Entering the job market in the middle of a recession was a serious issue for recent Hopkins graduates - and more students from the class of 2009 are still looking for work.
Though the Career Center noticed new trends in the way that both students and potential employers reacted to finding a job in a vastly limited market, they are "still in the process of gathering data on the class of 2009, and therefore are hesitant to draw premature conclusions about last year's graduates," Career Center Director Mark Presnell said.
Presnell reported that the Center recently found that eight percent of graduates from last year's class remain in active pursuit of jobs, a three percent increase from the class of 2008.
Of the graduates from 2008, 42 percent are employed full-time, 41 percent are enrolled in graduate or professional School and five percent are actively job-searching.
Michael Sonnecken, a 2009 graduate who majored in Public Health and is still searching for employment, called his job search "extremely frustrating at times."
In those employed graduates of the class of 2008, Presnell described the range of industries in which alumni are working as "broad-based" and "diverse": 24 percent are employed in business or finance, 13 percent in engineering and information technology, 15 percent in science and research, 14 percent in non-profit and government organizations, 11 percent in pharmaceuticals, seven percent in education, seven percent in law, and three percent in communications, media or art and design.
For the class of 2009, the Career Center noticed that it was a particularly difficult year for graduates who wanted to get into finance, but both consulting and government firms remained stable sources of employment.
"We have seen a change in how companies are recruiting," said Presnell. "The process has become much more relational, requiring applicants to network with people in addition to just applying to postings."
As a result, the Career Center has created nine field-specific subgroups on the professional networking site Linkedin. On this site, current Hopkins students can connect with Hopkins alumni and ask questions about the alums' experiences.
"Alumni are open to talking to students. We reach out to as many alumni as employers," Presnell said.
"I contacted countless Hopkins alumni as resources and all were extremely helpful," said Chris Mayhew, a class of 2009 graduate.
The Career Center has noted the rising impact of networking on success in the job search. Presnell also said that nowadays more than ever, the process is about the communication, and not as much about the application.
"Having insight into a particular company will help with getting a job," said Presnell.
Jasmine Ainetechian, a class of 2009 graduate with a B.A. in Public Health and a French minor currently is working as a research assistant at IMPAQ International.
Although she said that she did have a few connections at some of the jobs that she was offered, she didn't actually know anyone at IMPAQ.
"It definitely helps to network, but you're not hopeless if your parents/family aren't constantly rubbing shoulders with the most powerful people in your field. It's all about making the most of the resources you have," Ainetechian said.
Presnell is more concerned with graduates who are not actively searching for jobs because of the negative mentality that there are no jobs out there. At Hopkins however, the attitude towards post-graduation employment is much more positive. According to Presnell, students are getting jobs and will be successful.
Presnell also says that the Hopkins name can add a bit of a boost to an application.
"A name like Hopkins gives students opportunities in a variety of fields, and guarantees that their resume will be looked at," he said.
Sonnecken said that although looking for a job during a recession can be daunting, there are resources to help.
"For me, the Career Center at Hopkins has been a big help in terms of networking with alumni and providing information. I really can't say that I have felt like there is nothing out there. I know that if I'm persistent and have self-confidence, I'll find something," said Sonnecken.
Ainetechian echoed his feelings. She said that he utilized any and all of the job-finding tools he had available to him. She used sites such as J-connect, idealist.com, monster.com, attended career fairs and subscribed to Career Center e-mails.
She said that although she had to work hard to find a job, she believed it was necessary.
"I tackled my job search with as many tools as I could. I re-wrote my resume again and again and again. I must have had at least four or five staff members at the Career Center edit my resume. Although it sounds like I was doing a lot, it really is what I would tell everyone to do - especially this year in this economy," she said.
The Career Center does say that students should be cautious about merely accepting a job because of the state of the economy.
"People should follow where their interests lead them. Don't go to graduate school just because of the recession as well," said Presnell.
Sonnecken said that although he was not going to bother applying to positions in fields he was not interested in, he was not going to let his lack of knowledge keep him from applying to jobs in positions he was interested in.
"For instance, I have very little background in statistics but that hasn't stopped me from applying for a position at ESPN as a statistician. I would love to work in the sports world and I know I would do everything I could to become an asset to my employer," said Sonnecken.
In the past years, Hopkins has had a close-to-even split between the percentage of graduates who choose to enter to work force directly and those who choose graduate school.
"My guess is that the pendulum will swing back towards graduate school [due to the economy]," said Presnell.
The Career Center is hoping to educate Hopkins undergraduates about the job search process as well.
"We increased our marketing to students and developed more partnerships with faculty and other campus offices," Presnell said.
As a result, Presnell said that there was a 21 percent increase in the number of individual appointments at the Career Center and an 18 percent increase in presentation and workshop attendance from the 2007-2008 to the 2008-2009 academic years.
