More jobs projected for Class of 2011

| Contributing Reporter

Though national unemployment stands at nearly 10 percent, school officials predict that Washington University’s Class of 2011 will actually have less difficulty finding jobs than the students who graduated in previous years.

Though they are still being compiled, the University’s postgraduate statistics for 2010 continue to point in the school’s favor. The job market, following severe repercussions from the recent recession, has begun to recover significantly.

According to school officials, conditions will continue to improve as the country’s economy heals and as the University persists in marketing itself to achieve more recognition among employers.

An increased awareness of Wash. U. has already begun to show through more job recruitment on campus.

The business school, in particular, has seen a drastic increase in recruiting, hosting more than 85 major employers in the past month alone, compared to 35 during the same period in 2009. Mark Brostoff, director of the Weston Career Center at Olin Business School, considers this an indication of a recovering market.

“The economy is showing signs of improving, therefore hiring is improving,” Brostoff said. “Confidence is slowly returning to companies seeking employment.”

New postgraduate surveys from the Class of 2010 reveal that conditions are once again favorable for graduates. Ninety-seven percent of BSBA students were either employed or enrolled in graduate or professional schools within 90 days of graduation. Placement for MBA students was 94 percent, and placement for specialized-degree students was over 90 percent.

Although the University’s overall postgraduate statistics are not yet finalized, current figures are purportedly favorable.

According to Mark Smith, assistant vice chancellor and director of the Career Center, Wash. U. students have no difficulty locating employment, especially if they use the center and plan ahead.

“Everyone who wants to find a job finds a job,” Smith said. “They may not find it by graduation, but they’ll find it.”

A major portion of each respective graduating class, however, chooses alternate postgraduate routes. Anywhere from 30 to 40 percent of each year’s students will choose to go directly to either graduate or professional school.

Approximately another third of the class will spend between one and five years in “transitional programs,” traveling or working for programs such as Teach For America before attending graduate school.

Senior Andrew Bingaman, who is studying romance languages and literatures, notes that such options are beneficial, especially for students with majors in the humanities. He hopes to find an internship in New York City before capping his education with an MBA and finding a job.

“Graduating with a liberal arts degree, [finding a job] will be a bit more difficult than for someone with a business degree,” Bingaman said.

The Career Center, however, firmly believes in its potential to provide every student with a job, should students seek it out. Its recent campaign included heavy advertising and a newly remodeled website. Additionally, the center hopes to develop an online system for scheduling appointments. Through these changes, the Career Center seeks to eliminate the portion of the class that gets lost in the communication gap.

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