Members of the Class of 2004 are among the first groups of
students graduating from the “millennial
generation.”
These students are the ones who entered the new millennium as
young adults or teenagers and are known for their pragmatic nature
and ability to plan ahead when it comes to the years following
their undergraduate education.
Kathy Sims, director of the UCLA Career Center, noted the
differences between the opportunities available to today’s
graduates and those of five years ago.
“We were at the peak of the dot-com explosion and there
was a boom in the job market,” she said about a few years
ago, when the dot-com industry was at its best.
“It seemed like an easier time for students,” she
added.
Considering the array of opportunities available to that
generation, Sims said those students did not make wise choices.
“A lot of students were seduced by glamourous jobs in an
exciting new industry,” Sims said.
She explained that students now are starting their planning
earlier in their academic lives. She sees that as a positive
change, even though it’s a result of the worsening job
market.
One example is Priya Koundinya, who is graduating with degrees
in both communication studies and economics and has had a job lined
up since fall quarter this year.
Koundinya had an internship the summer after her junior year
and, like many other economics students, had an on-campus interview
during fall recruitment.
She will go on to work for a consulting company after
graduation.
Though her path for life after graduation is clear, Koundinya
said a lot of her friends who are graduating from the communication
studies department are planning on taking time off.
The state of the job market has also pushed graduates to look
beyond traditional jobs.
“Students are willing to consider things that they
didn’t think they would be considering as freshmen and
sophomores,” Sims said.
Jeremy Lalas, graduating sociology student, said he got accepted
to a program where he would teach English in Japan.
Still, he is not certain if he will seize the opportunity.
“I might stay because I feel that I might not be ready to
move on … unfortunately,” Lalas said.
For Lalas, the alternative to going to Japan is continuing on to
get a teaching credential. He also hopes to work as a bartender
during that time.
The millennial generation’s behaviors don’t stop at
those hoping to enter the job market immediately after
graduation.
Students graduating are not just considering jobs, they are also
looking at internships, fellowships and going to graduate school,
Sims said.
She added that even students who are planning on attending
professional schools are working on career development and want to
broaden their portfolio.
Sims explained that many behaviors associated with this
generation are related to the politics and economics of recent
times.
“For those who were seniors in high school when Sept. 11
occurred … it is contributing to decisions they make and the way
they pursue life goals,” she added.
Karman Cheng, assistant director of admissions at the UCLA
School of Law, has noticed an upward trend when it comes to the
number of students who show interest in law school.
But she believes the amount of planning is based on individual
cases, since there are many students who enter the job force first
and later decide on law school.
“Some people come out of undergrad and know exactly what
they want to do,” she said, adding that other students think
they know what they want to do but end up changing their minds.
But just knowing where they want to go is not enough.
“A lot of people know where they want to go, but they
don’t have the tools or means to get there,” said Nancy
Huynh, an undergraduate adviser with the department of political
science.
She added that most of her students would like to attend law
school after graduating.
“Not everyone can make it … leaving a large percentage
not knowing where else they can go,” Huynh said.
She added that a lot of people do not know their options and,
considering the economy, it is harder to get jobs. On the other
hand, increased fees are not helping as far as attending graduate
school.
“Students are concerned that they are not going to find
anything,” Huynh said, adding “If they don’t
achieve their initial goal, they’ll feel lost.”
Not all departments have been affected to the same extent.
Out of nearly 300 English students who turned in an statement to
the department, many were planning on taking a year off before
applying for graduate school, while others had plans to do anything
from Teach For America to medical school.
“The year off helps students realize what they want to
do,” said Janel Mungui, English department undergraduate
counselor.