Graduates can find assistance from job portals in their search for gainful employment post-graduation. (Photo Credit: ajschwegler)
It’s almost time—time for a new batch of college graduates. Thousands of bright-eyed, fresh-faced graduates get ready to enter the “real world.” But ask any graduate and most would tell you, it’s a pretty scary time entering the job market with thousands of folks still unemployed. California’s unemployment rate was 9.6 percent in February.
“It’s nerve-wracking because, the more people who are laid off, the more competition you have for every job that is available,” said Dan Kulick, a student at Whittier College, who graduates in May. “Those people have more work experience which is really crucial right now. Having an education is great but you really can’t beat someone with years of experience if you’re a new college graduate.”
Kulick will finish school with a BA degree in political science. He’s been applying for internships and jobs in the political arena.
“To me, there are more applicants than jobs right now, so it’s a little disconcerting.”
For Kulick, like many millennials with smartphones and tablets on them 24/7, job portals and other employment websites are helpful when looking for a job.
“I’m using a portal right now and it’s a really useful thing for internships and political type jobs centered around issues, but I only found that through a contact at another job that posted their application on there,” said Kulick.
Here’s one more you can add to the list of job portals: CACareerCafe.com. The project, funded by the Chancellor’s Office, offers a free access for students looking for jobs and internships and employers looking to fill those open positions.
The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and the California Employment Development Department have partnered to integrate the state’s main job search portal, CalJOBS, with California Career Cafe.
“With 82,000 jobs currently posted, we want to get Californians into open jobs as part of ‘Doing What MATTERS for Jobs and the Economy,'” said Van Ton-Quinlivan, Vice Chancellor for Workforce and Economic Development. “Why not leverage this investment already made by our sister agency for these online resources to better support our students, employers and colleges?”
The job portal is straightforward and user-friendly for both students and employers. Besides browsing around for a job, students can also get career advice.
“In my opinion, colleges, like mine, don’t really do a good job of showing or telling you what those resources are,” said Kulick. “They prep you on interviews and resumes and many colleges have career centers, but not a lot of them tell us where to find the jobs. I think websites like CACareercafe.com will be beneficial to me and my peers.”
Here’s another bonus to the portal partnership: campuses can get insight into what jobs students are searching for by tracking campus of origin, what jobs students have submitted applications for, and how employers and students are using the system to connect.
“This collaboration demonstrates a commitment among the public workforce system partners to more effectively serve our common customers and facilitate their employment success,” said Dennis Petrie, EDD’s Deputy Director of Workforce Services. “Californians truly benefit when state government breaks through program and service silos with the goal of enhancing employer and job seeker connections.”
