Job outlook for grads gets tougher
To help keep students on track, career counselors tell them to figure out their interests and what kind of career they may want. Then they need to research the industry, build a network of contacts and start looking at classified job ads in print and online.
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BY EMILY C. DOOLEY
Media General News Service
Published: May 6, 2008
Sometimes it pays to be older than a teenager.
Employers plan to hire 8 percent more college students graduating from the Class of 2008 than they did in 2007, according to a spring update report released by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.
But last fall, employers expected to hire 16 percent more graduates this year than they did in 2007.
That means new college graduates may find fewer opportunities than anticipated, said Marilyn Mackes, the association’s executive director.
The hot jobs for graduates will be in engineering, consulting, financial services, retail and petroleum companies, according to the association.
“It’s going to be tougher than it has been in the past,“ said Shawn Boyer, president and CEO of the hourly and part-time job-listing Web site SnagAJob.com, which is based in Henrico County. That means the job search should start early and candidates need to be positive and flexible with scheduling. “It’s really all about the individual,“ Boyer said.
At the University of Richmond’s Career Development Center, students are told to start looking as early as possible, director Leslie Stevenson said.
Stevenson said she is keeping her eye on the economy and what that means for new graduates. “We’re very concerned about what the ripple effect will be,“ she said.
To help keep students on track, they are told to figure out their interests and what kind of career they may want. Then they need to research the industry, build a network of contacts and start looking at classified job ads in print and online.
Graduates also need to ponder their online profile, said Ann Mack, director of trendspotting at JWT Worldwide, a New York City firm that studies consumer behavior.
What is cool in college on Facebook, MySpace and other social networking sites, she said, may not be popular with employees searching the Web for background information.
“Once you enter the work force, you have to think about what you put on your Facebook pages,“ Mack said.
Contact Emily C. Dooley at (804) 649-6016 or .
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