Career Services dishes out tips on job search 2009

03/25/09 - News of the ongoing national economic crisis is hard to ignore.The economic problems in the United States are highlighted by an increase in unemployment. According to a February 2009 report from the U.S. Department of Labor, the national unemployment rate has reached 8.1 percent. In Rhode Island, unemployment has reached 10.5 percent, a 30-year high for the state.

College graduates are not immune to the employment struggle. Recent research from the National Association of Colleges and Employers states that businesses project hiring 22 percent less graduates this year compared to last.

However, University of Rhode Island Career Services Director Bobbi Koppel says the outlook for seniors is not entirely bleak.

Koppel said there are more college graduates being hired compared to the amount of other applicants. "Don't just hold up your hands and say, 'There's no jobs,'" she said.

Some seniors have already found success in their job searches.

"I have an offer for a job. I found it on Craigslist, but it took a few months," senior Kaitlyn LaPlume, a biology major, said. She mentioned that while her job search was successful, there were more unpaid internships available than paid positions.

As a result of the economy, students may need to be prepared to rework their goals for their post-graduate life.

"It might mean a student has to have a Plan A and Plan B," Carolyn Thomas, Career Services assistant director, said. She said students might need to be willing to settle for their back-up plans until their main goals become a more accessible option.

While Koppel said careers in technical, health and educational fields are strong sectors in the market now, she explained that there are jobs available for every student's particular interest.

"Look at trends, look ahead at areas of interest for the future," Koppel said.

She stressed that looking ahead was key to planning for a career post-graduation.

"You might think finance might be a bad field to get into now, but it's projected to grow. People are going to need help after the recession," Thomas said.

Career Services offers many opportunities to help seniors facing the complexities of the job market-an opportunity they have noted more seniors taking advantage of this year.

"Students need to have a good resume," Thomas said. "Since the market's a little tighter, [the resume] might have to be more specific applying to each job."

Career Services meets one-on-one with students to help them customize their resumes to meet the criteria of potential employers, as well as give specific career advice.

"Career Services was somewhat helpful. They helped me figure out things that I might be interested in," senior Meggie Matteson said.

Students can also prepare for the stressful interview process through workshops at Career Services like mock interview sessions. After going through a taped "interview," students can play the footage back and get advice on how to improve their technique.

A job fair workshop is also being held April 6, in which students can learn how to prepare for a job fair, what to expect while there and how to follow up with potential employers.

Job fairs continue through spring to help students network and explore potential job opportunities.

A Government Career Day on March 31 is being held at Bryant University and is open to all URI students.

A spring career and job fair is also coming to the Ryan Center on April 8. Approximately 70 businesses, including in-state and out-of-state jobs with many national and worldwide companies, will be attending.

"Some of the companies at the job fair might be coming back to meet one-on-one with students," Thomas said. "A number are looking at that possibility."

However, some students have found the diversity of jobs at the URI fairs to be disappointing.

"I didn't find the job fairs helpful at all. It was mostly all for business majors," Matteson said.

More job opportunities are available through RhodyNet, a service on the Career Services Web site. The system allows students to create a profile, see upcoming Career Services events and search through job postings.

"These are employers who might be too far away to come to a job fair but want to reach out to URI," Koppel said.

In addition to job and internship postings, students can find an employer directory and mentors. The mentors are alumni who have graduated with the same major and want to offer advice to students.

Both Koppel and Thomas stressed that passion is the key for seniors to finding a job that suits them.

"Anyone can do well with any major," Thomas said. "It's really just important to do something you like.