It seems more and more people are out of work these days as applications for unemployment benefits increased to a two month high of 378,000 last week. That's an increase of 22,000 from the previous week.
This is not good news for those young adults getting ready to walk across the stage and into the real world. Graduation is just weeks away, and college students are already thinking of that next step.
"I've had a few interviews so far, and I've had a few call backs and hopefully soon I'll be able to know where my next job is," says David Daniele, currently a junior at JMU, but he has already started the job hunt.
Daniele is majoring in quantitative finance and mathematics, and says if he doesn't get a job in his field, he has a plan b.
"One of my brother's friend's dad said I could do some accounting work for his company, and if not, I know my old boss from back at home, she'll be more than willing to allow me to work at my previous job," says Daniele.
Other students have been going to the Virginia Employment Commission to find their first job.
David Silcox, a representative for the VEC, says, "They are starting to find out about some of the resources that we have here at the Employment Commission, and so traffic is picking up a little bit and they're using a lot of our resources."
The VEC uses a job website similar to Monster.com or Career Builder that you can use to search and apply for jobs without even leaving your home. Some of those jobs aren't your typical entry-level positions.
"We've had employers post jobs through us or the system will find that are $250,000-a-year jobs," says Silcox.
The employment commission offers some tips to help soon-to-be graduates find the right direction.
"Start early, use all the resources that are available to you especially the free ones like ours, and get your information out there," says Silcox.
A general rule of thumb is to start searching for a job six months before graduation. Even if an employer wants to hire you, and they won't wait for you to graduate, at least you know your resume works.
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