment in Bermuda. So far I have not become discouraged in my quest for a job and I am now receiving a lot of encouragement from many sources.”Despite her challenges, she said that she would recommend other students follow their passions. “Some areas of study are more likely to get you a job straight out of school than others, but what better time than your late teens, early 20s, to explore new ideas and learn new and different things. If you need to take a year off or change your major, do it, but always have some form of a goal to keep you moving and motivated.”A Government spokeswoman said the current economic situation has affected Bermudians of all ages from established professionals to those just entering the workforce.The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has been working to help create opportunities in response to the challenges, she said.“It should be noted that Government has sought to assist where it can by introducing job programmes and initiatives aimed at assisting those to find gainful employment.“Such examples include the joint Bermuda College/Ministry Retraining Scholarship initiative which was launched earlier this summer.“Other retraining programmes include the Waiter/Server programme, which is a joint initiative with the Bermuda Hotels Association, the Chamber of Commerce and the Bermuda Hospitality Institute which sought to place at least 100 Bermudians in jobs in the hospitality industry.“This initiative has seen some modest success with more than 60 individuals finding employment.“However, the Ministry appreciates that until the economy improves, there will be continued challenges in the job force.“In that regard, the Ministry continues to advocate for individuals who are having employment challenges to register with the Department of Labour and Training so that at the very least the department can work to ensure fairness and opportunities for Bermudians.”