College grads' job outlook improves a bit

Help wanted: college graduates may apply.

That seems to be the message from prospective employers to this year's college graduates. More of them are finding jobs this year than last, but the picture still is not exactly rosy.

"It won't be as easy for the class of 2010 as it was for the class of '07 and '08, but I don't think it will be as difficult as it was for the class of '09," said Martin G. Ford, director of career services at Clarkson University, Potsdam. "Even in the (past) few months, we've seen it turn around."

Clarkson and SUNY Canton say they've seen more recruitment ads coming in in recent weeks, looking for students in technical fields such as engineering and business. For the liberal arts students at SUNY Potsdam and St. Lawrence University, Canton, jobs are harder to find, though they are coming back.

Hiring rates have improved 5.3 percent over last year, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. The improvement, however, comes after a drop of 22 percent for 2009's graduates, according to Karen L. Ham, director of career planning at SUNY Potsdam.

"It's a competitive job market, and students are going to have to be prepared for that," Mrs. Ham said. "They have to be able to market themselves. There are people out there who have experience, so hopefully students have done internships or volunteered in their career field to add to their marketability."

Many students at SUNY Potsdam and SLU are opting to go immediately to graduate school rather than battle the job market, in the hopes that the economy will have improved by the time they receive their master's degree. Some 25 percent of St. Lawrence students are expected to head immediately to graduate school.

"In a good year, and I certainly wouldn't call this a good job year, we would expect it to be closer to the 20 percent," said Carol L.G. Bate, director of career services at SLU. "It's still pretty tense. Last year, they were pretty much petrified, and the year before, they didn't even know to be scared because everything fell apart a little later."

Opting for graduate school right away is especially common among education majors at SUNY Potsdam, since teachers must earn their master's degrees within five years of graduating to be certified in New York. Because of the dismal finances in the state, most school districts are laying off teachers.

"I think education was hit harder this year than last year," Mrs. Ham said. "Even the out-of-state districts who are hiring aren't being allowed to hire out of state because of travel costs, so it's going to be a harder market."

Similarly, many students at SUNY Canton who will finish their associate degrees this year are considering enrolling in a four-year program, according to David F. Norenberg, director of career services.

Because graduation for most north country colleges is still a few weeks away, none of the schools had actual data to share. Career-services staff at all of the colleges were reluctant to make predictions of what the summer will bring for this year's graduates.

"We're seeing students with more jobs than I originally expected, so if I were to make a prediction, I would be wrong," Mr. Norenberg said.

Students who are finding jobs generally are being paid less than they have been in years past, according to the national association's website.

"There are more job opportunities," Mr. Norenberg said. "But also students are realizing that it's a tough job market, so they're accepting jobs rather than holding out."