Job placement lowest in years
With the economy in its current slump, many companies are not hiring like they once did, and some Franklin College students are feeling the pinch.
Kirk Bixler, director of career services and assistant dean of students, teaches students the skills needed to find jobs. Bixler focuses on interview and resume skills that help give Franklin students advantages in the job market.
Bixler said he noticed a severe decrease in the number of companies looking to hire students this year.
“Across the board we are seeing a general slow down,” Bixler said.
This “slow down” is evident when looking at the job fairs Franklin is involved with. College Talent Recruitment Day, a workshop geared toward placing students in internship and full-time positions, had a significant decrease in the number of companies willing to hire students.
There are typically around 95 companies looking to hire students, and this year there were only 57 at the recruitment day, Bixler said.
Throughout the nine years of Bixler’s employment at Franklin, he said this is the worst plunge he had seen.
Bixler said that part of the problem students are facing this year is the competition. People with years of experience are now being laid off and looking at entry-level jobs that college students, and recent alumni, normally fill.
In order to combat these tough circumstances, Bixler had a few recommendations to help students with their search.
People looking for full-time positions after they graduate need to be willing to relocate. Bixler also warned that students need to be patient when looking for a job, because it can be time consuming.
Starting the job search early increases the chance of finding the ideal job, Bixler said.
Relying on a network of people can also be a strategy for job placement. They could be a huge help in finding employment, Bixler said.
Brad Phillips, a freshman business and marketing major, credits his summer job at Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) to his parents’ network. Phillips’s father works at ADM, which gave him an advantage when hired last summer.
Bixler also said that going above and beyond to stand out in an employer’s mind will help students get the job they are searching for.
Bixler believes there are jobs out there, and students just need to find out about them.
