By ANTHONY BOTTAN
According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), 174 companies who participated in a March survey planned to hire 22 percent fewer graduates this year than they did in 2008. Nearly half of the companies said they were unsure about their plans to hire recent grads this fall, and about 20 percent did not plan to hire at all.
Adam Villela, a 21-year-old from Valley Stream who graduated from SUNY New Paltz in May with a degree in psychology, said he was looking for a job in human resources, but every opening he found required three to five years' experience. "It seemed like there were no open jobs," Villela said. "I couldn't find anything."
He finished school with a 3.4 grade point average, having made the Dean's List in two of his four years, but his good grades have yet to translate into a full-time job, even though he began his job search several weeks before he graduated. "It doesn't matter how well you did, there are no jobs out there," Villela said. "It's very disappointing. Four years ago when I went into school, people told me college will get you places, and in this job market, it doesn't."
Villela said he is considering joining the Air Force if he can't find a job within the next few months. He also might go to graduate school, and hope the economy picks up by the time he earns a master's degree.
According to a NACE study in May that surveyed 35,000 students from 840 colleges, 20 percent of students who have applied for a job have actually found one. In comparison, 26 percent of students who graduated in 2008 who had applied for jobs had found work by the time they finished school.
Fred Burke, executive director of career services at Hofstra University, said there are jobs out there for graduates, but they need to start looking earlier and know how to market themselves to prospective employers. "Students need to take the time to figure out what they bring to the table," Burke said. "If they can't articulate that, they'll get overlooked right away."
Burke explained that recent graduates should realize that they probably won't get their dream job right out of school, but may have to take transitional work for a few years to build up experience.
He added that students should make the most of their college career centers, and focus on such skills as resume building and interview techniques - even how to conduct themselves at a business lunch or dinner. "The culture has changed," Burke said. "Students think they can talk to employers like they're on Facebook. You need to separate yourself from the pile. We're seeing results, but with those graduates that put forward the effort."
Nearly 70 percent of employers who took part in an NACE Job Outlook 2009 study in January said they screen candidates by grade point average. Among the skills and qualities they prize most, according to the study, are communication skills, a strong work ethic, the ability to work in a team and initiative. The study also noted that employers look for candidates who have held leadership positions and who have relevant work experience.
Valley Stream resident Jessica Migliore recently graduated from Marist College with a degree in special and elementary education. As a senior, Migliore was a student teacher in a Poughkeepsie elementary school and substituted in District 24 during her college breaks. She recently landed a job as a teacher's assistant in the Western Suffolk BOCES summer school program, but has yet to find a permanent job.
"I sent my resume out to a lot of places before finding a job," Migliore said. "I'm hoping with this job, I can get my name out there and start applying again. I'd like to work on Long Island, but I'll take whatever I can get."
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