When South Fulton graduate, Clara Sanders, left the area to work as a mineral title abstractor for an oil and gas company in North Central, Penn., she had no idea two years later she would be back in her hometown on the job market again, the result of a temporary recess.
“It’s a limited job market in our area. Right now honestly, we are all equal,” Sanders said.
After graduating from the University of Tennessee at Martin with a Bachelor’s of Art degree in English and professional writing, Sanders worked as a writer and photographer for a newspaper, before leaving her hometown, to earn higher wages.
“Coming back from Pennsylvania to Kentucky was like a culture shock,” Sanders said.
This year is the second worst year on record for unemployed college graduates under the age of 27. The worst year recorded was in 1983, according to reliableplanet.com.
In previous years, college graduates seemed to be better insulated from downturns in the labor market.
However, since college graduates receive higher pay opposed to those without post secondary education, these positions are often times the first cut when a company downsizes.
Although still better off than their peers without a degree, young college graduates face challenges different from most.
College graduates are likely to have debt from financing school, lack of job experience, and are less likely to qualify for unemployment benefits.
According to the Department on Labor in May 2008, Kentucky’s unemployment rate was at 6.2 percent. In May 2009 it leaped to 10.6 percent. Tennessee’s unemployment rate went from 6.2 percent in May 2008 to 10.7 percent a year later.
The current recession is not the only obstacle college graduates will face when entering the work force.
According to Eddie Crittendon, Executive Director of the Economic Development Partnership for Fulton and Hickman Counties, there is not a lot that can be done to increase production for current industry on his end. However, Crittendon said, there are state incentives, when a company is looking to expand to create more jobs.
“We are currently working with three other counties on a fall marketing campaign. The fact of the matter is that the economy is in a rather tough situation right now,” Crittendon said.
Social networking sites such as Facebook, Myspace, Careerbuilder, and even Craigslist are all good resources for networking, but should not be used as a single effort.
Being open-minded to opportunities for part-time and freelance work can help with networking and building contacts.
It is also a good idea to take advantage of career centers at universities and study industry data.
Look into job sectors experiencing worker shortages, and think in terms of results. According to CNN News, every month of job searching is equal to $1000 additional in salary.
“It is not just the counties of Fulton and Hickman that are seeing a slowdown in projects, it is the state and the nation as a whole. We are getting ready for a turn-around in the economy, and preparing for a better year,” Crittendon concluded.
