KRTAs graduation inches closer, anxieties among upperclassmen preparing to enter the job market slowly increase. While college seniors are on the brink of entering the real world, uncertainty of finding a job or starting a successful career is still lurking around every corner. However, there are ways to ease anxieties and prepare to enter the competitive race of getting hired.
“I’m never going to find a job when I graduate,” Jackie Papa, senior liberal arts major, said while answering the question: what keeps her awake at night while thinking about graduating. “It’s my last year of school and I feel like I’m not ready to be an adult yet,” Papa said.
Fear is usually based around something that is not understood. By having a basic knowledge and understanding of what is waiting for them out there, seniors may be better prepared for entering the job market.
Senior graphic design major Eric Campbell said, “I am trying to find a job where I can fit in and do what I really want to do.” “Stick to the script” are the words Campbell used to describe his focus on goals and high aspirations.
Luckily for seniors, the job market has recently taken a turn for the better. The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor, reported in September 2005 that Non-farm payroll employment has increased by 169,000 in August, and the unemployment rate, at 4.9 percent, remained steady.
It was also reported that employment has risen in several industries, including construction, health care, accommodations and food services. Unemployment has fallen from 8.0 million to 7.8 million since February, according to the report, which can be located at the direct link .
Dawn Francis, assistant professor of communication, said, “I expect the impact of the hurricanes to reverberate through the market for several months, but it’s my hope that the job market evens out for the seniors who will be graduating in May.” “If employers need to pay more in shipping charges and electricity charges due to the high costs of gas and electric that will affect their bottom line and preclude them from budgeting for new hires,” Francis said.
Because of the instability of the job market, seniors must prepare themselves properly. They will be entering a running competition at the conclusion of their college education. “You are selling yourself as the product when looking for a job,” Francis said, while adding that “The most in demand skills are communication skills.”
A great resource for students to find information including career research, career management, updated job market news and even job searches is at .
Possibly the best approach is to start by speaking with a helpful representative at Cabrini College’s Co-op and Career Services office, located in Grace Hall. Director of Cooperative Education and Career Services Nancy Hutchison Said, ” [Career services] have a database filled with thousands and thousands of job opportunities.”
According to statistics presented by the career services office, 92 percent of the 2004 graduating class were employed within ten months of graduation. Counseling services are available to both students and alumni, and Hutchinson added that all it takes is practice to be prepared.
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Posted to the web by Tim Hague
