Culpwrit

As this year’s college graduates begin to gear up their job searches, the good news is that there are jobs–but it won’t be easy finding them.  

The National Association of Colleges & Employers, an organization of career counselors and HR professionals, estimates there will be 22% fewer jobs filled by ’09 college graduates than last year.  Just last August, the estimate called for a 6% increase in new jobs being created for this year’s graduates. 

And for those lucky enough to land jobs, NACE confirms salaries will be flat in 2009 compared to the 7% increase in last year’s average starting salaries.

These sobering numbers are not good news.  But the key fact to remember:  There are jobs for enterprising job seekers who make it a full-time job to find a full-time job.  

Although seemingly bleak at this moment, most 2009 PR graduates eventually will land jobs this year, and many of them will be working in their preferred profession.  One such person, I predict, is Suzanne Block, a senior at Lake Forest College.  I had already heard Suzanne’s name from two PR colleagues before reading about her job search in The Chicago Tribune this week. 

Suzanne and the other students featured in Mary Ellen Podmolik’s Tribune story provide some basic insights and practical tips for any job search.  I like the tone of the article since it encourages 2009 grads to not let the miserable economy distract them from a focused job search. 

You also might want to check out the National Association of Colleges & Employers’ website.  While certain materials are available only to members, you can make a quick read of key association information by checking out NACE press releases.  Some of the topics covered:  Employers Cite Qualities, Attributes of “Perfect” Job Candidate, Work Experience Key for New College Grads Seeking Employment, and Millennials Seek Security in First Job.