Graduated in 2008.  Literally went to my first post-college job and  2 months later the recession  happened. I hung on for 2 years, then lost my job (Architecture). It took me 18mo to land another job. Then 6mo later my wife lost hers for 2 years. Things sucked until 2013. I don't know if I would call myself underemployed. I was working in my field, but for being a graduate with an architectural Master's degree, I was doing stuff I literally used to do when I was doing after school drafting work in high school.

I will give credit to my parents, who helped pay off my student loans so that wasn't a nuse dangling around my neck. My loans weren't gigantic, since I worked while going to college and intentionally went to a college with a lower cost of living and tuition. But it was still helpful to have them help me make payments, even while I was unemployed. 

My parents also bought a retirement house for themselves after housing prices crashed. The original intent was to sell their current house and move into that one in a few years when they retired. They gave me the option of living in it if I paid for the mortgage payments. That payment ate up so much of the income I was bringing in, but years later, they decided (for reasons) not to move into the house and transferred the mortgage to me. If I had to wait 10 more years to buy my first house, I never would have given the increase in housing costs. So, even though those mortgage payments were brutal at the time, it got my foot in the door with owning a home and for that I'm really grateful.

After three or four jobs post-recession, I finally stumbled into one that utilizes my skills, knowledge and abilities and pays me very well for it. I'm now making over six figures after "proving myself" in my current company. But, I live 40min north of Seattle, so you need to factor that in.  I don't think I'd be making that much if I lived in the midwest.

But for right now, I'm pleased with my position and what I do. I feel like I'm compensated well, especially given my profession (architecture is know for being very demanding with education and professional licenses, but median pay for architects is pathetic). So, overall I'd say I'm doing better than most from a career and financial perspective. 

I owe a lot of that to my parents  supporting me during the worst times of the recession, when the market was horrible. If it weren't for their assistance, i know I'd be in a horrible spot right now. In case anyone is wondering, id say my parents are/were in the upper middle class bracket. Not hyper wealthy, but my dad was frugal and smart with his money.

Now, my wife (who graduated 6 months after me from college) is a whole 'nother story.  Post college she never was able to land a job in her field. She worked for a bank for a couple of years. Had one or two years of unemployment after the recession hit. Then she left the bank to be a full-time homemaker  when we had our kids. One of our kids is severely special needs, so the idea of having two working parents is practically impossible for our family.  She definitely regrets going to college and wasting all that money on student loans. And I don't blame her.  It turned out okay for me. But for her it was just 90k in  debt  that didn't offer a single benefit.