<p>I was talking to a neighbor yesterday- her son graduated and has a job ( computer science)but said there are so many of his age-23- that are very good students that can not find a job- we didn’t go into detail etc but I was telling her that my son- a junior- was planning to go to Alabama - and she said I hope that he can find a job- I do realize this is everywhere- what suggestions do you have for incoming students? My son is an average student and not at the top like many of yours… I realize the field you pick helps greatly…he isn’t sure yet about a major but maybe I could lead him in the right direction…</p>
<p>What part of the country do you live in? </p>
<p>I know that this is not 100 percent true , but there are jobs out there, if you are willing and able to move to the job. If you are a c s major, and only want to work in your small town that is not big in technology, you will definitely have a hard time finding a job. Likewise, if you are a family practice doctor, and the only place you want to work is in a one doctor town, you’re going to have a tough time building a practice. </p>
<p>So your choice is to choose a career that is needed in the place you want to live, or move to a place that has jobs in your chosen career. </p>
<p>It’s definitely not easy finding jobs right now for new graduates. That’s 1 of the reasons that managing college debt so important . Then graduates are not is limited in the positions they can take and the starting salary they can accept. </p>
<p>Sent from my DROID RAZR using CC</p>
<p>Great points vlines.</p>
<p>thanks- I live in Alabama-</p>
<p>I wouldn’t give much credence to one person’s child’s experience. We have no idea of how he interviews, what his grades were, what limits he placed on job locations (maybe he’s refusing to look outside of the B’ham area), how many realistic apps he’s submitted, how aggressive he’s been, etc.</p>
<p>Companies in Cummings Research Park are hiring, has he looked there?</p>
<p>While the entire country’s economy is hurting now, there are jobs for CS majors as well as others. Are there any guarantees? No, but there never are…even with a great economy.</p>
<p>A close friend’s son graduated from Columbia in "09 in eng’g. He still hasn’t found employment in his field…but it’s largely his fault. They live in North Orange County Calif and he’ll only look for jobs in a few closeby zipcodes. If he had considered relocating, he’d have had a job shortly after graduation. </p>
<p>On the other hand, my nephew graduated at the same time from a UC with a CS and engineering degree. He lives 3 miles away from this other graduate. He was immediately hired because he was willing to relocate.</p>
<p>Two of our 4 are out of school and both started their jobs with in a month of graduation. I would echo what has been said. Relocating can be important but an excellent resume is the key I think. </p>
<p>Our oldest graduated from Columbia University Fu School of Engineering. She has yet to use her degree. She is a Production Coordinator for film and is currently employed by CBS filming a pilot called “Elementary” that hopefully will be part of the fall line up. But…her major helped build a fabulous resume (she was an intern for the Lion King, using her mechanical drawing skills to take apart and draw each puppet and how it worked mechanically)…this along with willing to start at the bottom as a Production Assistant has helped her to the place she is now.</p>
<p>Our second child graduated from Missouri State University with a degree in Marketing. She took a job for a marketing sweat shop called CEB in Washington DC. She was not at the top of her class although she did graduate with Honors. What helped her was yet again a killer resume. During college she worked on a host of committees that used her marketing background, head of Relay for Life for the University, Intern in Marketing at the Springfield Zoo, She was in charge or Greek Life Homecoming, and Greek Fest.<br>
What I am dribbling on to say is that just the GPA and class rank won’t do it. I think that getting involved on campus doing activities, clubs and research that are linked to your major AND NETWORKING…are key components to employment after the diploma. This child is currently on her third job since graduation in '08. She left CEB and moved up the corporate ladder to a premier marketing firm and just accepted a job (she starts Monday) at Georgetown University, where she will doing marketing while working in their development office working with their Board of Regents and high end donors. If she hadn’t been willing to move from Missouri to DC and had a killer resume she wouldn’t be where she is today.</p>
