“There’s still a lot of entry-level hiring,” said Jeff
Sackaroff, associate director of University Career Services.
Last fall, 122 employers came to campus to recruit.
“It was down 20 percent, but still,” Stiles said. “Some
employers are sticking with their intern hiring, knowing the intern won’t become full time until a year from
this summer. They don’t want to be caught without
anybody in the pipeline.” Stiles also said he thinks new
hires might be better protected from layoffs than more
senior employees. “Employers see them as a source of
cheap labor,” he said.
Even some financial companies continue to offer
internships. Margaret Ann Hughes ’05 visited Carolina
in January as a campus recruiter for Northwestern
Mutual Financial Network. “People look at financial
services and say, ‘How can you be hiring?’” she said at
an internship fair in the Student Union. “But Northwestern Mutual is a very conservative company. We
have done well, and we’re still hiring.”
Jill Walker Simpson ’00, at the fair as a recruiter for
Nestlé Purina, said the economy has had an impact on
both the numbers and the backgrounds of those
approaching her booth. “We’re talking to students who
are changing what they’re looking for in their career,”
she said, citing a business major who had been considering a career in finance. “We’re seeing more students
than usual, and we’re seeing those who might not have
considered a career in sales.”
Thinking creatively about how to stay connected
with his target industry led Joe Bennett ’03 to move
into sales. The management and society major had
worked for two years as a project manager in the con-
struction industry
when he was let go
in October.
“I wanted to stay
in construction and
development for my
career,” he says. “But
because of the economy, there weren’t
many opportunities,
and those that were
there were going to
people with 10 years’
experience instead of
two.
“I started to network. I got in touch with everybody I knew and let
them know what happened. The people I’d get on the
phone with would be concerned about their own
jobs.”
In consultation with Conklin, Bennett began
rethinking what he’d be willing to do. “I thought of
ways I would find jobs at least related to the industry I
want to be in, so I can keep learning and developing.”
He used an Internet-based fax service to distribute his
resume and cover letter to construction-related companies in the Triangle. Early in January, he started working
for the Chet Adams Co. as a sales representative.
Because he calls on general contractors, mechanical
engineers and mechanical contractors, he is maintaining
his ties to the construction industry. Sales, he says, “is
not a bad set of skills to acquire. I really enjoy it so far.”
While industries such as construction and banking
COURTESY JOE BENNETT ’03
Joe Bennett ’03
switched to sales to
stay in the construction and development
industry after being
let go as a project
manager.
It’s Not All the Economy
During a recession, it’s easy to assume Chinyere Alu, a public health graduate Corps numbers double.Volunteering with
that the economy is the most powerful student and Carolina’s campus Peace the corps is “also a good way for people
factor in young alumni career decisions. Corps recruiter, says that while interest in to build their skills to be more competi-But if the choices of graduating seniors volunteering with the organization has tive in this economy,” she said.
are any indication, that might not be the been high this year, few mention the Jacquelyn Gist ’ 81, assistant director at
case. economy among their reasons for apply- University Career Services, says that over
Tim Stiles, associate director at Uni- ing. “Some are saying, ‘I’m still trying to the past few years she has seen more
versity Career Services, said that, as was figure out what I’d like to do, and this will interest in working for nonprofit organi-the case after 9/11, the economic down- give me more time to do that while zations such as the Peace Corps and Teach
turn might shift the values of seniors and doing something valuable.’ Others say For America. “I don’t think you can
recent graduates. “You can see patriotism they always knew they wanted to do attribute it directly to the economy,” said
like you haven’t seen it for a while,” he Peace Corps, or they have studied abroad, Gist, who also earned a master’s degree in
says. “That’s converging with the whole or they’re interested in foreign service.” social work from UNC in 1985. “There
idea of public service coming back into For several years, UNC has been are many other reasons why kids want to
vogue. Young people are excited about among the top campuses in producing make a meaningful contribution. I have
working for the federal government Peace Corps volunteers, Alu said. Prospec- seen a real increase in interest in commu-again.” That’s good, he says, because they tive applicants mention President Barack nity and wanting to do meaningful
can replace the baby boomers now retir- Obama’s statement during the presidential work.”
ing from government service. campaign that he wanted to see Peace
