Students struggle to find jobs in sluggish economy

Come May, Whitney Babbitt will join the many IU seniors who will continue to search for a job this summer after they graduate. \n“I’m taking the summer off and making job searching my full-time job,” she said. \nIn the midst of a slumping economy, IU students are having a harder time finding jobs, even with the help of campus career services. Mark Brostoff, associate director of the Kelley School of Business Undergraduate Career Services Office, said, on average, students are receiving fewer offers than before. Some firms are also not hiring as many students as usual, he said. \nWhile all areas are seeing certain side effects of the flagging economy, Brostoff said companies that produce, sell or manufacture consumer goods are the hardest hit by the situation.\nMarcia Debnam, the career services director for the School of Journalism, said while some professions are having difficulties with the economic slump, others have not been affected. She said journalism students, for instance, usually only get jobs when someone leaves or retires from a position, and this won’t change with the sluggish economy. However, Debnam said she did see an increase in the number of internships this year, probably because companies are looking for cheaper labor to fulfill their needs.\nBrostoff advises students to accept their offers if the job and the workplace appeals to them. Just-in-time hiring or last-minute hiring by companies that need to fill positions quickly are also experiencing a drastic decrease, as companies spend more time planning their employment needs. \nThe reduction in jobs is not as catastrophic as it was post-Sept. 11, but is strong enough that students should consider searching for jobs earlier and accepting those outstanding offers, Brostoff said. \nGetting an internship is of the utmost importance, Brostoff said. Internships allow the employee to test-drive the student while also raising the student’s chances of eventually landing a job offer. While grade point average is an important tool in finding those internships, students should also consider getting involved with campus organization \nand clubs. \n“I think it all goes down to making yourself marketable,” he said. \nBrostoff said internships also allow the company to learn about the student and to understand the student’s skills and weaknessess. \nHe also encouraged students to have their resumes reviewed early on, because most of the time the resume is the first thing a potential employer sees. Brostoff said students should also get involved with their school’s career service office through courses and workshops.\n“IUCareers.com has helped me in looking for jobs and available positions,” \nBabbitt said. \nStudents who go to such lengths, Brostoff said, should have an easier time eventually finding a job. \n“Employees are always looking for outstanding, motivated students to fill positions,” Brostoff said.