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opinion:
Dwight Flenniken III
Economic woes
for graduates
It would seem as if
the next victim of the terrorist attacks on the United States
will be the economy. Future college graduates will be
faced with the reality of a stringent economy - one that was
also sliding prior to Sept. 11.
This year's graduates
can look forward to a job market full of layoffs and hiring
freezes.
With huge downfalls
on the stock market last week, many companies find themselves
cutting jobs to keep their organizations afloat. The least
experienced to this workforce will be those graduating college
in the years to come.
This current economic
situation cannot be blamed on the terrorist attacks of New
York City and Washington D.C. alone. However, much of the
blame is at the feet of these terrorists. They helped a slowing
economy come to a standstill, including the days the market
was closed because of these attacks.
Blame for the slowing
economy should also be given to the small investors. An investor
who does not have enough money to stay in the market during
slight downfalls should not invest - the people who took their
money out of the market as soon as it opened last Monday should
not have been in the market to begin with.
Do not invest your
last $5,000 if you cannot afford to lose it. I am all for
mandatory professional consulting before allowing anyone to
invest in the market.
Having worked prior
to coming to school, I know first hand the difficulty many
will face in looking for work. In a slowing economy jobs are
available, but the good jobs college graduates seek will be
very difficult to find.
Many graduates
will continue to work at their current jobs before taking
a full-time position after finishing school. This may be the
best scenario for entering the workforce.
If at all possible
began your search for work far in advance of graduation. It
may even be helpful to use the services offered here at Cal
State Long Beach in looking for a job.
The economy always
finds a way to turn around, and college graduates are always
in demand. If not, there is always graduate school.
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