Recession-proof graduation
May 20, 2009
Graduating into a Recession: The hopes, fears – and job prospects – of PR students http://tinyurl.com/p7rwrz
The graduation season of 2009 has begun. But what kind of job market are students graduating into? The United States has been in an economic downturn since March of 2008, and many graduating seniors are facing tough times. It is becoming obvious that a college degree does not guarantee a career, which can be a scary thought after investing $40,000 or more into a formalized education.
In the latest issue of PRSA Tactics, it was reported that a recent study proved that employers are excepting to hire 22 percent fewer college graduates than in 2008. What are the graduates of 2009 going to do? Some soon-to-be graduates are continuing (or starting) unpaid internships, hoping that the service will pay off. Other students are reporting that they are continuing their education until they can find a job. Still other students are considering relocating in order to make themselves desirable job candidates.
Tactics reports that in these times, students must make themselves marketable by being skilled in anything and everything imaginable and applicable. The article suggests that students re-evaluate their attitudes and mindsets because the tiniest thing will make the difference between having a job and starting a career.
This is a time where students (theoretically) become financially independent, branch into a non-academically structured world and learn the lessons that cannot be taught in a classroom. When I was a freshman in college, in September 2004, I remember hearing a frightening statistic: 65 percent of college graduates move home to live with their parents. That figure has stayed with me throughout my academic career, and the idea of moving home was so scary that at the beginning of my senior year I eliminated it from my list of post-graduation options.
Although Tactics is designed for public relations professionals, the tips and advice can be beneficial to any student gradating this spring or next year. And when we exit from the recession these bits of advice will remain crucial to new and prospective practitioners alike.