<p>Child number three will graduate May 11 from Loyola University, Chicago. He has a double major in English and Women’s Gender Studies. He is currently applying for jobs across the United States. He has an interview with the NY Yankees as a Minor League Baseball Scout and also one with the Royals (he spent his spring break with them in Arizona). He is also applying for internships in archiving at the Guggenheim in NYC and in Dallas. He is planning on going to Grad School in a year and get a masters in archiving. My husband is worried if he gets the baseball job Grad school will be history. Again…he has used his networking connections and internship in the Women’s Archives at Loyola to open doros and he is willing to relocate. </p>
<p>Networking is important. The DC child was hired for her first job by a woman who was affiliated with my daughter’s sorority. I am sure that wasn’t the only reason she was hired but when she found out that my daughter was a Sigma Kappa and that she had held Exec positions for 3 years I think it helped. I am not saying your child has to go Greek to be successful, there are many networking opportunities out there. I would encourage your kids to get involved on campus…Join, do, take risks and explore…meet people, build a resume of experiences in your desired job field and most importantly be willing to go out and experience the world. </p>
<p>Jobs are out there…you have to “think outside the box”.</p>
<p>thanks for the heads up- i continue to tell mine to get involved on campus…</p>
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<p>I always wondered what one did with a degree in Womens Gender Studies…never thought it would lead to a job as a scout for a baseball team! LOL</p>
<p>We live in the Northeast, and my sister said that if my DS goes to Alabama he will never get a job up North. First, I don’t think she knows what she is talking about. Second, sadly I don’t think he wants to come back here to live. Too cold for him. He is majoring in Electrical Engineering. Anyone have experience with job searches in this field around the country? Will he be able to work anywhere with a degree from Bama?</p>
<p>As someone from the Northeast let me give my opinion. I have 2 older kids who went to Ivies(back when it was a little easier to get in), S is a Freshman at Bama. Bama can hold it’s own among any of the NE State Flagship U’s- UCONN, UMASS, URI, UVM. I have degrees from both UCONN & UVM- way more impressed with Bama. S could not have gotten in to the honors college at our state flagship- too small & too competitive.</p>
<p>Think about it if you were an employer having this conversation-
Employer - Why would you go to the University of Alabama?
Applicant - It’s a great school and I received a full tuition scholarship to study in the Honors College. This allowed me to graduate with zero debt so I was able to study abroad a semester, travel during some summers when I wasn’t working, and will allow me to afford grad school in the future. As part of the Honors College I was able to do research in the Emerging Scholars program as a freshman and continued this research throughout my four years at Bama. Because the school is diverse, I learned to work with a wide variety of people and personalities. </p>
<p>I think most employers would be interested in a student like this.</p>
<p>As the previous posters have said, its what you do at your undergrad that can make the difference as you start to look for jobs. Both of my older kids had to relocate to work in exactly the fields they wanted. Neither of them were recruited on campus. </p>
<p>When I hired recent graduates it was always what kind of other experience they had and gpa. For me, it had to be above a 3.0 at least.</p>
<p>^ yes, but can Bama hold its own against better schools? Frankly those northeast flagships are nothing special. To an employer, how will a Bama grad stack up to those from Georgia Tech, Michigan, and the like?</p>
<p>My own son grapples with this very question as he considers his choices. Employers trip over themselves to recruit and hire interns and graduates at Georgia Tech. Would passing on that opportunity to choose Bama be wise? Question of a lifetime.</p>
<p>Since my H is a hiring engineering manager, I can tell you that Bama grads have no problem competing with the GT grads, Purdue grads, etc. He doesn’t get many UMich applicants, so I can’t speak to that school.</p>
<p>H is a Purdue grad and he has said many times that our kids’ courses have been far more demanding than what he had. He has said that our kids learn as undergrads what he learned in grad school.</p>
