Nebraska job climate warms for grads-to-be

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By Rodd Cayton

In Nebraska as elsewhere, this year's graduates have a rosier job outlook than their recent predecessors, say college career advisers and job-seeking students.

The National Association of Colleges and Employers, a nonprofit association that links colleges and recruiters, is predicting that Midwest employers will hire about 12 percent more graduates this year than last.

Chris Timm, associate director of career services at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said the school's career center this academic year is once again seeing more employers sign up for its career fair.

While a few years ago, 200 employers might come to the UNL fair, 143 came this year, better than the 134 of last year. She said the employers aren't coming with a bucket to pick up 40 or 50 new hires, but rather a set of tongs for one or two.

"Anecdotally, we're finding that students are having to work harder," to find employment, Timm said, noting that companies are making fewer job offers, and starting salaries are lowers than in recent years.

Timm and others said the crunch of the last couple of years kept many students from trying, either by simply not looking for work or by enrolling in graduate school to wait out the hard times.

"They were aware that the job market was really tight," Timm said. "Some students (engaged in) self- defeating behavior."

While some Doane College students have already found positions after graduation, the job market is still tight, said career development director Darlene Williams.

At Southeast Community College, the last six months have seen more students heading for jobs, although some industries are hiring at slower paces than others, said placement specialist Lynn Willey.

"Students actively looking can have a full-time position in a month," Willey said.

In health-allied fields, she said, SCC has little trouble placing a student.

"Oh, yes, there's a lot of opportunity," said LaTerra Holmes of her employment prospects. Holmes was to graduate Saturday from a two-year medical assisting program at SCC. She expects to begin working in a pediatric or family practice shortly. In similarly optimistic situations are early childhood education and microcomputer workers.

Willey said trades and industry are still tight in part because of job cuts at several area manufacturing plants. Also, some employers are putting off many hiring decisions until they're convinced that the end of the recession is real.

Such hesitations aside, students such as Holmes Jeremy Lang and Lyndsy Mlady, are staying hopeful.

Lang is a senior at UNL, majoring in business management with an emphasis in information systems. Lang said he's been offered a job in Kansas City, Mo., but is still looking because he wants to stay near his native Omaha.

Lang said his confidence is high, in part due to an interview last week he thought went well.

"I'm pretty confident I'll find something," he said. " If it's exactly what I want (a position in a network services or similar department), that's another thing."

Mlady, a political communications major at Nebraska Wesleyan University, said she has plenty of confidence in herself but is finding the job search more difficult than she'd expected.

She said career fairs at Wesleyan have netted her some positive contacts.

Mlady believes she's gotten a boost from having attended fairs last year.

"I became a little more comfortable about approaching employers and talking about my strengths and qualifications with them," she said.

Mlady said she's unlikely to get her dream job in public relations or government relations after May graduation, but should find a position in a growing organization in which she'd have opportunity for advancement.

Michelle Chaffee, dean of student services at Concordia University in Seward, says that its recent job fair gives university officials reason to believe that the job market for graduating liberal arts students is "a little more open this year compared with last year."

And, she said, there are more requests for students to fill internships. That often starts a relationship between a student and an employer that leads to full-time employment.

Lincoln's Nature Technology Corp. President Clague Hodgson said the company has met its need recently by adding college students, whom the company eventually promoted to full-time positions.

Several local employers said their recruiting budgets are either down from prior years, or they have adopted a strategy of targeted forays onto campuses.

Ray Wright, human resources director at American Meter Co. in Nebraska City, said the company doesn't do job fairs, but rather places positions on career sites at campuses where it has had recruiting success in the past.

Darlene Williams of Doane College in Crete said more recruiters attended the school's March 4 career fair than came to one last year. "Although some were hiring, some were just there to keep their presence on campus," she said.

Students also need to keep their names out, said Rich Bailey, chairman of Lincoln marketing communications firm Bailey Lauerman. He said the firm is "always willing to sit down and talk to" good candidates, even when there are no openings.

While it's unlikely that a grad would get the first job he or she applies for, with luck and pluck the grad could get the job he or she wants most.

Wesleyan's Josh Berry, a double major in business and Spanish, began looking for a post in international business last fall. About a month ago, Berry landed a consulting position with Talent Plus in Lincoln. He's still getting phone calls from other employers.

"It seems like there's a bunch of opportunities out there," Berry said, "as long as you're willing to go out and find them."

Reach Rodd Cayton at 473-7107 or rcayton@;journalstar.com.