Recruiting summit scheduled for June

By: Graham Powell

Posted: 4/29/09

Colleges in northwest Arkansas are working together to help graduating students find jobs.

The UA Career Development Center will host the College Campus Recruiting Summit from 9-11 a.m., on Thursday, June 4, at the UA campus.

The objectives for this event include identifying key issues students are likely to face during the next academic year, projections for job opportunities for 2009-2010, developing strategies to increase employment opportunities for students, and committing to collaborations that will affect student success.

"This is the first ever event we've had like this on our campus," said Barbara Batson, director, UA Career Development Center. "It's exciting."

The UA is in the process of trying to get representatives from regional colleges NWACC and UA Fort Smith to attend this event.

"We want to do all we can to try and bring northwest Arkansas together," Batson said. "It's not just about the UA and meeting our goals, it's about doing all we can as a region to help students get their careers started."

Many students have been in panic about what they're going to do after they graduate. Some have applied to graduate school to improve their resumes. Others have applied to graduate school because they couldn't find a job and graduate school is one of the few options.

"I'm trying to get into grad school because I don't know what else to do," said James Murphy, 22, a UA senior marketing student. "I've never had this much trouble finding a job and it's scary."

The UA Career Development Center is doing all it can to help students avoid the stresses of not being able to find a job.

"The number of employers coming to the UA for on-campus recruiting is way down," Batson said.

Last fall, about 120 businesses were on campus looking for recruits. That number has dropped to about 40 this spring, according to UA Career Development Center statistics.

"With the way the job market is looking right now," said Brad Brown, 23, UA senior Engineering student, "I don't know that I'll be able to find a job in my field any time soon."

Less than 20 percent of spring 2009 graduates have found jobs, according to other CDC statistics. About 32 percent of those students say they're planning on attending graduate school, and about 30 percent haven't reported what they're planning on doing after graduation. The remaining students (roughly 18 percent) are undecided.

The troubles that lie ahead for many graduating students are clear. It's not going to be easy to find a job with the economy in its current state, but CDC staff is doing what they can to try and help.

"My mission is to help students," Batson said. "That's first and foremost on my mind."