Toppel’s resume guide being sponsored by Lehman Brothers, a global financial firm that declared bankruptcy in 2008, does not inspire confidence in the job market for recent graduates.
Employers hired slightly fewer 2009 graduates who applied for jobs than in 2008 and significantly less than in 2007, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers.
Toppel’s Graduation Survey, given to University of Miami winter and spring graduates, says that post-graduate plans for the University of Miami 2009 graduates did not change drastically from 2008.
In both years, graduates said they either planned to work or go to graduate school.
“The same number of students were placed [in jobs] as well,” said Frits Bigham, assistant director for career development at Toppel Career Center.
Though the placement rate is steady, evidence of our economic slump is apparent in the decline of graduates placed in full time positions and increase of those placed in part time positions.
The economic downturn should not signal hopelessness for most of UM seniors.
According to Megan Garber, assistant director for career development and outreach at Toppel, job prospects for accounting and engineering remain strong. However, government jobs may have the strongest prospects.
“The government is spending more money and its current workforce is retiring, so the government is projected to increase in hiring.”
Average entry salaries for UM students have also remained constant from 2008 to 2009, at an average of $46,200 and $53,000 for accounting jobs according to Bigham.
The majority of students who accepted positions had an internship throughout their college career, according to the Graduation Survey.
“Students who have not interned or started looking for a job are those who are really going to suffer,” said Bigham.
Samantha Ku, a senior who is majoring in marketing and finance, is enrolled in her third internship at United Way. As an incoming senior, Ku already has a pending offer for an entry-level position.
Toppel hosts the Career Kickoff in the fall, and Job Search week in the spring, providing important seminars on how to tackle the job market. Toppel also helps facilitate meaningful internships through the Toppel Internship Program.