2008 Woodie Awards
Employment Outlook Hopeful
Job Opportunities Increasing for New Graduates
by Andrea Fox
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Unlike some students counting down the final days of their educational career, Dan Gerhart, an accounting senior at Minnesota State, already has his job lined up after graduation.
According to an article published by the Minnesota State Student Association, a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers show that for 2005, American employers expect to hire 13.1 percent more new graduates in 2004-05 than last year.
Degrees in accounting, business administration, computer science, economics, electrical engineering, finance and mechanical engineering have the best chances within today's job market.
Although Gerhart said he is anxious for graduation, he had little job-search anxiety given his specific program.
"I have had a number of opportunities during my search," Gerhart said. "That makes it less stressful."
Matt Kramer, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development Commissioner, said Minnesota has seen a decrease in the unemployment rate to 4.7 percent, down from 5.4 percent a year ago.
"This increase in the total number of jobs along with an improvement in the unemployment rate is further evidence that Minnesota's economy is on the upswing," Kramer said in a press release.
With this news, interim director of the Career Development Center Pam Weller-Dengel said she is confident the job outlook for upcoming graduates is turning around.
"I expect the job market to continue to improve for graduates," said Weller-Dengel. "One reason is because of the increased level of employer interest."
According to the CDC, the top employers for the MSU class of 2002 in the College of Allied Health and Nursing is Emmanuel St. Joseph Hospital. For students that graduated from the College of Business, top employers were Target, Best Buy and Wells Fargo. For the College of Arts and Humanities it was the Mankato Free Press and Taylor Corporation.
Weller-Dengel said there has been a 92 percent increase in employers visiting campus looking to hire students compared to a year ago. She accredits Mavjobs.com, a Web site that helps connect local employers and students concerning jobs and internship positions.
"It was very helpful to my search," Gerhart said about Mavjobs. "It puts your profile out there for seeking employers."
According to Weller-Dengel, in one day, counting all part-time, entry level and intern positions, postings have reached more than 500. She also said internships alone have reached 150-200 postings.
Even with this Web site, some students are still not finding the opportunities in their degree field. According to Melissa Conner, an MSU graduate in mass communications, her job search continued three months after graduation until finding a job.
"There is just not a lot of positions out there within my degree," Conner said. "The ones that are available are looking for three to five years of experience."
Conner said her job search continues even after finding a job.
"The job I got was not what I wanted to get into as far as my degree is concerned," Conner said. "But it's a startup job, to get my foot into the door."
Weller-Dengel said students are usually more successful with an internship in their field.
"I had an internship while in school and got an offer with them after I was done," Gerhart said.
Weller-Dengel said her advice to students is to start their job search early. Employers often only appear on campus once a year, so students should prepare themselves ahead of time. Students should also be persistent with employers and stay positive, she said, as this reflects in interviews.
"The most common way students are getting their job is still talking to people they know, even word of mouth and contacting alumni," said Weller-Dengel. "Students are still finding that who they know may be more effective than what they know in a job search."
Andrea Fox is a Reporter staff writer