- Visit the Photo Place

Related Stories ROCKERS CARE: THROUGH NOV. 15, GUITAR CENTER IS HOSTING A FOOD DRIVE--BRING SOME NONPERISHABLE FOOD AND GET 10 PERCENT OFF YOUR NEXT PURCHASE! (11/5/2009) • A calendar of events coming up in the Fredericksburg area Public invited as Germanna Foundation celebrates 20th anniversary of the Berlin Wall's fall (11/4/2009) • Public invited as Germanna Foundation celebrates 20th anniversary of the Berlin Wall's fall Sources say Germanna placed dean on leave (11/2/2009) • Germanna dean of arts and sciences placed on administrative leave during probe of improper conduct Hospice gala brings in $55,000 (11/1/2009) • Hospice holds major fundraiser Germanna probes sexual harassment allegation (10/30/2009) • Germanna dean previously fired for sexual harassment under investigation for similar claim here TALK BACK (10/30/2009) • Talkback: Who/what is your favorite vampire? Refuge tracts to temporarily close for hunting (10/29/2009) • Refuge tracts to temporarily close for hunting Projects make a difference (10/18/2009) • Make a Difference Day is Saturday NAMES & NOTES (10/18/2009) • Names & Notes Military Notes (10/13/2009) • Military Notes NEW FOUND GLORY 'FIGHT' SEEMS LOST (10/9/2009) • New Found Glory seems to have lost originality on latest album Web chat put focus on health (10/8/2009) • MediCorp CEO Fred Rankin answers questions on health care Bloggers question supervisor candidates at forum (10/6/2009) • Bloggers debate draws good crowd of candidates Dangerous depression: The warning signs (10/6/2009) • Depression and suicide: Oct. 8 is National Depression Screening Day. By Kevin B. Handley. VDOT seeks comments on its plans to improve U.S. 29 (10/5/2009) • Traffic signal optimizations planned for Route 3 Opening up a dialogue on depression, suicide (10/2/2009) • Panel to address suicide, depression and bipolar disorder REV IT UP: SATURDAY, HEAD TO CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH AT SPOTSY COURTHOUSE FOR THE EIGHTH ANNUAL CAR SHOW: CLASSIC CARS, FOOD AND MORE! INFO: 540/785-4451. FREE TO LOOK! (10/1/2009) • A calendar of events coming up in the Fredericksburg area 'Pillar talk': Sweeter with political vision (10/1/2009) • Looking forward during this economic challenge for the Fredericksburg region, by Charles W. Payne STEVE PRZEPIORA (9/30/2009) • The Deal: Steve Przepiora, Dshane Professional Carpet Care Pedestrians might find Lafayette friendlier someday (9/28/2009) • Will the new Bragg Road in Spotsylvania have two lanes or four? ACADEMIC EPIDEMIC >> Schools respond to concerns over H1N1 spread (9/25/2009) • Schools react to threat of swine flu Germanna seeks local money (9/23/2009) • Germanna Community College president makes plea for local funds for new academic building on Massaponax campus Kappas start mentoring JM student-athletes (9/22/2009) • Service fraternity mentors academically at-risk high school athletes Career, technical center eyed by Orange schools (9/21/2009) • Orange schools move forward on tech center 'TO READ OR NOT TO READ' (9/20/2009) • Review of "Soul of the Age" by Jonathan Bates FANS FEEL SCROOGED BY NEW 'HUMBUG' CD (9/11/2009) • Arctic Monkeys lose their signature sound in latest album LADYHAWKE ELECTRIFIES ON NEW CD (9/11/2009) • Ladyhawke offers unique mix and spin on pop CUTS HITTING LOCALLY (9/9/2009) • kaine announces cuts Local grant intended to halt under age drinking (8/30/2009) • Bragg Hill Family Life Center gets $10,000 grant to prevent underage drinking in the Fredericksburg area ID theft: Victims are often students (8/27/2009) • College students need to protect their personal information from identity thieves.

Job prospects are slimmest in years

College grads are having a tough time finding jobs this year

Date published: 5/24/2009

BY CATHY JETT

Gary Johnson said the job market for newly minted college grads is leaner than he's ever seen it in his 20 years as a career counselor.

The University of Mary Washington's director of career services said that it appears few employers are filling full-time positions this year, and even fewer have summer or part-time positions available.

"Also, some locations that normally take interns are not advertising [for them] because they don't have the work," he said.

UMW won't survey this year's crop of graduates about their employment for six months, but what Johnson has been seeing mirrors the latest report by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

It discovered that just 19.7 percent of 2009 graduates who applied for a job actually have one, compared to 51 percent of those graduating in 2007 and 26 percent in 2008.

The NACE study also found that the number of 2009 graduates who have sought out jobs has declined compared to their predecessors. It attributes this in part to the increase in unemployment nationwide, the global financial crisis and the impact of these developments on recruitment and hiring by some industries.

However, Johnson said that he's noticed that more students than usual came by the university's career counseling office to look for jobs this school year.

"I don't know if, in the fall, students sensed that the market was going to be as bad as it is," he said.

Attendance at UMW's fall and spring job fairs was "very, very good" by both employers and students, Johnson said. But employers were letting them know that they had multiple candidates from which to choose and would be selective.

That doesn't mean that there aren't any bright spots for graduates, he said. Some UMW students have managed to snag jobs at places where they interned, and those with technical majors have tended to be more successful at finding employment than those with more general degrees.

"Certainly, though the education market isn't as strong as it was, students with backgrounds in math and science are going to be in demand," he said.

Pursue a career that you like, despite earning potential. That's the most popular bit of advice former American college graduates gave the Class of 2009 in an annual workplace insights survey conducted by Adecco Group North America, the world's leading work-force solutions provider. Others are: Get to work now, and don't let the economy delay your career. Be flexible about relocating for job opportunities, and consider taking unpaid internships. Graduate degrees aren't an immediate priority, and to some they don't matter as much as a solid resume. Today's students do have more stress, but don't let that turn into panic.

Follow us on

Date published: 5/24/2009