As recession thickens, more flock to grad school

Graduate school does not guarantee students a job after graduation, but it does open up more opportunities, said seventh-year graduate student Jorge Aguilar-Sanchez.

Aguilar-Sanchez will graduate in July with two Ph.D.s and two masters degrees. Already well into the job hunt, he said the first two stages of the search went well for him.

“But about 10 percent of job postings get canceled,” he said. “And interviews don’t guarantee you getting a job.”

Erik Medina, director of graduate career services at the Kelley School of Business, said the typical job-recruiting season between October and November this year was less fruitful across the board for MBA programs.

“The economy is bad everywhere,” he said. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

The Kelley School wants to create the best opportunities for students to find a job, Medina said. The school participates with 30 other universities in sharing information on students’ performance in the job market and the schools’ methods of student outreach.

“We’re doing relatively well compared to those schools,” Medina said. “Much of the stuff we’re doing is helping, but there’s no Holy Grail out there.”

During periods of economic decline, it is common to find students flocking to MBA programs, Medina said.

In the Graduate Enrollment and Degrees: 1997-2007 report by the Council of Graduate Schools, the nation saw a 3 percent increase in total graduate enrollment.

Dave Daleke, the assistant dean for academic affairs at the University Graduate School, said he thinks it is too soon to tell why there has been an increase in students choosing to attend graduate school. The school has not asked incoming students whether they are attending school due to the economy, he said.

Valerie Cross, a second-year graduate student, said she would like to earn a Ph.D. after finishing her masters degree.

“Because of the way the economy is right now, it might be better to do it now than later,” she said.

Third-year graduate student Jared Patten said he thinks having a Ph.D. is helpful to teach at the university level.

“With a Ph.D., you can get a job with a greater degree of job security,” he said.

Paloma Fernandez Sanchez, a fourth-year graduate student, said while attending graduate school does not guarantee a student his or her dream job, it does guarantee a job in a better position than those who did not earn a Ph.D.

With a higher number of job-seekers, employers have more control over whom they hire today, Medina said, and can pick whomever they want.

Medina said the two key factors on which students should focus in the job search are having a plan and building a network.

“It takes a lot for students to feel engaged in the process,” he said. “They have to keep enthusiasm and move themselves forward.”

Ryan Hallows, a third-year graduate student, said he has hope that the economy will change for the better before he graduates.

“I haven’t heard of anyone who hasn’t found a job,” he said. “It’s just taking longer.”

Hallows is studying for a Ph.D. in humanities and hopes to become a professor. The rush of students to graduate school because of the economy is job security, he said, because the influx of students will open up new teaching positions.

Patten said he is still optimistic about his future job search after graduation.
“I think it will be better by then,” he said. “And I hope it will be better by then.”