College grads face shaky employment landscape

The old adage of "go to college, get a job" is just that --- old. Many 20-somethings increasingly are graduating college with no place to go.

More than half of recent college graduates are unemployed or working jobs that do not require a bachelor's degree, according to a 2012 report by The Associated Press.

Dianne Clarito, a senior at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, expects to graduate in May, but she is not optimistic about her job prospects.

"I'm worried," said Clarito, who is majoring in accounting. "... It's really competitive right now."

Clarito said she struggled to get internships during college and even offered to work for free at accounting firms that offered pay for interns.

"It makes me wonder what I'm doing wrong," she said.

Camille Owens, a junior at UNLV, is not nearly as worried as Clarito. Owens is getting a degree in human services counseling and works two part-time jobs.

"I feel like there's always a need for social workers and government workers," Owens said. "... I feel like I'll be well-qualified for such a job. I could be naive; I don't know."

The good news for Clarito is that her degree is one of the few in demand, said Kelly Wuest, director of career services at the College of Southern Nevada.

Business degrees also have stayed in high demand since the recession.

Wuest's office helps students find work and offers services such as resume critiques and mock interviews. Employers send openings to her office, and she connects students with those jobs.

Before 2007, it was "much easier," Wuest said.

"People could breathe," she said. "They got their degree, they got a job. The employment aspect was much simpler."

And while the job market for recent college graduates is not great, it is improving, Wuest said.

Las Vegas' biggest industry ---- casinos ---- is in a "tremendous upswing" in terms of job prospects, said Bobbie Barnes, director of career and student services for UNLV's William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration.

"It looks better than it has in several years," Barnes said.

The hotel program graduates about 1,000 students every year, Barnes said. The school has a 74 percent placement rate.

About 25 percent of students are international, and about 60 percent of graduates find work outside of Las Vegas, she said.

Barnes said a college degree became a necessity in the last 20 years for those looking to enter hotel management. Along with a degree, flexibility is "of utmost importance," she said.

Contact View education reporter Jeff Mosier at jmosier@viewnews.com or 702-224-5524.