With the U.S. unemployment rate for October at 9.6 percent, many college students said they wonder if there is hope post-graduation.
According to Kathy Sims, director of the UCLA Career Center, 2011 graduates can expect to face a healthier job market and economy.
“The pendulum is swinging slowly, but it is definitely swinging in the right direction,” Sims said in reference to the economy.
Sims said research from the National Association of Colleges and Employers reinforced her optimistic attitude. Employers plan to hire 13.5 percent more new graduates with bachelor’s degrees in 2011 than they did in 2010, according to the association’s Job Outlook 2011 Fall Preview.
Economist Jerry Nickelsburg of the UCLA Anderson Forecast said he has also noticed a slight upward trend. He said Californians, and specifically college graduates, can expect to see mild economic improvements in the months ahead.
“This year is definitely better than last year,” Nickelsburg said. “It’s still tough though ““ we are not going to see rapid growth for a while.”
Unemployment is significantly lower for college students than for those without college degrees or high school diplomas. The worst unemployment rates have been seen in low-skill and labor industries, Nickelsburg said.
It is still important for job-seekers to have a focused and strategic approach to the job application process, Sims said. One of the biggest mistakes students make is not being prepared before they apply to a company.
“Many people are unable to communicate effectively with employers,” she said. “They are not even sure what they will bring to the company. Companies expect you to do your homework.”
Some students who graduated in 2010, and who have followed Sims’ advice, said things have gone relatively well.
Gabe Kiritz, who graduated in 2010 with a degree in environmental science, said many of his friends who had a set post-graduation plan have been successful finding jobs.
“Those that know what they want to do haven’t really had issues. It’s pretty encouraging,” he said.
Yet, while Sims and Nickelsburg both said employment for graduates is on the rise, many UCLA students and graduates said they still have concerns.
UCLA 2010 alumna Karen Louth was recently chatting with a group of old high school friends, all of whom had recently graduated from four-year colleges. According to Louth, many of her friends said they had gone away to college only to return to their hometown either unemployed or with the same jobs they had held in high school.
Louth’s situation is not uncommon. An anonymous third-year Boston College Law School student took extreme action to demonstrate his frustration with the job market. In a letter posted on a student newspaper website, the student told the dean he was willing to leave the school without a diploma in exchange for a full refund for two and a half years of tuition, according to The New York Times.
Current UCLA students said they have also felt the effects of the competitive job market. Melody Vo, a fourth-year mechanical engineering student, said she worries about the lack of interesting jobs open in her field. While some jobs are available, many do not fit the description she is looking for.
“I will probably find a job, but probably not the one I want. It is easy to get stuck in a cubicle in Michigan,” Vo said.
Vo added that while she is not personally stressed by the prospect of finding a job post-graduation, she knows that many of her peers are worried.
“A lot of my friends are going to graduate school because they want to avoid the job market,” she said.