On-campus career services exist to help you find your career path

From the age of 5 until 22, a person works hard toward getting a college diploma and their “dream” job. Senior year in college comes and suddenly reality hits: Next year is the “real” world and, whoops! I don’t have a job!

Job searches aren’t always easy, says Christine Richardson, director of the Career Services Office at Cazenovia College. “It is a slower process than, let’s say, 10 years ago,” she says. “A few generations ago you could hire someone on the spot, but it was hard to get rid of them. Now it is a slow hire, quick fire.” 

According to Richardson, everything is economy-based. The economic downturn of the last few years has not helped the situation, but the difference is more that companies want to hire the right people. “It is expensive to hire and not having the right person can be costly to a business,” she adds.

The process to find a job is not all that different from the past, says Michael Cahill, director of Syracuse University Career Services. A student needs to start early. Even with the Internet evolving into a main element in finding a job, remember that the web doesn’t change the core objective, it only changes the tools to find it, says Cahill.  

According to Cahill, there still are a decent amount of opportunities for students but they need to realize it might take time and a little more skill to find one. Cahill suggests starting the job process during freshman year. “Your best tool is networking,” he says. “It helps build relationships and expands opportunities.”