Students
struggle in search of work
By
Cassady Jeremias
Summer Forty-Niner
Due
to recent economic trends, college students
may have to work a bit harder than normal
to find employment in many industries.
The
Bureau of Labor Statistics reported unemployment
at 6.2 percent this July for the nation.
The report said payroll employment has declined
for the past 6 months.
Despite
the economy, recent graduates and job hunters
can still find jobs if they know how to
look, said Paul Fornell, associate director
of the Career Development Center.
"You
have to ask, are you willing to relocate?
Are you willing to get on a freeway?"
Fornell said.
He
said in times like this, it is good to reevaluate
your resume, and think of the end result
which is actually getting a job, rather
that hoping for the best case scenario.
"In
a good economy there is more emphasis on
the front end of career decision making
and finding an ideal job with an ideal
company. But in harder times, the back end
might need reevaluation," Fornell said.
He
also said it is good to think big, and being
flexible with issues such as salary and
location will also make landing a job easier.
Some
areas of study have reputations as being
easier to find jobs in, such as health care.
Others, Fornell said, such as fine arts,
may be harder because it is a smaller slice
of the pie, but it does not mean that there
are no jobs.
Ericka
Saenz of the Employment Development Department
Los Angeles division, said that the leisure
and hospitality industries
have gained employment recently, as have
financial activity, and government. She
said the manufacturing and trade, transportation
and utility industries have lost jobs recently.
The
Employment Development Department for California
as a whole reported educational and health
services showed gains over the last year,
specifically in social assistance.
Manufacturing,
trade, transportation, information, and
business services were down, the report
showed manufacturing had the biggest decline.
Fornell
disagrees with the term "hot jobs,"and
says it is not a good idea to get a job
just because a certain field or job is hiring,
he said it might make people choose a career
based solely on money and availability.
"If
that is where you want to go then you should.
Don't change just because that where you
heard the jobs are," Fornell said.
"In
any study, and any major there is going
to be something out there for them if they
work hard."
His
advice for job hunters is to make sure and
get some experience first, and maintain
good grades.
"If
you want the greatest opportunity, get the
best grades and take internships. Get real
experienced in the field."
He
said that great grades are not all that
though, key skills that companies are also
looking for are communication skills, writing,
speaking and computers.
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