Despite reports of declining unemployment nationwide, top jobs remain scarce, but University of Delaware graduates have a clear advantage because they have superior education and are better prepared for the job search, according to Edgar Townsend, director of UD's MBNA Career Services Center.
"It's a recovering market. I don't think I would say it's a healthy market," Townsend says. "Companies remain cautious, but they are hiring--but not quite where I would consider it a healthy job market for graduates."
Through workshops and individual counseling sessions, the center advises students on how to use the Internet for their job search, teaches them resumé-writing and interviewing skills and offers suggestions for refining the way they present themselves.
"Our students have very strong academic preparation, especially in economics, finance and engineering," Townsend says. "In the accounting area, the major public accounting firms have had a very good relationship with us because the students do well when they are hired. Our students also present themselves effectively."
Julia Sanchez, the campus recruiter for the Philadelphia office of Deloitte, a global accounting firm, says UD graduates have outstanding qualities.
"Those students that I have had contact with have definitely impressed me," she says. "They seem to be ahead of the game when it comes to business etiquette and interviewing skills. I was amazed by how much these students wanted to learn about our firm and our services and the research they had done prior to meeting me. That is always impressive."
Lauren Folk, BE '03, says her internship at a financial planning firm and an internship class she took at the career center helped her become an investment associate at Wilmington Trust.
"It was extremely useful," Folk says of the class. "It gives you better ways to present yourself for an interview. You just feel more experienced looking for a job."
--Martin Mbugua