Although the job market is improving, seniors must keep valuable skills in mind after graduation.
About 10 percent more graduates are expected to be hired this year, but students must not become lazy in the job search. Sixty-six percent of the graduating class is expected to be employed, which leaves 34 percent unaccounted for. Some go to graduate school, and some take on post-graduation internships, but others are still left jobless.
Networking will always be an important skill, whether graduates are employed or are still looking for a job. Students’ names and skills can be known to more people by working and talking to alumni or making connections in the industry. The more people who know a graduate’s name, the better the chances are of getting hired. That is a well-tested truth in the industry and a piece of advice all graduates must follow.
Career Services at Syracuse University expects about 66 percent of the Class of 2012 to have full-time employment within six months of graduation. The numbers for the Class of 2011 were similar. That number represents a large increase from years before. More graduates have found jobs because the economy is getting stronger, and the recession seems to be ending.
Graduates should find some type of employment to put on their resumes after graduation, as gaps in work experience do not reflect well. Graduates can take on jobs right away, even if they’re not their dream jobs, and work upward into the industry.
The outlook is no longer as grim for graduates as in years past, but graduates must remember to make the most of the situation they are given.