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careers
Econ WC: 500
By Marten Lewerth
On-line Forty-Niner
Seniors graduating
across the country this year may be in for a fight on the
job front as the national economy is in a state of disarray
in the wake of recent events.
For example, while
the threat of possible military actions escalated in the Middle
East, the unemployment rate rose to 4.9 percent nationally
by the end of September with 528,000 jobless claims reported
to the Department of Labor.
Also, U.S. companies
announced 248,332 layoffs in September -- up 77 percent from
August -- according to the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray
& Christmas.
Although these
numbers may seem daunting, they may also be a bit misleading
in regard to the overall market.
"What we're seeing
now is an inordinately large number of layoffs in the travel
industry," said Joseph Magaddino, chairman of the economics
department at Cal State Long Beach. "We are moving in to a
recession -- barring another terrorist attack -- of a short
duration of two or three quarters. Some industries will be
impacted more than others, but opportunities aren't as strong
as they were two years ago."
Magaddino added
that this period of recession is normal because it comes at
the tail end of a long period of growth, but the job market
will be tighter because of the current political climate.
"The terrorism
and the uncertainty attached to events make the near term
relatively volatile," he said. "But, over the long haul things
look solid."
Students at CSULB
can get a leg up on the competition today by participating
in the Job Fair set up by the Career Development Center.
"We were expecting
a downturn [in employers participating], but we're at over
180 and that's a good sign," said CDC Director Ed Morton.
Attending events
such as the job fair are vital, Morton said, because methods
successful in the past such as online resume boards may not
be as effective anymore.
"Job boards aren't
going to do it," Morton said. "The key issue for seniors is
that they can't just throw resumes up online, they have to
be more strategic."
Morton also said
there has been a significant increase in student traffic at
the center since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, but he
encouraged anyone worried about finding future employment
to come by and consult a counselor.
Magaddino said
many students shortchange themselves by not taking advantage
of services offered on campus.
"The reality is
that a lot of students don't pay attention to how they go
about starting their careers," he said. "Seniors need to not
look for jobs on graduation day either -- go to the career
center early and think clearly about planning careers."
When asked if he
would attend the Job Fair, senior film major Chan Lim said
he was not sure, but did say that he was worried about finding
work after graduation in June.
"It's going to
be tough," he said. "I don't really have any idea of what
I'm going to do. A lot of people I know are worried about
finding a job."
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