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Ask any college students what their dreams are and they’ll tell you that they want to find a job before, if not right when they graduate. And why shouldn’t they? They’ve taken the right classes and internships, and received the best guidance from their campus career centers. Unfortunately, help from a career center might not have actually been that effective. According to a poll taken in 2016 by Gallup, of the graduates nationwide who had any contact with career offices (about half), only 16% found them “very helpful.” That’s only 8% of all graduates!. So what’s going on at our universities that’s causing this frustration?
Colleges are Cutting Budgets
Since the recent recession, U.S. colleges and universities have collectively cut their budgets for career centers by 11.4%. Although state revenues have largely returned to pre-recession levels across the country, higher education funding has been slow to increase, resulting in major decisions about what budgets are given to each department. One of the biggest reasons education funding is lower is due to increased yearly tuitions. Tuitions have risen about 36% from 2008 to 2018, and families aren’t happy about it. To avoid high debts, more high school graduates than ever are choosing not to go to college, which impacts the amount of funding that universities receive each year from their state governments.
Good Career Counseling is Lacking
One would expect a career center to be easy to find and inviting, but that’s not always the case. Many centers are located in the basements of buildings at the edges of campuses, and not open on the weekends or evenings. So when students are finally able to schedule an appointment and eagerly wait for good advice, counseling tends to fall flat. Counselors are not educating them well enough on making a good first impression in their resumes, cover letters, or even that first interview. When employers look at emails coming from soon-to-be graduates, they’re report noticing ineffectively worded cover letters and resumes that don’t say why they’re interested in a company, or that don’t talk about what they could bring to a company. Resulting thoughts ” employers are not impressed and won’t follow up.
Look Beyond Your College’s Career Center
If your college isn’t providing the career guidance we know you deserve, then it might be time to look outside your campus for help. At MJW Careers, it’s our goal and promise to provide the best resources and coaching for those seeking employment. Our coaches offer professional resume writing assistance and interview preparation, as well as one-on-one discussions about your career goals, passions, and interests so we can help find you the right job. We also have a new ebook – How to Get UnUnEmployed: Fill That Calendar! 22 Daily Step-By-Step Ways and Daily Motivators to Kickstart Your Career and Find a Job in Under 6 Weeks (An Interactive Guide). It’s an excellent tool to get you excited about the search, as well as teach you more about staying organized while looking for a job. Contact us today to get started!
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