Mixed signals for job seekers

Mixed signals for job seekers

When it comes to the job market, timing may be important, but it's not everything.
And that may be good news for the Class of 2008. With rosy employment predictions from fall meeting recent speculation of a recession, career directors at universities everywhere are getting mixed signals.
If their worst fears are realized, it could mean that students who received offers in the fall might find themselves jobless on graduation day.
"What I suspect will happen is that opportunities will be offered -- this is a little scary to say, because I would hate for our students to think about this. But offers will be made, and offers will be accepted and, by and large, all of those will be honored," said Donna Cassell Ratcliffe, director of career services at Virginia Tech. "But it's not unusual around April, May, June for those companies, some of those companies, get back to their students ... and move start dates back from May to July to September."
And some job offers may be simply pulled off the table, she said. Cassell Ratcliffe has worked in career services at universities for 26 years and has seen her share of recessions and their effects on the job market. She advises students to save business cards and stay in touch with employers, even if they've already accepted a job.
But that doesn't mean students shouldn't still honor their words.
"One of the things that we always stress to students is that your commitment should be sound," she said. "You shouldn't be looking for a better offer and then go back to them and say, 'Oh, I found a better offer.' "
Despite her words of caution, Cassell Ratcliffe said that even if a recession does hit, students shouldn't panic.
"People still need to hire," she said. "It just may not be their first, ideal job."
Cassell Ratcliffe's office is busy this time of year working with students anxious to get those job offers, recession or no recession. February is filled with job fairs that will bring hundreds of employers to campus, and career development staff meet regularly with students to polish their resumes.
At a resume workshop in late January, organizers passed along tips for students seeking jobs, such as following up with companies and keeping pages of social-networking Web sites free of embarrassing information.
And listing an e-mail address on your resume is a good idea.

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