Curran Career Consulting » Curran Career Consulting

Employment and Unemployment of College Grads

Sheila Curran — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 13:50:23 +0000

This article provides the May 2013 BLS monthly unemployment and employment data and analysis for college grads aged 20-24. Each month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics gathers, but does not publish, employment information on 20-24 year olds. This article uses BLS data to analyze the November, 2012 unemployment situation for bachelor's degree graduates. Unemployment and employment data vary significantly from month to month for this cohort, but over time, trends can be seen.

A More Honest Approach to College Career Preparation

Sheila Curran — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 22:25:59 +0000

Thirty-one percent of employers believe that recent graduates are unprepared or very unprepared for their job search. That’s according to a study of over 700 employers, conducted in late fall 2012 by The Chronicle of Higher Education and American Public Media’s Marketplace, titled “The Role of Higher Education in Career Development: Employer Perceptions”. That students lack the skills to find work in 2013 may be a surprise to those who foot the bills for their education, or teach in the halls of academe. But it’s no shock to many in the career services field, who find most students unwilling to devote even half an hour a week in their senior year to the job search.

Re-thinking Career Services in Times of Employment Uncertainty

Sheila Curran — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 19:13:30 +0000

In the spring, all eyes are on new college graduates and their future plans. Current indications are that the employment situation is easing, but bachelor’s graduates aged 20-24 still face plenty of challenges. Average annual unemployment rates for this cohort have remained stubbornly around 9%, and underemployment is rampant. So who has been helping these students and grads get a leg up, especially if they don’t have well-connected parents or a stellar GPA? This monumental task has, in the eyes of parents and the public at least, been assigned to College Career Services offices. But few have held higher education accountable for making this service work. And, if parents are expecting any kind of personal attention for their sons and daughters, they will inevitably be disappointed.

An Alternative Graduation Speech for Parents of New College Grads

Sheila Curran — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 17:25:44 +0000

There ought to be a second graduation speech just for parents, in the afternoon, after the celebratory lunch, while the kids are off whooping it up. It should go like this: We know you have a great kid. We also know that, as amazing as she is, she may not have a job lined up, and that this fact is eating away at you. Oh, sure you may have heard that hiring on college campuses is up more than ten percent from the past few economically horrendous years, but you’ve also heard that there are still over 30 applicants for every job and a backlog of unemployed young people milling round out there. You want to hear a speech full of practical advice about how you can help your kid land a job. Here it is:

Unemployment of Recent College Grads a Key Threat to Higher Education

Sheila Curran — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 14:34:32 +0000

With the skyrocketing cost of education, families increasingly make matriculation decisions based on the perception that a particular college’s students get good jobs. Until recently, the ability to verify those perceptions has been limited. But now, there is a push for greater transparency, as illustrated by the introduction of the College Scorecard. Are colleges ready and prepared to provide the information families need? And, how will prospective students react to comprehensive data on the real career outcomes of recent college grads? Colleges and universities need to embrace the new transparency, and where they identify unsatisfactory results, take measures to enhance career preparation.

Essential Data on Colleges and Careers

Sheila Curran — Mon, 07 May 2012 20:52:59 +0000

Across the country, colleges and universities are re-thinking goals and aspirations in light of diminishing revenues and falling endowments. At the same time, prospective students and their families increasingly seek an economic value for their tuition investment. These realities conflict when it comes to providing exceptional career assistance to students and alumni. The following data support the assertion that colleges and universities need to focus not only on student learning outcomes, but also on ensuring the success of their graduates.

From College to Career in 2012: No Bright Light at the End of the Tunnel

Sheila Curran — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 15:20:00 +0000

In July, 2011, newly minted young college grads faced an unwelcome pinnacle: at 13.1%, the unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree graduates under the age of 25 was the highest on record. Since the past summer, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data show several months of relative improvement in the job outlook for young grads. But, statistics from 2007-2011 provide plenty of reasons why optimism should be tempered with caution. For the past three years, the average unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree grads under 25 has remained stubbornly rooted around 9%.

The Career Center of the Future: Recruiting Exceptional Leaders

Sheila Curran — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 01:20:27 +0000

Three years of high recent graduate employment have convinced senior leaders in colleges and universities that they must pay greater attention to preparing their students for the future. Increasingly, that means re-visioning the role of the career director and her department. Many long-term career directors have recently observed significant increases in their 403B accounts and are choosing to retire. That means colleges now have the opportunity to go from vision to action. Deans and vice presidents embrace the idea of finding new career leaders who think broadly and strategically about their role inside and outside of their institutions. They are excited by prospect of finding candidates who are “connectors”—leaders who are adept at bringing many parts of their institution together to support student career development, whether that development happens as part of a course, through internships, study abroad or leadership on the athletics field. And, senior leaders increasingly recognize that their career directors will be doing work that directly affects institutional strategic objectives. Sadly, hiring managers often find their applicant pools lacking in appropriate candidates.

A Model for College Grad Career Success in 2012

Sheila Curran — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 20:22:53 +0000

In 2008, Brittany Haas left college with a newly minted degree in Apparel Design. A few months later, the stock market took a nose dive, leading to years of double-digit unemployment for young college grads. Hit worst have been those with degrees in art and design and liberal arts. But this is not another story of doom and gloom. At age 24, Brittany is US Retail Planner for a world-renowned fashion house, managing a multi-million dollar budget—along with her own business.

Advice for the Parents of Liberal Arts College Freshmen

Sheila Curran — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 14:50:07 +0000

When students return to college, or set foot on campus for the first time, it's normal for parents to have conflicting emotions. One of those emotions is frequently anxiety about the cost of education and the value of that education in the real world. But such concerns are likely to be brushed away by the assumption that as long as their sons and daughters take it easy on the partying and pay attention to their studies, they'll be rewarded with a good job at graduation. At a time when the unemployment rate for recent bachelor's grads is at an all-time high (13.1%) it's essential to question this assumption. The path from college to a good career is not automatic; it takes considerable work on the student's part, starting early in their time at college.