The economic downturn is pushing local university career centers to go to greater lengths to prepare their students for the reality of today’s employment environment.
In boon times, university career centers have more interest from employers looking for qualified students than from students looking for an avenue into the working world.
But times have changed.
Now career centers are seeing more students seeking advice about the current job market and fewer employers set to hire.
California State University, Fullerton, University of California, Irvine, and Chapman University in Orange are just a few of the local universities that offer career centers to their students.
Career centers traditionally have helped students select curriculums that best prepare them for specific careers, as well as offered tutorials on how to write resumes and apply for jobs.
Career centers often connect students with potential employers by way of job fairs, campus recruiting programs where employers meet face to face with potential candidates, Internet job posting systems where students can learn about internship and job opportunities and workshops where students can interact with professionals from the business world.
These days, universities and their career centers are feeling the impact of the economic downturn.
Employer turnout at job fairs and on-campus recruiting sessions is slightly lower than in previous years, colleges say.
Cal State Fullerton held its annual fall job fair in September, with a noticeable drop in those looking to hire.
The university’s job fair drew about 170 employers from in and out of county lines.
“The job fair was a slightly smaller event,” said Jim Case, director of Cal State Fullerton’s career center. “There is some clear evidence that the turmoil on Wall Street has had an impact on the job market already.”
Job fairs and on-campus recruiting programs still are attracting employers who want to participate, universities say.
But schools are noticing that companies in areas that have been hard hit by the economic downturn, such as real estate, banking and finance, aren’t making appearances at job fairs and other events.
California’s state budget crisis also has impacted the number of government jobs available, university officials say.
“We looked at the decrease in employer engagement in job fairs and there was a downturn in the general area of banking and finance and insurance,” Case said. “The other thing we noticed was a slight decrease in government sector jobs.”
Workshop Participation
Career centers are noticing an uptick in student participation in workshops that offer training on job searching, interview skills, resume writing and other things that can help students become more marketable in a tight job market, according to UC Irvine’s career center.
UCI’s career center offers workshops on campus and over the Internet that teach students about basic social skills that are often expected in the corporate world, including dining etiquette and networking skills.
“We teach students what’s appropriate and what’s not appropriate,” said Linda Drake, associate director of UCI’s career center.
The university hosted its annual job fair earlier this year, which drew in about 130 employers.
“We’re reassuring our students that there are jobs out there,” Drake said. “The downturn hasn’t impacted entry level jobs as much.”
Universities have also noticed that more undergraduate students are seeking information about pursuing graduate degrees.
Historically, the biggest jumps in enrollment in higher education come amid economic slowdowns, experts say.
“There has been a very strong interest in graduate school,measured by attendance of workshops about graduate school,but it’s hard to say whether it’s directly related to the economy,” Case said. “Students do have the tendency to go to grad school during tough times and move on from there into a professional role after the market has improved.”
Career centers are trying to get students to engage in career and graduate school preparation months, if not years, before they graduate, Case said.
“It’s important for these students to know what their options are early on, especially in an environment like this,” Case said.
University career centers are constantly updating information on their Web sites and printed guides to help keep students informed on job market trends, universities say.
They are also encouraging their students to read more business newspapers so that they can be better informed about their future career choices, Case said.
“We’re encouraging them to keep a close watch on what’s going on out there,” he said. “We’re telling our students to read business newspapers so that they can see how all of the different industries are holding up in a weak environment.”
