65% of 2008-09 CMU grads employed; majority has job in field of study, survey says

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Nearly two-thirds of 2008-09 Central Michigan University graduates have found a job post-graduation.

Sixty-five percent of that year’s alumni reported having a job and 21 percent said they were in graduate school, according to the graduate survey, which was conducted shortly after the 2008-09 academic year. Graduate surveys from universities in Michigan show a decline in the number of graduates with jobs.

Career Services Director Julia Sherlock said the rate of post-graduation employment has probably been declining because of the economy, but she thinks the number will soon be on the rise because of new job opportunities.

“Employers love recent graduates because they are fresh, talented, and economically reasonable,” Sherlock said.

About 87 percent of those employed had a job in their field of study, according to the survey. Though the number of graduates staying in Michigan is decreasing, almost 70 percent did.

Grandville senior Mike Mueller will not be looking for a job in Michigan or anywhere else after graduation. He plans on attending graduate school and realizes CMU has given him more than just grades.

“CMU doesn’t just focus on classes, but also the well-rounded development of a person,” he said.

In an online survey of 2008-09 Western Michigan University graduates, employment rates were divided for each major. WMU reported an employment rate 10 percent lower than CMU in the business field, which made up a large portion of majors.

Grand Valley State University has also seen a decline in employment after graduation, from 75 to 72 percent from 2007-08 to 2008-09, according to its post-graduate employment report.

The survey suggests GVSU students have a higher rate of employment than those from CMU, but a lower rate of students attending graduate school.

Wayne State University’s graduate report showed 73 percent of surveyed May 2010 graduates were employed at the time of graduation.

The graduation employment rates for each school are calculated by optional surveys. The statistics only show trends and may be subject to misinformation submitted by respondents.

Saginaw senior LeAundre Jackson will graduate this semester and hopes to find a job soon after. He hopes to use his information systems major of to find a job with a company like SC Johnson or Whirlpool.

“I feel like my job will involve groups and working with others, and a lot of my classes at CMU were like that,” Jackson said.

Employers look further than just grade point averages and academics. They want an employee with other skills and field work experience too, Sherlock said.

“We are hard-working and willing to start at the bottom,” she said. “We aren’t just a diploma factory.”