Job Security
The number one thing college graduates with a bachelor’s degree desire when searching for a job today is job security. It is important because having a job that will always be around makes a person feel secure. College graduates are coming out of
school and need a way to not feel overwhelmed with their school debt.
“Job security is certainly an important aspect of career development for students preparing to graduate with their degrees. Finding their first job is important, but the optimal goal is for students to find a job where they can feel safe and secure for a while. In a career move where job security is not as stable, a student may find that he is beginning the job search within the same calendar year that he or she began that first job. That is going to not only be time consuming and disheartening, but the lack of longevity on their resume will also potentially raise flags to future employers,” Mark Choquette, assistant director of the career center and professional development, said.
In our society today, the rise of technology makes it difficult to understand what is going to be around in the next few years. New jobs are forming and being created with advancing technology. In the early 1900s job security meant becoming a blacksmith or even a horseshoe maker. Those jobs are not obsolete but are extremely specific, which draws a line between trade and art form.
“The majority of seniors at Cabrini are looking at major-related entry level positions, with hopes of obtaining jobs that are financially stable, give them a sense of job security, and is a strategic move in their individualized career trajectory,” Choquette said.
With the economy in the shape that it is today, people are not looking to be the top one percent, but the top 51 percent. People need to be able to put a roof over their heads and food on their tables. With this in mind, students with a four-year degree are less concerned with our nation’s growth and more concern about their own survival.
Students have their fair share of concerns when it comes to their job search after college.
“I would say their largest concern revolves around seeming unqualified for the jobs they are applying to. The CCPD challenges students to better showcase their experience and transferable skill sets on their resumes. A lot of time, students find jobs that appear unobtainable, because they lack actual experience. Where in reality, the job is looking for professional qualities, or competencies, that students truly have. So, while they are concerned that they are not prepared or qualified for the job that they want, in a lot of cases, it is all about framing their experiences in a way that shows that they are actually quite viable for the position,” Choquette said.
College graduates are fresh out of school and are eager to learn more. The drive to acquire more knowledge makes the opportunity to develop job-specific skills comes in a close second to job security. Connecting the drive to learn in a workplace is easier for college graduates because they are coming from a learning setting and shifting to a workplace environment.
“I have less than a year left of school and am starting to think about my future job and what I want that to be like,” senior education major Tori Kasper said. “Job security, I feel is important especially because I am just getting out of college and have so much college debt. I want to be at a place that I feel I can love and stay for a long time.”
The lowest things on the list of job attributes was location from home and well-recognized brand name. The graduate’s seemed to care more about developing skills and who they were working with than the product brand and how far they would have to drive.
The CCPD can do a lot to help seniors looking for a job.
“We can help them revise and prepare their resume and cover letters. We can coach them in interview tactics and skills. We can counsel them in deciding the absolutely right career path, or next steps, on an individualized level. We offer many great resources in job searching as well, connecting our students with the excellent opportunities that are out there, with the strong employer partners that my office works to develop every day. Last, we remind all students that our services do not end when they graduate. Alumni are allowed full access to all of our services and resources.” Choquette said.
Percent of students who rated job attributes “very” to “extremely” important
- Job Security = 82.9%
- Opportunity to develop job-specific skills = 82.5%
- Opportunity to develop applied skills = 79.7%
- Friendly co-workers = 78.8%
- Good insurance/benefits package = 76.5%
- Ability to improve community/country/world = 72.4%
Statistics to know
- 3.7 overall unemployment rate
- Average starting salary is $50,516 for the class of 2017 bachelor’s degree graduate’s
- Decrease in hiring projected for Class of 2018 over Class of 2017 is -1.3%
