The current state of the U.S. economy is making it difficult for recent college graduates to find employment. Students who have graduated from college over the last few years and those planning on graduating this spring face a different job market that, in many cases, requires more skills for less pay.
Current students are finding it hard to get jobs — even at Yale University. According to an Inside Higher Education article, the university has a $100 million deficit, and many students must increase their work hours to cover an extra $400 required for their financial aid packages. The Yale student employment office reported a 10-percent drop in employed students from fall 2008 to fall 2009.
An opportunity for students to meet potential employers face-to-face at Cal State Long Beach is the 2010 Spring Job Fair on March 11 from noon to 4 p.m. at the University Student Union.
The Career Development Center is hosting the event and expects 78 companies to take part in the job fair, from Cha for Tea to the U.S. Social Security Administration. A list of participants can be found on the CDC’s Web page, along with details about what types of jobs are being offered and what specific majors each company is recruiting.
“We’ve noticed a number of increases as far as our employees having job opportunities available,” said Marjorie Housley, CDC event and marketing coordinator. “We definitely believe the economy is turning around.”
The CDC at CSULB offers a variety of services aimed to place students in jobs. However, many students on campus have mixed feelings regarding the importance of participating in the services offered by the CDC, including the upcoming job fair. Some are seeking help through other outlets, including their major departments on campus and various off-campus job fairs that they say are more refined to their field of study.
Wes Reel, a CSULB senior film major, said his focus has been on creating a strong portfolio to showcase to potential employers, and networking within his field.
“With film, it has a lot to do with who you know, and not what you have on your resume,” he said.
Danellia Arechiga, a junior psychology student, has used various CDC services, such as BeachLINK, and found them very useful. She sought help in building her resume from a CDC clinic and said it strengthened her resume.
“I think it’s really good to know what job fairs are actually about, although I’m content with my current [part-time] job, but for networking purposes and my future, it would be good to go,” she said.
Arechiga added that she hasn’t taken part in more CDC programs due to a lack of free time.
The CDC has six career counselors who meet one-on-one with students, focusing on the specific needs of each by assisting them with various programs and services.
Betty Schmicker-Black, who has been a career counselor at CSULB since 1982, saidstudents should be working to set themselves apart from the crowd in an effort to combat the difficult job search.
Schmicker-Black said the number of students taking advantage of the CDC’s programs hasn’t changed due to the economy.
“Some students are overly influenced by negative information about the job market,” she said, adding that despite all of the negative information and steep competition, there is hope for those entering the market.
“I do see students who are being interviewed and students who have gotten jobs — nice jobs,” she said.
Her biggest piece of advice to students entering the job market right now is to be creative, get their foot in the door of their field, and get as much experience as possible while still in school.
With an increasingly competitive job market, experience is more important than ever, according to both Schmicker-Black and Lisa Grobar, an economics professor at CSULB. In the past, it looked good to have one internship under a student’s belt prior to graduation; students are now expected to have multiple internships or hands-on experience in their field of study.
“Students last year and this year entered the worst job market since the Great Depression. … There’s no way to sugarcoat that,” Grobar said.
But Grobar believes the worst is over.
“The bottom line is that there is nowhere to go but up,” she said.
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in California at the end of December was 12.3 percent. This is a significant increase from December 2008, when the unemployment rate was 9.2 percent.
For 20-24 year olds, bureau figures also show a 16 percent seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in February, which is the highest since 1983.
Though the unemployment rate is expected to decrease, Grobar said, “the problem is that the recovery in terms of jobs tends to be very slow at the beginning.” She said businesses tend to be reluctant to take the risk of hiring new permanent employees in times of economic recovery.
Instead, businesses tend to delay the hiring, work employees overtime and hire temporary workers. Grobar said job seekers should consider finding temporary employment, including unpaid internships, and eventually move up in the ranks.
She said, “The first job is the hardest to get.”
Athena Mekis contributed to this article.