Freshly minted college graduates won’t be entering the most promising of job markets this spring, and that means one key to successful job hunting — perseverance — will be more important than ever.
“Staying motivated is probably going to be your toughest task because we’re surrounded by media stories that tell us, ‘This is the worst job market since the Great Depression, and we’re going to be in food lines,’” said Caroline Ceniza-Levine, a recruiting expert who spoke at UNC Asheville last week.
Employers nationwide expect to hire 22 percent fewer college grads this year than last, according to a recent study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.
Another study by the association showed that average starting salaries offered to graduates with bachelor’s degrees have fallen by about 2 percent since last spring.
Still, Ceniza-Levine and other experts said many graduates will be able to find work, even if it takes some time. And for those who can’t, there’s always graduate school.
Difficult searches
Eric Engelbrektson, a biology major who graduated from UNCA in December, intends to apply to medical school after his wife finishes her own degree in a couple of years.
Prospects for lab work or other jobs in his field are slim in Asheville, so he’s been tutoring students in math.
“I’m pretty much living on savings right now,” Engelbrektson said. “I can’t really relocate right now because of my wife being in college here, so I have to look for something here.”
Even in good economic times, getting a career started can take time.
Many UNCA students pursue liberal arts studies and generally don’t land a full-time job in their desired field for about three-six months, Career Center director Eileen Buecher said.
But this year the university had 20 fewer employers than usual at two campus job fairs, and many larger companies have said they would hire about half as many graduates as in previous years, she said.
The NACE study released last month found 66 percent of employers responding to a survey planned to trim or eliminate spring hiring.
The study reveals that a five-year stretch of ever-brightening prospects for new graduates has come to an end. The number of available jobs saw major declines following the dot-com bust and the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, with hiring falling by 36 percent for the class of 2002. Hiring steadied in 2003 and climbed every year from 2004-08.
Some industries appear to be faring better than others. Salary offers for engineering majors have risen by 2.3 percent this year over last, with an average offer of about $58,000, according to the NACE study. Computer science graduates, however, saw a 3.6 percent drop, bringing their starting salary offer to around $57,000, according to the study.
Business graduates saw a small increase, while salary offers for liberal arts majors appear to be relatively flat.
In her talk at UNCA, Ceniza-Levine said finance, sales, biotechnology and green jobs were showing the biggest growth in the current economy, but she warned against rushing into an industry just because it’s booming.
“I think the idea of going into a sector because it’s a hot sector is grossly overrated,” she said, adding that job seekers should pursue work based on their own passions and skills.
Surviving the search
Students aren’t the only ones seeking advice on resume writing, interviewing and other job-search skills. The UNCA Career Center has also seen an increase recently in alumni seeking help after experiencing layoffs, Buecher said.
Compared with laid-off workers, graduating seniors tend to have fewer financial obligations like mortgages and families. That makes it easier for them to share housing, work temporary jobs and live on tight budgets, she said.
Students with loans, however, can face some immediate pressure.
“Some students are graduating with loans and things of that nature, so that is a concern,” Buecher said. “Before, when the market was stronger, it was still a concern, but I think there was a feeling that there were more options available.”
Ceniza-Levine warned that anyone out of work needs to carefully assess their budgets and do what it takes to avoid going deeply into debt while looking for the right job.
Jairus Dolfi, who is finishing a teacher certification program at UNCA, hopes to land a job an art teacher next school year, but he knows that will be tough.
“It’s pretty slim around here,” he said. “I’m in art education, and all art teachers want to live in Asheville.”
If he can’t find a teaching job, Dolfi said he would find other work to get him by temporarily while he continues to look.
Staying in school
As is often the case in weak job markets, more students are applying to graduate school, where they can build their resumes while waiting for the economy to improve.
Graduate school applications are up by 20 percent at Appalachian State University and 11 percent at Western Carolina University compared with the same time last year.
WCU has also seen a 60 percent increase in distance-learning applications in career-focused areas like physical therapy, counseling and education.
Graduate school is always a top option for students at Warren Wilson College, according to Bates Canon, the school’s director of career services.
“One thing we know about our students is historically about 60 percent go on to grad school,” he said. And given the economic situation, “I know some students are looking at grad school as a choice they might exercise sooner as opposed to waiting.”
Planning ahead
Ceniza-Levine advised students to make meaningful contacts with companies they may want to work for, even if the employer isn’t hiring at the moment.
Buecher agreed. “If someone started early or people were networking through their internship, they may be opening doors,” she said.
For one graduate, a long-term internship has helped her define what she wants in a career.
Kathryn Lischerelli, a health and wellness major, started an internship at Mission Hospital last June and helped develop a new program offering alternative medicine like aromatherapy and healing touch.
The experience has helped her make strong contacts in the field and set clear goals for her future. “I’ve had a pretty strong focus on making sure I was very clear on what I’d like to do after a graduation, and that’s been a year in the making,” she said.
Source: Asheville Citizen Times
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