Tuesday, October 16, 2001

Companies cancel on-campus recruiting
Unemployment seems worse than it actually is, economics instructor says
By John-Mark Day
Staff Reporter

Senior Anthony Nullan graduates in May, but he is not so sure a job will be waiting for him. He said he has interviewed twice, only to be told the position was eliminated in budget cuts.

“The companies have job listings, but then say they don’t have the funding,” said Nullan, a finance and e-business major. “Right now, there’s nothing. The economy is down, so it’s going to be harder to get a job.”

However, economics instructor John Lovett said most graduates should be able to find jobs. He said unemployment seems worse right now because of how stable it has been in the last several years.

“Part of the problem is we came out of incredible times,” Lovett said. “We were at such a high that normal seems bad.”

The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks are another factor causing unemployment, said Carolyn Ulrickson, director of career services. After the attacks, one-third of the companies scheduled to come to campus to recruit students canceled, Ulrickson said.

“Sept. 11 was a wild card,” Ulrickson said in a letter to seniors. “The job market fluctuates with the economy and so it, too, is uncertain at this time.”

Despite the cancellations and the weakened economy, Ulrickson said she is optimistic about the future.

“There will be jobs for this year’s college graduates,” she said in the letter. “Maybe not as many as last year and maybe not in all sectors of the economy, but there will be jobs for graduates from all academic disciplines — thousands and thousands of them.”

Nullan said he does not share Ulrickson’s optimism. He said if he gets a job before graduation, it will not come from an on-campus interview.

“I think I’ll get a job, but it’ll be through people I know,” he said. “Unless you have a 4.0 GPA or something spectacular, it’ll be hard.”

Nullan said he thought many seniors were concerned about finding a job after graduation, and are looking at other options such as graduate school. He said he would consider more school if he does not find a job.

Ulrickson said jobs are out there, but students will have to know where to look. She said last year career services posted 66,000 job listings online. Those listings were for everything from on-campus part-time jobs to full-time jobs for experienced alumni.

Lovett said the biggest factor in helping graduates get a job will be what they have done in college, including work experience and internships.

Ulrickson said she expected the economy to improve with the holiday season and heightened military actions.

“Come spring, things may turn around,” she said. “And I hate to say it, but war does create jobs.”

John-Mark Day
j.m.day2@student.tcu.edu