Tuesday, 4/22/97 End of school is start of confusion for many
seniors While some have definite plans in mind, others face anxiety
as June approaches
By Hiro Kuchida Daily Bruin Contributor Les Wong, a UCLA senior,
is confused about what he’ll be doing come June when he graduates.
On the other hand, Michelle Elliott, another graduating senior, is
already set to enter graduate school and pursue a career as a
professor of archaeology. With June just around the corner, many
seniors wish there was a crystal ball they could peer into to find
their future and figure out what direction to head toward when they
graduate in a few months. For some, the ball looks bright and
clear, but smoke seems to impede the vision of others. For many
students in their final year at UCLA, leaving the confines of
college life and entering the real world is filled with confusion
and panic. For others, it is a long-awaited opportunity to pursue
dreams. However, experts agree that right now is a great time to be
entering the "real world" and the job market. Optimism about
California’s economic future is evident also in the job market.
"The job market seems to be at its best in a while," said Cindy
Chernow, director of the Alumni Center career services. According
to the UCLA Business Forecast for the Nation and California,
conducted by The Anderson School, California will see increased
employment growth in areas of electronics, the motion picture
industry, business services and local and state government. Other
booming career fields currently include work in development and
fund-raising, home health care, education and work in non-profit
organizations. However, according to Chernow, many students do not
enter these fields. She believes the reasons why these job markets
are not popular is because "students are not exploring their
options," and are failing to look beyond traditionally popular
career fields. Despite Chernow’s optimism and a promising economy,
many graduating seniors are still unsure what the future holds for
them. Anxiousness may be normal. However, Chernow believes that if
students take advantage of the resources and programs that are
offered at UCLA, they will have a better idea of where to start
looking for a job upon graduation. The Alumni Association as well
as the Career Center offer a plethora of informative workshops, job
orientation programs and career networks. They are accessible to
students in a variety of ways, from walk-in appointments to Web
pages. Many students have used UCLA’s resources with a lot of
success. Kathy Shahabi, who graduated in 1993 with a degree in
sociology, was unsure what she was going to do once she graduated.
Shahabi chose to attend a career conference at the Alumni Center
which led to an internship at Warner Bros. "I became comfortable
(about finding a job) after meeting people going through career
changes," Shahabi said. Shahabi felt more at ease after she met
alumni who explained that she did not have to have a career at such
a young age and, instead, could experiment until she found
something she liked. Eventually, Shahabi says she received several
job offers and now works as a technical recruiter, seeking jobs for
people in the computer industry, adding that she is in a job that
she thoroughly enjoys. However, directly entering the job world is
just one option students can pursue. Many students delay the job
search a few extra years and enter graduate or professional schools
following graduation. Elliot, the anthropology student graduating
this year, is one such student who hopes to have a life-long career
as an archaeology professor after completing graduate school. "The
field I’m going (into) requires (a doctoral degree) in order to be
qualified," Elliot said, explaining her decision to attend graduate
school. However, committing to additional years in
post-undergraduate schools requires dedication and focus, according
to many career experts. "We encourage students to do a careful
assessment of the reasons for attending graduate schools," said Al
Aubin of the UCLA Career Center. According to Aubin, some students
are attracted to graduate and professional schools as a way of
postponing a career decision. Not having a specific career in mind
"can make graduate school difficult because students at that level
are expected to have clearly defined interests leading to an area
of specialization," Aubin said. One reason Aubin gives this warning
stems from the recent surge of people coming into the Career Center
attempting to leave law school in search of a new career. However,
Elliott is aware of the commitment graduate school demands and sees
many benefits of having one specific goal. "The accumulative
experience that is gained (in graduate school), plus the needed
motivation and dedication will surprise many (students) by just how
far they can go," Elliott said. Marta Martinez, who graduated last
year, demonstrates a similar dedication and commitment. Martinez
has always dreamed of becoming a physician. But, before entering
medical school, Martinez opted to take a year off in order to relax
and prepare for its rigorous study demands. "I think taking the
year off will help me put more effort and enthusiasm into my
studies," Martinez said. On the flip side are students who are
completely unaware of what they want their futures to hold. "I’m
not too thrilled about graduating," said Wong, the fourth-year
biology student. Come June, Wong and many others like him will
enter the professional world with little to no idea of what they
want to do with their degrees. "I wish I could stay in the
protected environment of UCLA," Wong said. "Here, my goal and
motivation was to do well and finish school, but I don’t have any
long-term goal after that." Aubin recognizes that many students
feel the same way. His solution is simple – break down your goals.
"I suggest students think of three types of goals – immediate,
intermediate, and long-term," Aubin said. It is vital to break down
goals into manageable pieces, he said. Chernow’s advice for those
who are confused about the future is to begin taking advantage of
the resources UCLA has to offer as well as to begin thinking of
creative career alternatives. "When thinking about a career, one
should think of the traditional as well as the non-traditional
(jobs)," Chernow said. A good example is education, which has
recently experienced renewed interest by many students. Currently
popular jobs in education include teaching as well as counseling
work and administration. With so many resources open to students,
it is unclear why students would be so anxious. But even those now
in the "real world" can understand the fears. "When I graduated,
there weren’t any positions in the classifieds looking for a
philosopher – and I don’t think there are today either," Aubin
said. "I can understand the anxiety (students) face today." Shahabi
agrees that "confusion is healthy and normal." Her advice is to ask
lots of questions to people about their jobs, stressing that "the
most important thing to ask is ‘what do you hate most about your
job?’" For those still without a clue as to what to do next,
Martinez and Shahabi suggest staying in school. "Whether it’s
extension classes or any other schooling, it will help you find
some kind of focus," Martinez said. Shahabi received her teaching
credentials after graduating with a degree in sociology, which
helped her to explore her options in other additional career
fields. So, for the many Wongs among this year’s graduating senior
class, fear and uncertainty about the future seem to be
characteristic. Yet, with the economy in California looking as
bright as it does and with the Career Center as well as Alumni
Association eager to help post-graduates, the ride ahead doesn’t
have to be as bumpy as it might currently seem. The Alumni
Association Career Network has a Web site at
http://www.bruin.ucla.edu/alumni/career, and the UCLA Career
Center’s site can be found at http://www.saonet.ucla.edu/career.
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