Students opt for graduate school rather than workforce
Within the last year, more than 1,500 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree from California University of Pennsylvania, Penn State Fayette and Waynesburg College. That means more than 1,500 graduates have either entered the work force or applied for graduate school.
“Either is fine,” said Rhonda Gifford, associate director of career services at California University. “Graduates should decide based on which meets their needs. You shouldn’t go to grad school if you don’t know what you want to do. It isn’t a place to hide from the job market.”
There is no doubt that the class of 2003 is contending with a weak job market, even though the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) reported that job prospects for new graduates are no worse then they were last year.
Research shows a 36.4 percent drop in corporate hiring from 2001 to 2002, according to NACE.
Because of the sluggish economy, some graduates say they expect to be underemployed, while others choose graduate school over work as a way of postponing their entrance into the job market.
“A lot of students are having a difficult time finding a job,” said Camille Luckenbaugh, NACE spokesperson. “We’re seeing a continuation of what happened last year. Companies are not hiring, because there’s not a need for their product.”
However, Luckenbaugh said it is important that graduates realize the economy is cyclical.
“This will pass, as it always does,” she said.
According to the Council of Graduate Schools, enrollment in graduate schools, which usually drops when the economy is sound, increased by 5 percent in 2002 and is expected to rise even higher this fall.
“There is a long established trend that shows when the economy is slow, more people apply for graduate school,” said Dr. Thomas Kinsey, dean of graduate studies at California University.
Kinsey said he has seen a rise in graduate school applicants. According to Kinsey, 335 students began graduate school this summer, as opposed to last summer, when 223 new students enrolled.
“Last fall we accepted 343 students,” he said. “Right now we’re on pace to increase that number by about 15 percent.”
The graduate program, Kinsey said, had 955 total students enrolled last year. “We’re expecting that number to be significantly higher this year,” he said.
Kinsey said many students are applying for graduate school after finding out that the jobs they want to obtain – those jobs with high salaries and good benefits – are not available.
Bernadette Lewis decided to further her education in order to get a higher paying job, after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in public relations.
“I eventually want to move to Harrisburg and work for the government, or maybe a university,” she said.
In order to pay the bills, Lewis holds two part-time jobs – neither of them related to her degree – and will start graduate school in the fall.
“If students graduate with a bachelor’s degree and move into a job that pays $50,000 a year, they don’t think they need to continue their education. But, they begin to think about furthering their education if they graduate with a bachelor’s degree and find they’re only being hired for the types of jobs they had when they were in high school and college,” Kinsey said.
However, because of the high number of applicants, graduate programs are becoming more competitive. Kinsey said it is harder for students to get into graduate school because institutions are receiving many applications.
Joel Seelye applied to eight laws schools that he considered attending after graduating from California University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. He was accepted to Duquesne University but was not accepted to one of his top choices, the University of Arizona.
“It’s very difficult to get in,” said Seelye. “The University of Arizona received over 8,000 applications and only accepted 150.”
Seelye said admission office employees from the University of Arizona told him they received more applications than normal.
“This year set the record for people who applied for law school. I’m not sure why. Some say it’s because of the war; some say the economy,” he said.
Kinsey said it will be harder for students to get into graduate programs.
“I would say there is greater competition. More students are not able to be accepted,” he said, adding that two of California University’s graduate programs – athletic training and communication disorders -already are closed. “They have full enrollment; they’ve accepted all the people they can.”
Marilyn Natili, director of student services at California University, stresses work experience, and she said students should consider getting a job instead of going to graduate school, even if it is hard for students to find a job that offers them everything they initially wanted.
“I think students need work experience There are jobs. It just takes longer to find them,” she said. “Five years ago, it took students four to five months after they graduated to find a job. Now it takes them six to nine months.”
Nonetheless, Natili said employers value practical work experience.
Graduates who are willing to travel, or even move out of southwestern Pennsylvania, have better chances of finding a job they want, Natili said.
“Students who choose not to move have more difficulty finding the job they want,” she said. “People who live in this area usually want to stay here. They don’t want to move, but they might have to if they want to find a job they want. There’s not a wealth of job opportunities in this area like there is in Philadelphia, Harrisburg or even Pittsburgh.”
However, things can go wrong even after students find a job.
Davida Cavallo, director of career services at Penn State Fayette, admitted that “the economy has been better.”
According to Cavallo, many of her students were offered jobs in the fall only to find the job no longer existed when they graduated in the spring.
“There’s a lot of frustration. Companies are streamlining,” she said. “We’ve had companies make offers to our students in the fall, and by spring the position had been cut, or else there is a hiring freeze. There’s nothing you can do.”
Cavallo said the economy makes the job market more competitive, which means graduates need to find a way to stand out from the other applicants.
“Students who are looking for jobs are finding out they can no longer see a job opening in the paper, send a resume and get a job. They’re finding out they have to have a competitive edge,” Cavallo said.
A simple error on a job application or resume can keep someone from getting a job, Cavallo said. “Students need to know how to apply for a job. They need to know the different types of resumes. If a company asks for a scannable resume and they receive a general resume, you’re done. You won’t even be considered for the job.”
Cavallo advises all graduates to research the company to which they are applying before going on an interview. Most importantly, she said, students need to learn how to network.
According to Cavallo, graduates with a degree in business administration are having the hardest time finding jobs right now.
“It’s a tough market, but we’ve been through it before,” she said. “The last time it was bad like this was in 1995. During that time it was hard for nurses to find jobs. Now they are the only ones who can get almost any job they want. The market has completely flipped around.”
Marie Coffman, director of career services at Waynesburg College, said students are able to find jobs if they try hard enough.
“The students I’ve been in contact with, the persistent ones, are finding jobs, but they may not be exactly what they had initially hoped for,” she said.
Nevertheless, sometimes any job is better than no job at all. Statistics show that graduates who work with the career service office on their campus have a better chance of landing a job.
According to the 2002 annual reports from each of the career service offices, about 81 percent of the graduates from California University received jobs. From that number, 65 percent were placed in jobs related to their major. Penn State Fayette placed 87 percent of their 2002 graduates in a job related to their major. Statistics from Waynesburg College were not available.
All three career service offices report that more people than usual have been coming in to seek advice or get help with resumes and interviews.
“We’ve seen no down time this summer,” said Natili.
In regards to finding a job, Natili said “using the career center services makes a difference.”
The career center at California University offers career and job search planning to students and alumni. The center offers a variety of services, ranging from customized programs and workshops that offer mock interviews and resume tips to CareerNet, a network of employers who have offered to share their career experiences with students and alumni.
Penn State Fayette and Waynesburg College have programs similar to California University’s.
Gifford said there are certain skills that employers are always looking for, regardless of the economy.
Employers are always looking for people with good communication and teamwork skills who can think analytically and solve problems, said Gifford, adding that graduates should be flexible and honest with their employers.
Cavallo added, “Career service allows students to sharpen the skills they’ll need when they’re looking for a job. We’re the first step in networking.
“In all my years working here, I’ve never seen an employer knock on someone’s door and hire them. There are jobs out there, but you’ve got to look for them. College graduates have to be focused and they have to be prepared.”