Employment for college graduates expected to increase by about 5 percent
Prospects for employment remain moderately higher for the Class of 2010 than those of the previous year.
‘The job market is starting to improve for everybody, but probably especially for college graduates,’ said Michel Cahill, the director of the Center for Career Services.
A noticeable downturn in employment for college graduates began in fall 2008 as the recession hit, affecting the graduates in the Class of 2009. Employers plan to hire 5.3 percent more new college graduates in 2009-10 than they did in 2008-09, according to statistics from the National Association of Colleges and Employers.
‘Last year was a tank,’ said Karen McGee, assistant dean for student affairs at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
While all areas of the market are starting to see improvement, some remain more profitable than others. Engineering, technology and health care have remained appealing fields, based on salary and employment rates, Cahill said.
Nonetheless, even with the 5.3 percent improvement, the Class of 2010 is still expected to face obstacles, Cahill said.
Many students are being forced to expand their options and take jobs they normally would not have considered in the past, Cahill said.
‘What we are seeing right now is that students are expanding their options. In past years they may be able to select from one, two or three options, but now it’s different,’ Cahill said.
Many students, particularly those in Newhouse, have been forced to take both paid and unpaid internships but are encouraged to do so in order to gain experience, McGee said.
While the priority for most students remains in the private sector, some have been forced to consider public, in state or federal jobs, McGee said.
While the job market is difficult, McGee said some students may not be searching hard enough for a job.
‘Most students’ problem is they give up too easily,’ McGee said.
Students of this year’s graduating class expressed optimism about the prospect of employment.
Justin Gurevitch, a senior film major in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, said finding employment in the arts is generally tougher than other fields, but the university has provided many viable opportunities for advancement, such as The LA Semester.
Networking, however, appears to remain the most valuable resource.
‘For the most part,’ Gurevitch said, ‘the people who I see getting jobs have gotten them off of connections.’
Published on May 11, 2010 at 12:00 pm
