With the current unemployment rate in Stanislaus County lingering at 15 percent, California State University, Stanislaus students are finding that in this economy, a degree is not always enough to land a job.
Recent Communication Studies graduate Jon Martin said since graduating in the fall he has filled out over 30 applications and attended four interviews, but still has not been hired.
“The greatest difficulty is getting consideration for internships without internship experience,” Martin said.
“Companies are treating internships as the new entry level. It’s a buyer’s market. It’s illegal to have unpaid internships without college credit so I’m stuck.”
Tracy Ladd, operations manager of CentralValleyJobs.com, explained that one of the biggest frustrations employers have is that many job seekers do not follow the instructions when it comes to submitting their resumes.
“Job seekers should always follow the directions laid out by the employer; calling their office when the ad says no phone calls won’t help the job seeker stand out,” Ladd said.
“Employers are also constantly looking for people with previous experience in that particular field, so it’s important to gain practical experience through previous employment, volunteering and internships.”
Victoria Popoff, CSU Stanislaus Psychology graduate and owner of Studio V Pilates and Fitness in Modesto, admitted that although she did not land directly in her field of study, it has helped her tremendously with what she does now. By age 30, Popoff created her own career and company that allowed her to incorporate her two loves: therapy and fitness.
“The classes I took, especially my small group therapy class, has really helped me in what I do now,” Popoff said.
Popoff now employs 15 people and has over 80 waitlisted fitness classes weekly.
Although her career does not require a Master of Psychology, Popoff added she still uses much of what she learned since people’s weight loss journey is also a mental one.
Michael Igoe, veteran program coordinator and academic & career advisor at CSU Stanislaus, explained that the Career Services webpage (csustan.edu/career) has several planning resources that can help anyone figure out how to be more involved in planning thier future.
“Students who take advantage of the opportunities on campus and incorporate those experiences into a holistic plan for success both on campus and in planning for their career tend to have the best results,” Igoe said.
“The past three to five years have been a very challenging job market to enter, but entering, even at a lower salary than [they’d] hoped for, is more important than waiting for the ideal compensation, benefits and career track.”
Students can be proactive in many ways to gain additional tools for career success while attending CSU Stanislaus. The Career Fair will have two resume workshops in the Main Dining Hall on Feb. 26 and 27, and the University Career Fair will be in the Mary Stuart Rogers Educational Services building room 130 on March 6 from 10 to 2 p.m.
According to Igoe, there are a number of webinars available through OptimalResume.com for students to learn resume, interview and job seeking skills.
Upcoming webinars are listed below:
Monday, February 25th at 3:00 p.m.
Jobseekers: Resume, Letter, and Website
Tuesday, February 26th at 2:00 p.m.
Job Seekers: Styling Your Resume