Jobs Available Despite Economic Downturn, Says Career Services

Despite the state of the economy, the job market has not suddenly bottomed for seniors, according to Alan Goodman, director of Career Services.

“If I were a senior I wouldn’t despair,” said Goodman. “With all the things happening right now, nobody knows what all this is going to mean.”

Goodman said seniors who start looking for jobs in the fall have a very good chance of finding a position.
“Over the last five years of the students who begin in the fall, networking, getting their resumes together, going to career fairs, 90 percent have a job before they graduate or within one to two months after graduation,” said Goodman.

He also said that seniors should not be embarrassed to come to Career Services for help. It’s a normal thing to have uncertainty.

Job recruiting in the financial sector, in banking or on Wall Street, may take longer until the financial crisis settles down, but government and non-profit sector are still highly recruiting.

“So much of the job searching has to do with making connections with people,” said Goodman. He encouraged students to start networking with people in fields they are interested in before jobs are open. Then when jobs do open, recruiters will remember them.

“The message is to seniors is not to rely on one thing,” said Goodman. “There isn’t a majority area how people get jobs. They can get them through internships, networking through family and friends, through jobs fairs. It’s not just one single thing.”

Goodman said some of the most popular majors that are currently being hired are nursing, construction management, and accounting.

Goodman, who started at the University in August of 1981, has noticed changes in the way jobs are done, due to technology, but not in jobs themselves. “The same mission existed then as it does now. Just how we do those jobs has changed because of technology.”

He also encouraged students to take advantage of mock interview service offered by the Career Services offices. “You have to explain yourself to someone so that they will hire you. For most students, that’s the hardest part,” said Goodman. Career Services also has a program called Cardinal Career mentors. The program was started last year with business majors and has expanded this year to include media studies majors, as well. Students will be provided with a mentor in their field for the year, get to ask them questions, participate in a mock interview and shadow them for a day at their job.

“I know that the job market, that people are concerned. It’s understandable,” said Goodman. “There will be lots of opportunity for hardworking students to find jobs.”

-Ryan J. Reilly contributed to this story.

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