Job market for 2015 graduates is booming

Dwayne Joseph Jr. and Britney Williams
Staff Writers

There is good news for 2015 college graduates. According to CareerBuilder.com, a stronger economy and increased employer confidence should continue to increase job gains and wage growth.

In the report, the U.S. Labor Department found that 36 percent of employers plan to increase their full-time staff in 2015, up from 24 percent last year and the most since 2006.

Employers added 321,000 jobs in November, the most in nearly two years, and 2014 is on track to be the strongest for job growth since 1999. Economists expect a Labor Department report Friday to show that 230,000 jobs were added in December, according to median estimates, slightly below the 241,000 average for the first 11 months of the year.

Jesse Gresham, a senior criminal justice/psychology student from Hawaii, has not faced difficulty in finding employment.

“I have a job already lined up because I am in the military,” said Gresham.

Christopher Crump believes many graduates will have to find employment outside of their majors.

“A lot of it boils down to several different factors. You have to consider whether or not you are in a field that is actually marketable. With most Liberal Arts degrees, you will probably end up being a chef or barista at some point in time,” said Crump, a graduate history student from Jackson, Miss. “If you come out with a degree thinking that you are about to set the world on fire you are probably not. Those menial jobs that most people don’t want to do, that is what you are going to end up doing.”

Lashanda Jordan, Director of JSU Career Services Center, says that one reason students cannot secure a job is lack of preparation and research.

“Many students do not realize the importance of starting early in the career preparation process with internships, volunteer work and networking opportunities,” said Jordan “There are many opportunities available.  However, some students tend to only focus on one particular job setting and position instead of branching out and thinking outside of the box.”

Jordan says that a majority of jobs students receive are obtained through networking opportunities.

Clincy Harris, a senior social science education major from Jackson, Miss. said, “I feel that being complacent and procrastination are the most common challenges facing graduating seniors. The good and bad experiences I faced here physically and mentally at JSU will make me a self-sufficient and successful African American male in the workforce.”

The hottest careers of 2015 are in the fields of healthcare, manufacturing, computer programming, and financial services.

According to www.monster.com, healthcare is a huge and multifaceted field with a wide range of opportunities.

Terriona Cowan, a senior chemistry major from Jackson, Miss., is excited to hear about the openings in the healthcare field.

“Upon receiving my chemistry degree, this opens up a new world for me. A job like this in another city will be just what I need to stabilize myself in the real world,” said Cowan.

There is also a great chance for students majoring mathematics, statistics, or finance.

Some students have waited four or maybe even five years to get to this milestone in their lives called graduation, but yet some are at a complete standstill on what’s next for them after this momentous occasion.

JSU Career Services Center offers different services and programs to prepare and assist students with the career development process and post graduation employment services such as:  Tigers2Work, professional development seminars, career fairs, On-Campus recruitment, resume and interview preparation and more.  For more information, call CSC at 601-979-2477.