<p>However, the rest of my family hires for Boeing, Canon, and DirecTV…and they don’t care which undergrad you went to…engineering isn’t that unique…all the ABET accredited programs are good enough. They look at what the person did, their grades, their coursework, etc. They’ll hire from a CSU to a RPI to whatever. They hire the person.</p>
<p>I think that you’re wrongly assuming that there are just too few engineering jobs…there aren’t. There are many. Engineering grads are not sitting around being unemployed. </p>
<p>The sad thing is when one grad from a “top school” took on debt to go there…and then he find out that his colleagues from mid-tiers earn the SAME as he does, without the big debt. </p>
<p>NO ONE pays a UMich grad or a GT grad more money. No one. </p>
<p>But, if you want to spend more for GT, well…GT will gladly take your money. :)</p>
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<p>Spot on! That’s how you graduate from Missouri State and have Georgetown decide you’re the one they want. </p>
<p>Awesome post, ahpimommy. I shared it in it’s entirety with my son. </p>
<p>I’ve hired plenty of staff and selected several interns in my time. What are you made of, what have you done, and what can you do have always been far more important to me than where did you matriculate. I once selected a grad of Towson State over a grad of Harvard for a key professional position and never regretted it. </p>
<p>And, before y’all flame me 
I recognize that college pedigree and an elite experience, if you can afford it, may be helpful. But in my experience if you’ve got the goods, the will, and the character, you’ll find a path to success, regardless of your undergrad school.</p>
<p>Malani: But in my experience if you’ve got the goods, the will, and the character, you’ll find a path to success, regardless of your undergrad school.
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<p>You’re right, Malani. These quotes from Paul “Bear” Bryant apply to more than football.</p>
<p>“If you believe in yourself, have dedication and pride and never quit, you’ll be a winner. The price of victory is high, but so are the rewards”</p>
<p>" It’s not the will to win, but the will to prepare to win that makes the difference."</p>
<p>“There’s a lot of blood, sweat, and guts between dreams and success.”</p>
<p>“Show class, have pride, and display character. If you do, winning takes care of itself.”</p>
<p>M2CK, are those companies like Boeing, Canon, and DirecTV (or for that matter GE, Microsoft, Apple, Goldman Sachs, etc.) actively recruiting at UA, or do students need to seek them out on their own? Companies like these are very active at schools like GT. Can you tell us about the campus recruiting at UA?</p>
<p>Chardo, Perhaps the UA Career Center can answer your questions. [Student</a> Affairs | Career Center](<a href=“Career Center”>Career Center)</p>
<p>I see that they have an Engineering Satellite, job fairs, and a program in September dedicated to “Technical and Engineering.”</p>
<p>Phone: 205-348-5848.</p>
<p>Chardo…</p>
<p>Since my eng’g son is a junior and pre-med, I didn’t think that I could adequately answer your question. So, I sent an email to Dr. Charles Karr, Dean of the Col of Eng’g asking for specific info. </p>
<p>I want to be able to give you the most accurate info. Since my older son went right to a PhD program and my younger one is applying to med schools this summer, neither of my kids ever did the “job fair” thing at Bama, so I didn’t have first-hand info. </p>
<p>When Dr. Karr answers, I will post.</p>
<p>I am confident that he will answer. Last year, I emailed him asking whether Bama would consider opening an office in Cummings Research Park (like GT has). He sent me a “hand written” letter! Very thoughtful and very long! I was very impressed. And, yes, Bama did open an office in CRP a few months later. :)</p>
<p>Hopefully, he won’t snail mail this time…lol</p>
<p>I actually emailed Dr. Haskew, head of electrical engineering, with the same question (we met with him on our tour). He replied and said that he forwarded it on to Gayle Howell. She is manager of the Career Center Satellite for the College of Engineering. Dr. Haskew said while he could name a few national companies that recruit, Gayle can shed more light on the subject than he can.</p>
<p>Dr. Karr just contacted me. Gayle Howell is going to contact me with the specifics on companies and recruiting for each eng’g discipline.</p>
<p>I’ll post tomorrow what I learn.</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>Very interested in this. Is there a career center office branch that deals specifically with engineering majors? And what is this office for Bama at Cummins Research Park? Is this an office a student can call to see if there are any job openings at companies located there? Would you happen to know the phone number up there?</p>