Unemployment spikes for millennials, young adults between the ages of 18 and 29, have caused Georgia State students to get more serious about their futures.
A recent release by the United States Department of Labor showed unemployment rate rose significantly for millennials last month, leaving many
students wondering how to attain job security after graduation.
While the millennial unemployment rate rose to 13 percent last month, the overall national rate rose to 8 percent in comparison.
This significant gap has Georgia State students concerned if they will be graduating with jobs.
“It is discouraging for the students who just ordered their cap and gown, as well for the [freshmen] about to enter college,” said Vante Robinson, a human resources staff recruitment and retention intern.
Robinson, a junior and marketing major, said statistics showing the spike in unemployment among millennials should “have a drastic affect on the majors people select” for both incoming college freshmen and students who are still undecided.
“We are no longer picking our majors based on what we love,” Robinson said. “We’re making our decisions based on what will make money.”
Dr. Kevin Gaw, director for University Career Services, recognized that unemployment wasn’t the only problem.
“I think that [college students] need to know the difference between being unemployed and being underemployed,” Gaw said.
The sharp increase in unemployment last month could be credited to a “yearly trend in the ending of seasonal jobs nationally around that time,” Gaw said.
Underemployment, or college student graduates attaining jobs that do not pertain to their degree or represent their education level, is the main problem to be assessed.
“Students need to do more research,” Gaw said. “It is hard to get the perfect job, but this is why students need to use their resources.”
These resources, found at the Career Services center, range from resume preparation to career counseling can help students decide their majors as well as what careers can and should be pursued with their degrees.
“You can get a job, but you will have to work to get a job you like,” said John Stanford, one of the career counselors at Career Services.
Stanford said hands on experience, volunteering and networking are what will help students combat the need to settle for job positions they are not interested in.
“At this point, a Master’s [degree] is the new undergrad,” Stanford said.
Stanford attributes the millenial struggle for jobs to the student’s lack of job experience and civilian skills to impress employers.
“Four years are not enough,” Stanford said. “Students need to prepare in advance.”
Senior Natalie Gutierrez said student preparation was a major problem as well.
“The millennials need a liaison between old and new,” Gutierrez said. “The older generation will be doing the hiring, after all.”
The Robinson College of Business goes one step further in making sure their students are aware of employment realities of graduates by providing yearly reports on alumni who found jobs after graduation and even their average salaries.
Based on statistics from the Robinson College of Business website, the majority of its students go on to have job security.
In 2011, out of the 68 percent of graduates who provided feedback on employment information, 50 percent reported they obtained new, full-time employment by graduation.
Another 32 percent received their first job offers within three months of graduation.
Jason Aldrich, Executive Director for Career Management at the Robinson College of Business, said the 2012 results are expected sometime in March.
He also said the number of graduates who have found employment are much stronger than 2011.
Aldrich said there has been a 10 to 20 percent increase across the board and credits the success of graduates with preparedness and taking advantage of campus resources.
“There are solutions for students who do not want to be a part of [the unemployment rate],” Aldrich said.
Aldrich advises upperclassmen approaching graduation to get started early.
“Students should use the career service access systems, find quality internships and spend their last semesters looking for employment,” Aldrich said.
Aldrich equated this job search during a student’s final undergrad years to a “three credit class,” adding that students should view looking for a job as a class that should be a three to six month process.
“It is a mistake to wait,” he said.
Gaw agreed job security can only be obtained through job experience and said students who participate in internships develop skill sets, are more career ready and experience less barriers.
“I have much confidence in Georgia State students. Employers come [to our job fairs] because they genuinely like our student body.”
