Recent grads shed light on job hunting

Four months after the diplomas were handed out and the caps and gowns stored away, members Boston University's Class of 2006 have gone their separate ways--some to graduate or medical school, and others to "the real world," with varying levels of success.

Many freshly minted alumni who jumped into the job market said they found job searches to be long, arduous and stressful. College of Arts and Sciences graduate Dan Solworth, who currently lives in Brookline and is employed by AutoSound Incorporated, said snagging his job wasn't easy.

"The job search took a long time--it's a several month-long process," he said. "It can be frustrating at times because you apply and don't hear back for weeks or even months. It's tough."

Sociology professor Julian Go said the competitive nature of today's job market may seem discouraging, but probably will not have much of a negative impact on a graduate's well-being.

"Right out of college, [being unable to find a job] might not be that bad of a situation, because there is always hope," she said. "However, if the situation lasts years, then that would have a negative effect."

School of Management graduate Valerie Sun said her job search was intense, but she is happy with her current position as a consultant at DST International.

"It definitely wasn't easy, but it was well worth it," she said.

Sun said she took advantage of job-search help offered by the SMG Feld Career Center and the Office of Career Services, which prepared her for the job market.

Unlike Sun, most BU students do not make take advantage of the university's career programs, according to Career Services Director Dick Leger.

"Students don't take advantage of the resources available on campus," he said. "They may be unsure of how to use resources or unsure of what they want, or maybe they forget to think, 'Hey, I should start [the job search] now.'"

Solworth agreed with Leger and said Career Services is "one of the most underused offices on campus."

"I did not use [the Office of Career Services] enough until it was too late," he said. "[I recommend that students] go there toward the end of junior year or the beginning of senior year."

CAS graduate Alicia Meadows, now a medical student at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, said because she planned to attend medical school, she never visited the Office of Career Services.

"There was definitely guidance available to me at BU, but I didn't utilize it very much," Meadows said. "I knew help was always available, though."

Career Services offers a variety of resources to students, including interview tips, job-hunting strategies and a website that eases the job search by allowing students to view available job positions nationwide, find details about information sessions on campus and upload their résumés. The office also hosts one job fair per semester, allowing students to build relationships with employers.

SMG graduate Jyoti Halarnakar said she visited the Office of Career Services and the Feld Career Center, which helped her to feel prepared to enter the working world. Halarnakar now lives in Brookline and works as a consultant at Duff and Phelps.

"The Feld Career Center at SMG had a lot of information about preparing for interviews, how to write cover letters and résumés, which helped me to prepare for my job search," she said.

Leger said the Office of Career Services is always willing to help students find jobs.

"We basically meet people where they are at and provide them with what will assist them in that direction," he said.