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Fling the cap and find a job By
Rochelle Behling Graduation time: The sun is shining, the birds are singing and the caps and tassels are flying. This should be a time of celebration, but for many students it is a time of panic. They have bills to pay, student loans to pay back, and what they could really use is a good job. That's why they got a college education. Graduating from college can be especially jarring for students who don't have jobs lined up. A recent study done about college students in Great Britain found if students graduating from a university did not have a job within six months of graduating, they typically spent more than a year without a job in the first three years they were out of college. Unemployment can be a scary thing for many graduates, especially when the United States' economic slump could be deepening into a recession. The Dismal Scientist says, "The September report lays out the state of the U.S. labor market directly prior to the attacks on the U.S. Payroll employment fell by 199,000, nearly twice the expected decline, while the jobless rate was unchanged at 4.9%. The impact of the attacks will not show up until next month. The report confirms that the economy had weakened sharply and was heading into a recession already prior to September 11." College students should not be too worried about the recession that might be coming. Over time, studies have shown that any type of degree significantly lessens the chances of being unemployed. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) showed that in September 2001 the total unemployment in this country was at 3.7 percent, while unemployment for those with a college degree was only 2.5 percent. College graduates also tend to make more money then do workers who have not had the benefit of higher education. The BLS webpage shows that a person with a bachelor's degree in 1997 earned an average of $40,000 a year. Individuals with a high school diploma earned only $26,000. People who have a college education tend to be employed more and make more money then those who do not, even in times of economic slowdown. Will Bettmann, a journalism major who will be graduating from Utah State University, is going to be looking for a job in this new and slower economy. "The people I've talked to at Career Services seem to believe that you can find a job even in a slow economy," said Bettmann, who admits he is scared about finding a job. "They just say it may take a longer, harder search, or you might not make as much money as you'd hoped." A different approach has to be taken in times of economic slowdown in order to get full-time, professional employment. "It usually takes people (when the economy is slow) about six months after they graduate from college to find a good professional job," said Dave Hart, director of Career Services at USU. For many reasons college students have a distinct advantage over other people entering the job field. The 2000 Graduate Report for USU shows that 73 percent of the students who graduated last year are now employed full time. There is another 20 percent who are going to graduate school, or are otherwise not looking for employment, those usually being young mothers. When all these things are taken into account there is only about a 1.9 percent unemployment rate for the USU class of 2000. Unemployment data for college graduates at a national level, at the time this report was compiled, was also 1.9 percent. During the time that a person is in college there are services that can help them find jobs in an ever-changing job market. Students can do internships, or networking at the job fairs that are hosted here, or use any of the other services that are offered by Career Services. There are some very effective ways that help find a job. According to Career Services, "Networking is the most efficient and effective way to find employment. It's estimated that four of every five jobs are never advertised. Seventy percent of all jobs are filled by people that the employer or colleagues know. Most employers go through friends or coworkers to fill positions before they will advertise." Networking is especially important when the economy is slow. In times like these, Hart says, there is less recruiting on campus and the job market is more competitive. If students are going to find good jobs, they need to use any opportunity open to them. "In a tight economy we tell students to do unique types of things," Hart said. "We tell them to work with USU alumni. They can look in the alumni register and can search by major or by region." Students should begin early in their college career to talk to professors and others who work in their field of choice so they can build contacts to help them find jobs when they graduate. Students should talk to everyone they come in contact with and research the fields they want to work in. Internships are another great way for students to find jobs. Not only do internships give people a good opportunity to do networking but they also give them on-the-job experience. "Sixty percent of all students that do internships end up getting an offer of full-time employment at the company," Hart said. Many times when students graduate they want to work at the big companies in the big cities. When the economy is bad though, this is the wrong approach to take. "Look at the small firms," Hart said. "Larger companies are the ones that are doing the most layoffs." When looking for a job the most important thing is to use everything available to you. Use your family and friends, professors, and former employers. Being a good student is important, but more important is being able to express yourself effectively. When you are searching make sure you know what you want. Are you willing to relocate? What kind of salary are you looking for? What kind of hours do you want? "The more you tailor your search the better off you will be," Hart
said. "Find out what you want, and what they (employers) are looking
for." |
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