Class of 2009: Finding a Job After Graduation

3 May, 2009 | Written by L | under Career

Young Money provides some good advice for the recent or upcoming group of college graduates looking to find their first jobs. Here is how they describe the current job market that awaits these twenty-somethings:

After college seniors enjoy their last spring break this month, they’ll return to campus for the final weeks of academia before they enter a recession-weary real world with an 8.1 percent unemployment rate. The first job search is always daunting but particularly so for the estimated 1.5 million-strong Class of 2009.

In August, employers surveyed by the National Association of Colleges and Employers said they planned to increase hiring of college graduates by 6 percent over last year. By October, the revised projection was a 1.3 percent increase in hiring. Then the hiring expectations were flat. Last month’s updated survey showed a staggering change of heart, with employers reporting they planned to hire nearly 22 percent fewer college graduates than they did from the Class of 2008.

Not exactly heart-warming. Fortunately, it’s not all rain clouds and sick puppies. Here’s a description of a few of the positive qualities new graduates offer potential employers:

In other words, don’t let a bad economy distract you from a good job search that needs to start now. The workplace may not need as many college graduates as it once did, but the need for the qualities they bring remains, career counselors say.

“There’s something great about a fresh college graduate,” said Gillian Steele, managing director of DePaul University’s career center. “They’re up to date with the latest stuff, they’re full of energy. They come moldable and they come with a more reasonable cost as well.”

And despite the headlines, there are jobs to be filled.

Here’s a few highlights of the tips that Young Money offers: