Seth Leonard
news@salisburypost.com
Students across the country are usually thrilled with the prospect of summer. Freedom from stringent school hours and homework means time to pursue other things, or for some, to do nothing.
For those graduating from local colleges this week, on the other hand, summer has become an intimidating leap of faith. The job market is down and the prospect of finding paid work soon after school seems slim.
Despite the grim outlook most new graduates have, career services specialists remain optimistic.
“Finding a job depends on the students more than the market in some ways,” said Marcia Miller of Catawba College Career Services.
She explains that students who have done internships and carefully developed their skills can relish their improved chances.
“A lot of emphasis is placed on the idea that the jobs aren’t there to be had,” Miller said. “But no one gives jobs away.”
Miller feels “really sorry” for students who neglect opportunities to back up their degree with relevant experience during college.
These days it pays to be flexible, and being open to jobs that pay a little less can mean a faster route into the work force. Miller notes that there are certain caveats with these second choice gigs.
“Some jobs … can be a great spring board,” she said. “But if you want to be a reporter and you take a job as a welder, it might not be worth it.”
Pursuing a job that is one’s calling is important, especially since a new graduate can expect to work for 40 or more years.
“Success and monetary gain aren’t everything in the world,” said Marisa Wheeling, interim director for the Francis Center for Servant Leadership at Pfeiffer University. “If you go into a profession where you’re not being fulfilled, you won’t stay there very long.”
Getting jobs clearly isn’t easy, but students have choices in how they prepare themselves. Some, like Patrick Faulhaber from Apex, a religion major set to graduate from Pfeiffer, are pursuing extensive post-secondary education to stand apart. Faulhaber plans to go on to theology school at Emory University in Atlanta and is considering studying for a doctorate after that.
Others plan to show their zest for a chosen career through copious work experience. Pfeiffer student Hunter Wyke, a computer information systems major from Concord, thinks that an internship with CMC-Northeast in Concord will help open doors to a career in information systems.
In light of the jobless rate, more students than usual are applying for graduate school programs, hoping to ride out the storm of recession in the shelter of academia. Jeff Sakaroff, who heads up career advising for liberal arts students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, warns that spending time and money pursuing a graduate degree is not something to take lightly.
“(After graduation) is not the time to be doing career exploration,” Sakaroff said. “Always think: what would you do with that degree? How does it fit with your interests?”
Sakaroff cautions recent graduates to consider taking relevant, albeit low paying, work in their field to start.
“Look for opportunities to work or volunteer within the field to get more familiar and get more contacts.”
Sakaroff thinks that taking time to get hands-on experience with any job will help people make better decisions regarding continued education, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
With businesses closing and certain opportunities drying up, the burden falls more than ever to new graduates to be agile and considerate as they take their first strides into a fast-changing yet survivable job climate.