MU seniors struggle to find jobs

Advisers recommend thinking creatively and worrying about the short-term.

By Will Guldin

Published May 7, 2009

Graduation is traditionally seen as a time of celebration, but for some seniors who are struggling to find a job, the mood is bittersweet.

Amid double-digit unemployment rates in some areas and the growing economic recession, many seniors are turning to resources such as the MU Career Center to aid in their job search.

Amanda Nell, senior coordinator for the MU Career Center, said the center helps students by showing them job search techniques, giving them help writing resumes and holding mock job interviews. She said the recession has made it harder for students to find a place to work.

"What we're telling students is that they're going to have to be diligent and that it's going to be a longer job search," Nell said. "And we're asking people to be a little creative, think outside the box. Don't just rely on Internet job search sites to find a job."

A report released Wednesday by the National Association of Colleges and Employers stated just 19.7 percent of 2009 graduates who applied for a job have one. This marks a more than 30 percent drop from 2007, which saw 51 percent of graduating students who applied for a job with one.

Senior journalism major Ryan Pulkrabek, who works as a career specialist at the center and is in the process of looking for a job, said the increase in the number of corporations laying off workers has made it tougher for those entering the job market.

"When you don't have a job its kind of scary," Pulkrabek said. "When you graduate you lose your benefits, you get dropped off your parent's benefits. So you have to start racing around to get a job so you can have health insurance and a steady paycheck to pay back those student loans."

Meredith Shaw, the assistant director of career services for the College of Engineering, said even engineering, which is a career field that is normally high in demand, has been affected by the recession. Now she tells the students she advises to be adaptable and willing to compromise.

"What I find is a lot of students are worried about the 50 year plan, what we try to tell them is to get through this little bit," Shaw said. "Don't worry about the rest of your life, that's not realistic in any major."

Ben Harrison, a supervisor at the career center, has worked there since his freshman year and is now preparing to graduate. He said despite his experience helping others he is struggling to find a job.

"I have yet to land an interview," Harrison said. "I have a pretty good GPA, I'm graduating with two degrees, I have a general expertise in finding majors and careers and I've been working here for four years and I still can't find anything."

Harrison said such a long job search can hurt your self-confidence, but he said he just has to keep trying the techniques he has seen work in the past.

"The trick is getting the interview," Harrison said. "Right now employers are too nervous to waste time on an interview with someone that doesn't have a degree that directly applies to the position. Unfortunately I can't step in somewhere as a philosopher."