University of Dayton - MyLife

Finding a Job

In light of the current economic downturn, many graduating students are desperately trying to secure a full-time job. They have worked hard over the past few years in college, planning on getting a degree and a job to go with it. Many of my friends who graduated last year were already having difficulty in the declining job market, and the problems are much worse this year. Last year, engineering jobs seemed to be not yet adversely affected by the bad economy. However, the bleak outlook has spread to all disciplines now. Several of my friends and classmates who are engineering students have had their initial job offers revoked and are struggling to find something new.

Fortunately, the faculty and staff are doing all they can to help students find a job after graduation. Last week, career services hosted a career fair on campus. (To further illustrate the condition of the current job market, it should be noted that some employers were at the career fair even though they were not hiring). I often get emails from the civil engineering department regarding employment opportunities offered by local companies or alumni. Even though there are openings out there, they may not be in the location or in the particular discipline that students want and were able to get a couple years ago.

Although I decided to go to graduate school a while ago, I'm even happier with my decision now. It's a good time to stay in school, and hopefully the economic tide will turn when I'm ready to enter the job market in a year or two.

Feb 23, 2009 9:49 AM Permalink