Career Management Center prepares students for jobs post graduation
While the state’s unemployment rate dropped to 6.1 percent last month, in Wichita Falls the percentage went up to 5.5 percent, according to the Texas Workforce Commission.
Students like Orisia Browne, a freshman in finance, find themselves worried about life post-grad.
“I definitely think it will be difficult allocating a job after completing university,” Browne said. “Reason being because more people are becoming qualified and thus it eliminates the chance for each person to be guaranteed a job.”
Browne said even though she might find difficulty finding employment, a job she does find may not necessarily be the job in which her degree falls into.
Dirk Welch, director of Career Management Center and testing services, said the staff of the CMC aids those looking for employment.
“[The CMC] works individually with students and alumni to help them market themselves in the best possible way to employers,” Welch said. “One of the critical aspects to really marketing oneself effectively is in that process of having a polished resume, cover letter and the interview approach.”
The Career Management Center prepares students for the job search by critiquing resumes, cover letters and conducting mock interviews.
“The staff customizes a job search for each person, highlighting their various talents, skills and unique abilities based upon the specific job position,” Welch said.
Welch cited a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers where they saw an increase in hiring young people post-grad. This survey was sent out to employers to get a feel of the forecast of employer’s hiring expectation for college graduates.
“Employers have indicated that they plan to hire 13 percent more new college graduates than they did last year,” Welch said. “So that is a positive hiring growth, for soon to be graduates, even ones that have recently hit the job market that might still be looking.”
The economic downturn that occurred in 2008 and 2009 still plays a factor in the current unemployment, Welch said.
“Each year regardless of the employment rate, they are hiring a new percentage of college graduates. [There] has been a percentage increase over the previous years,” Welch said.
For the class of 2013, Welch said there are a lot of business disciplines from computer information science to marketing to finance that are in the most demand.
“Right now the major I am doing gives a lot of opportunity in my area,” said Teon Bedford, a junior in computer science. “I’m guessing that for the next 10 to 15 years the job market is going to be like that.”
For upcoming graduates, Welch said it is very important for students to highlight leadership skills.
Some other skills to be highlighted are problem solving skills, teamwork, excellent written and oral skills, taking initiative, analyzing and synthesizing information and being flexible.
“These are key skill sets that employers really desire and so is the process of marketing oneself in the application process,” Welch said. “Employers have strong interest in candidates who are well-rounded outside of their academic discipline meaning that they have been involved in extracurricular activities, clubs, organization, student government and sports.”
Welch said according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, employers preferred to hire candidates who had relevant work experience.
“A lot of employers will look at as well as accept an internship as a relevant work experience,” Welch said.
According to Welch, 78.3 percent of employers utilize GPA as a screening tool in their applicant process.
“One should note that employers might have a minimum GPA requirement of typically 3.0,” Welch said. “In 2012, the GPA cut-off for a lot of engineering firms and sectors was 3.5. This year it is 3.0.
Welch said he doesn’t think the importance of GPA’s will change in the mind of employers.