Student job opportunities scarce in recession

Brian Dabu knows what it’s like to be unemployed.

“Got it like that, gone like that,” Dabu said of his previous job.

Dabu, who is a senior art history major at Cal State Long Beach, worked retail-related jobs until he was let go four days before Christmas.

Like most of the nation, Dabu and other college students are struggling to deal with the effects of the recession. But along with general living costs, college students must factor in the cost of tuition — which is potentially on the rise.

Since the early 80s, the average cost of college tuition and fees has increased at nearly three times the rate as that of median family income, according to “Measuring Up 2008,” a study done by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education.

The timing could not be any worse for Dabu, who just moved into a new house in downtown Santa Ana. Dabu has a full-time course load and is increasingly concerned about finding a steady source of income.

“I’m worried about making rent,” Dabu said.

College students’ lack of experience and the country’s being in a recession make it difficult for them to even find part-time jobs.

As of February, Los Angeles County’s unemployment rate was 11 percent, according to the California Employment Development Department.

In order to find funding to cover the cost of college, many students who do not qualify for federal or state aid take out loans, obtain credit cards or take on full-time jobs.

Arthur Zajac, a senior film major who lost his job on New Year’s Day, now faces the realities of being unemployed and is currently searching for a new source of income.

Zajac had worked at Apple Inc. for more than two years before he was laid off in January.

“I was thinking that of all companies, Apple wasn’t going to let people go,” Zajac said. “Times are tough, even Apple was feeling it.”

Zajac said struggling to secure a new source of income has affected his schoolwork negatively. He said he is devoting more time to finding a job than to doing schoolwork.

“It’s my senior year too, so I have to be on top of my game,” Zajac said, “but I’m more concerned about making rent or eating.”

Students like Dabu and Zajac are forced to adjust an already paltry lifestyle in order to get by during this economic downturn.

But while there are some students struggling to find security in a turbulent economy, there are also students who are confident in their post-graduate career goals.

Kathy Prakone is a junior psychology major who plans to parlay her studies in the health industry.

While looking up resources at the CSULB Career Development Center (CDC), she learned about the constant demand for health workers and an increasing demand for workers in the new-energy fields.

The CDC is anticipating a huge surge of students looking for help post-graduation, according to Jina Flores, a CDC counselor.

Flores said there has been an increase in both alumni and undergraduates looking for jobs at the CDC.

The CDC helps students plan for their careers, write resumes and place them in career fields relevant to their majors.

In addition to career guidance, the CDC also helps students with choosing majors and setting goals.

Flores said she urges students who are struggling financially to look into scholarship opportunities, many of which go overlooked.

Flores also said she wants students to make a concerted effort to pick careers that are relevant to their majors, just like Prakone. Flores stressed being preemptive in searching for a job, whether students have graduated or are in the process of doing so.

“We have so many resources and start as early as possible,” she said.

Preemptive searching is all students like Dabu and Zajac can do.

Dabu is in the process of looking for jobs in day care, but is lukewarm about his prospects.

“We’ll see what happens,” he said.

Zajac said he has spent hours searching for “help wanted” signs and looking at Craigslist ads and the classifieds for jobs.

“Days aren’t even days anymore,” Zajac said about how unemployment has affected his daily routine. “Everyday is Monday.”

The updated version of this story was posted at 8 p.m. on March 22