‘Hey Buddy, Can Ya Spare a 6-Figure Job?’

Ah, to be young and in demand.

Being neither, I can only stand on the sidelines of life and try to fight off the petty jealousy welling inside me.

That’s not easy; even petty jealousy can be a mighty force. And it’s especially challenging after talking to Joe Chirilov, a junior at UC Irvine. Chirilov grew up in San Bernardino County and seems like a heck of a nice young guy.

And why not: He’s going to spend this summer interning at Microsoft in Redmond, Wash., for about four grand a month. This is his third job in the high-tech industry. Life is so good he went to a job fair at UCI this week and didn’t even need to interview.

What’s it like to be 21 and have the job world by the tail?

Pretty nice, Chirilov says.

I don’t tell him that he’ll make more in two months at Microsoft than I drew for my first annual salary. Maybe it’s because I’m afraid he’ll start laughing.

To be honest, he’s properly humble about how the stars have aligned perfectly for him: It’s not his fault he loves computers and they just happen to be the gateway to riches.

I tell him that, as college wound down for me 30 years ago, job-hunting for me and many of my friends was filled with fear and anxiety. Chirilov listens politely--as politely as one can who’s no doubt thinking he’s hearing a tale from pioneer days.

“It depends on what your area of expertise is, whether it’s computer science or political science,” he says. “Since I’m in computer science, I do have the feeling that there are jobs everywhere. Every time there’s a job fair, I get a lot of calls back. People want me to come in and interview and stuff. It’s a good feeling to be wanted by so many companies.”

Any trepidation at all? I ask. “Maybe the fact that I haven’t given it much thought means it’s not that much of a worry to me,” he says, casually. “I’m not really concerned about getting a job, because I’m fairly confident I will.”

At UCI’s job fair this week, Chirilov jokingly told a reporter he’d hate life if he didn’t become rich.

I ask how close that is to the truth. “I don’t know where money ranks, but I definitely want to be comfortable in life,” he says. “I don’t want to be stinking rich--I guess that would be nice--I want to make a lot of money but not at the expense of not enjoying my job.”

Graduates Make $50,000 Plus

I know Chirilov doesn’t care, but my first job out of college paid $7,800 a year. I was happy to get it; it meant that at 22 I could finally buy a car and quit taking the bus to work.

“I’ve heard that if you can start fresh out of college for, like, $65,000, you’re doing really well,” Chirilov says. “I think most people who start out of college are doing 50 to 55.”

It’s not that Chirilov is even the smartest boy in his class. His grade point average is at 3.7, which, he says, “is still regarded as fairly good.”

I can’t think of anyone I knew who went into the newspaper business without being interested in it. If Chirilov is right, that mind-set doesn’t apply to today’s high-tech world.

“A lot of people are in computer science because they know it’s going to be a money-maker” he says. “There are tons of people who can’t even stand to program. I’m not like that. I’ve been a computer nerd guy forever, so this is perfect for me. It just so happens that this is what’s really in demand now.”

Another of the job fair participants was a 21-year-old UCI senior who graduates in June. He didn’t want his name in the paper, but you might say he’s not exactly worried about his future either.

“The job market is totally open,” he says. “Unemployment is at its lowest level in years, so I’d say there’ll be no problem at all in finding a job. The problem is still finding what you like.”

He doesn’t want to say what salary he’s looking for. When I ask whether he wants to be wealthy, he replies, “Definitely. I think that’s what life’s about.”

When pressed, he says he wants to accomplish something professionally too.

I guess that’s my only fear about the new techie generation. Wouldn’t we build more character in them if they had to struggle, if only a little bit? Wouldn’t we all be better off if, before they make their six-figure salaries by the age of 25, they have to take the bus to work?

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Dana Parsons’ column appears Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Readers may reach Parsons by calling (714) 966-7821 or by writing to him at the Times Orange County Edition, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626, or by e-mail to dana.parsons@latimes.com.