When the subject of employment comes up in conversation with a recent college graduate, you can expect them to cringe.
There is a barrage of press today that concerns the dire situation college graduates face when they enter the work force. The York College at Pennsylvania recently released a study that said graduates are ill-prepared to enter the real word.
Kelly Matush graduated with a degree in political science in May took the LSAT on Monday and is taking the GRE on Friday.
“I didn’t think about the negative press surrounding the job market too much,” Matush said. “However, I was not really pursuing a certain job when I graduated.”
Next week, Matush will travel to Ecuador and live there for a year while teaching students English. She said she wants her senior year to pursue the opportunity to live and work abroad for a year. After over 50 applications sent to various agencies and companies that hire English-speaking workers in Ecuador, Columbia and Peru, she received the offer to teach in April. She credits the Career Center for finding the leads to the agencies and much-needed encouragement. Matush is unsure of what she wants to do after she finishes the program.
Some graduates are not so fortunate to have a job or program lined up after they graduate. Kyle Rensmeyer, who graduated in May with a degree in agribusiness, has been searching for jobs tirelessly, but to no avail.
“I do wish I would have done a few things differently in college,” said Rensmeyer. “Last summer I had an internship offer, but I passed it up to take summer classes in order to graduate early.”
Rensmeyer said he did receive adequate training at Texas A&M U. to go out into the real world and pursue a career.
“It is hard to differentiate yourself out of a thousand candidates for one job opening,” he said. “Thirty years ago, differentiating yourself meant graduating from college. Now, things like internships are what set you apart from other applicants.”
Another thing employers’ notice is a graduate degree, according to Jason Newman, who graduated this past May with a Master’s in biomedical engineering at A&M.
“After I received my Bachelor’s, I made many calls, received 12 interviews and only got a few call backs,” said Newman. “Once I got my Master’s, I was getting contacted by people from the National Nuclear Security Administration, the Veteran Affairs hospital and many others. It seemed I was more of a viable option for them when I received my Master’s.”
One factor that all interviewed graduates cited as their help in finding a job was the Career Center. Located on the second floor in the Koldus building, the center is “an integrated source of career opportunities for individuals and talent for employers,” according to their website.
Katie Leatherwood, assistant director of employer services, said there are around 1,400 employers who use the Career Center as a resource for finding new hires.
Along with finding employers, the center also offers resumé and cover letter touchups and career road-mapping, among many other services.
Patricia Barron is the career coordinator for liberal arts students. She brings a blend of experience from Fortune 500 companies and human resources management.
“When [students] come in here, I already know I can help them pretty immediately,” Barron said. “[They] are going to come out of this appointment or the near future with an awesome solid resumé that they’re going to feel real confident about.”
As of late, there is an assumption that a liberal arts degree will hinder your pursuit of a solid job. In other words, you will be stuck flipping burgers. However, recent placements of December 2009 graduates include a financial planner at Northwest Mutual and a producer at “Kidd Kraddick in the Morning,” according to the Career Center.