Moving On
BSC Grads to Enter Competitive Job Market
Jaqueline Dixon
Issue date: 5/30/09 Section: Campus News
For most, the thought of graduation is refreshing and exciting. Classes are ending soon and another batch of Bridgewater State College students are ready to take on the world, or so they hope.
The nation is facing the highest unemployment rate in decades and statistics are showing that 22 percent less of those graduating will be hired this year - more than double last year's figure. There are simply far fewer jobs than anticipated and according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), a projected 1.6 million college students will graduate in 2009 into a devastatingly disappointing job market.
To add to the already gloomy forecast, close to 44 percent of companies say they plan to hire fewer new grads. An unemployment rate of 14 percent for professionals between ages 20-24 has been projected for the first time in over a quarter century.
In past years, many students have turned to graduate school as a safe-haven during bleak job markets, but more students are finding this option an impossibility due to lack of available financial aid. Many colleges have been forced to endure limiting budget cuts, hindering their ability to help students.
This discouraging prospect has left many of the roughly 1,000 BSC students expected to graduate this spring worried about where all of their hard work and money is going to take them.
"The country is obviously going through some really tough times, but that's still not going to stop me from trying to find a decent job," said Vanessa Masucci, a Criminal Justice major and graduating senior. "Grad school is looking great too, but I will still need to find a job to help pay for it; it's a lose-lose situation."
Career Services has said they are working closely with an increased number of students who are concerned about entering this challenging job market and encourage seniors to utilize all possible methods in their job search.
"In my experience, I have found that seniors often wait too long to get serious about their future and the job search process," explained Candace Maguire, the Director of Alumni and Development Programs at BSC. "When I ask the question, 'So have you put your resume together and started thinking about your future?' the answer I have often received is 'No, not yet, I just hate the thought of leaving BSC' - it's just human nature."
The nation is facing the highest unemployment rate in decades and statistics are showing that 22 percent less of those graduating will be hired this year - more than double last year's figure. There are simply far fewer jobs than anticipated and according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), a projected 1.6 million college students will graduate in 2009 into a devastatingly disappointing job market.
To add to the already gloomy forecast, close to 44 percent of companies say they plan to hire fewer new grads. An unemployment rate of 14 percent for professionals between ages 20-24 has been projected for the first time in over a quarter century.
In past years, many students have turned to graduate school as a safe-haven during bleak job markets, but more students are finding this option an impossibility due to lack of available financial aid. Many colleges have been forced to endure limiting budget cuts, hindering their ability to help students.
This discouraging prospect has left many of the roughly 1,000 BSC students expected to graduate this spring worried about where all of their hard work and money is going to take them.
"The country is obviously going through some really tough times, but that's still not going to stop me from trying to find a decent job," said Vanessa Masucci, a Criminal Justice major and graduating senior. "Grad school is looking great too, but I will still need to find a job to help pay for it; it's a lose-lose situation."
Career Services has said they are working closely with an increased number of students who are concerned about entering this challenging job market and encourage seniors to utilize all possible methods in their job search.
"In my experience, I have found that seniors often wait too long to get serious about their future and the job search process," explained Candace Maguire, the Director of Alumni and Development Programs at BSC. "When I ask the question, 'So have you put your resume together and started thinking about your future?' the answer I have often received is 'No, not yet, I just hate the thought of leaving BSC' - it's just human nature."
Be the first to comment on this story