Lehman College graduates look ahead to tough times

Lehman College students who donned their caps for graduation Thursday did so with joy and some apprehension as they prepare to enter a gloomy job market. ?Last year looks better than this year ?,? says

News 12 Staff

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May 29, 2008, 11:07 PM

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Updated 6,049 days ago

Lehman College students who donned their caps for graduation Thursday did so with joy and some apprehension as they prepare to enter a gloomy job market.

?Last year looks better than this year ?,? says Safurat Sanni, a 2008 graduate.

The National Association of Colleges and Employers argues that the class of 2008 isn?t entering a poor job market, though they do expect employers won?t be hiring as many graduates as they projected.

?Well it?s a little different because of the recession,? says Nancy Ann Cintron, director of Career Services at Lehman. ?Students are concerned about acquiring jobs after they graduate.?

While jobs such as those in finance might be harder to come by this year because of massive layoffs on Wall Street, Cintron points out that there is always a need for teachers and nurses.

Cintron says a key word to keep in mind is flexibility.

?If they know what their skills are, how can they transfer those skills to other industries,? Cintron says.

Cintron advises students to develop and maintain relationships with people they meet through internships. Contacts, she says, could give the recent graduate who is job hunting an advantage.

Some graduates have chosen to eschew this year?s job market for a different destination: graduate school.

?Getting a bachelor?s is more like getting a high school degree now,? says Amaka Anagbosu, who is also graduating this year.

Many students believe an advanced degree is what will set them apart in the long run.