TIGERTV ONLINE REPORTER
More recent graduates have decided to attend graduate or professional school instead of going straight into the job market than in previous years because of the economic recession, according to assistant director of communications for Career Services Sara Crow.
According to a survey administered by LSU Career Services, 65 percent of 1,521 spring 2008 graduates said their most likely anticipated activity after graduation would be full-time, paid employment. In the spring of 2009 that number dropped to 52 percent of 2,579 graduates who answered they would be employed full-time.
For an increasing number of graduates the answer to what to do after graduation is professional school. In the same survey, only 18 percent of surveyed graduates chose graduate school in spring 2008, but after spring 2009, 29 percent have elected to continue their education.
“This is a common trend nationwide anytime the economy is rough shape,” Crow said.
Crow said graduates often choose to continue their educations for a variety of reasons. They feel they are not marketable enough to compete against more seasoned peers in the field, or because their particular fields have been particularly hard hit. Another reason is the students have always intended to go to graduate and professional school someday and decide to move up their plans given the job market.
Less recent graduates are also returning to school in light of the economy.
“It’s important to remember, too, that it’s not just recent graduates who drive up the admissions numbers for graduate and professional school,” Crow said. “People who have been laid off or who think they may be laid off, and others who are impacted by the economy, are deciding to return to school.”
For those willing to brave the job market, Crow especially recommends that recent graduates employ strategic job searching techniques, like networking, to increase the chances of finding a job.
“Networking is one of the most critical skills a student can develop and use in the job search,” Crow said. “It’s a way to tap into the ‘hidden job market,’ which is jobs that are never posted, and networking can pay invaluable dividends in the form of recommendations for jobs and referrals about open positions.”
Tailoring résumés and cover letters to every job opening is vital because the reasons a candidate is qualified are different at every job. Employers who recruit at LSU say communication skills and work experience are constants they look for and are very important, according to Crow.
Another way students can empower themselves is by researching their field.
“It’s amazing how many students have no idea about the current and anticipated trends in their fields, including salaries and the nature of work,” Crow said.
Despite the bad economy there is still hope for the job market. Most LSU graduates stay in Louisiana, which has been referred to as one of the states least affected by the economic downturn.
“It’s important that students not get so hung up on all the bad economy buzz that they feel helpless in the job search,” Crow said. “We’re [Career Services] making the same recommendations to students now as we always do…The difference is, now they have to listen!”
