With graduation looming, reminiscing on any childhood fantasy of becoming a doctor or astronaut has never felt so real. Most college graduates are hesitant about picking a career, but some students at SMU are already getting a head start. For most graduating seniors, their spring semester waves goodbye to the young, adoring days, yet sparks new ideas on how to approach the marketplace.
This year, the goal of graduating seniors appears to be either landing the perfect job or getting an acceptance letter to a desired graduate school. But despite the career pressures or growing fears of an unstable economy, the job-searching process seems right at home for the college rookies of SMU. Employers expect to hire approximately seven percent fewer graduates during 2009 and 2010 compared to last year, according to a survey compiled by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.
In preparation for the marketplace, the Hegi Family Career Development Center, formerly known as the SMU Career Center, bases its primary philosophy on career development. With a $3 million endowment in 2001, the center’s staff has been able to serve more than 1,700 appointments this year for undergraduate and graduate students and alumni coming from any departmental major.
Director Darin Ford uses career development as a method to help students figure out his or her plan before graduation. He focuses primarily on providing an abundant amount of job skills in areas such as networking and internships on and off campus. The ability to network is vital for finding a job, and Ford continues to help his students recognize that it is good to converse with all kinds of people and get to know them.
Graduating senior Stewart Fuller used SMU’s resources during his job-search process.
“The easiest way to get a job or an internship is by knowing someone in a privileged position that can put in a good word for you,” Fuller said.
According to Ford, having an internship is crucial in deciding if a student wants to pursue a particular field, and employers are more likely to hire them. He also suggests that students – especially seniors – utilize the opportunity to create an account on Linkedin, a new Internet service intended to broaden one’s network. This provides students with an opportunity to gain more knowledge about job opportunities and utilize the alumni as career helpers. With a Linkedin profile, students are able to connect with more than 700 SMU alumni, due to an agreement made with the university.
With the two annual career fairs, job interview practice, resume reviews and counseling at the center, SMU students can better understand networking, making connections and landing a job.
“We want you to leave prepared so that you don’t need to see us again, and to look into every avenue because it creates more opportunities for yourself,” Ford said.
Each week, Ford also helps his students look into various options in the public – private and nonprofit sectors of the job market. While many students have their eyes set on one job, he continues to stress the importance of having various avenues. Places such as SMU and the federal government offer different job opportunities year round.
“This is a stimulus for more jobs that can do anything for all majors and careers,” Ford said.
While finding the right job isn’t easy, Fuller believes SMU’s coursework has given him the fundamentals necessary to begin his finance career.
Despite the ever-changing economic conditions, the road still remains wide open for graduating seniors at SMU. Yet, while most students fear the thought of finding a job, it is clear that this university isn’t cutting it short when it comes to preparing its students for the real world.
