South Carolina Business Review

Comparing job offers shouldn't rely on salaries alone

By Mike Switzer

Published June 9, 2026 at 6:30 AM EDT

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Carman Young, certified financial planner with Abacus Planning Group in Columbia, SC

It’s that time of year when college graduates are about to start their careers. But recent reports are indicating that job offers for college grads are not as promising as they used to be. Which is why our next guest says that, when comparing offers, they shouldn’t focus solely on starting salary but the entire package. Mike Switzer interviews Carman Young, a certified financial planner with Abacus Planning Group in Columbia, SC.

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Mike Switzer

After almost 20 years, Mike Switzer retired from Wells Fargo Securities in 2001 as Senior Vice President/Investment Officer and Certified Portfolio Manager. In 1999, he and his wife, Maggie, purchased and operated for eight years the Baskin Robbins ice cream store on Forest Drive in Columbia. They grew the store from a bottom-tier operation in the Baskin Robbins franchise system to one in the top 5% nationwide within three years, tripling sales along the way. While operating the ice cream store, Mike and Maggie received patents for a portable ice cream sink and fold-down sneezeguard they invented and in 2002 started Magnolia Carts, an ice cream cart manufacturing company, which they sold in 2013.

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