Current college students and job seekers can learn from Class of ’11’s mistakes

In a recent article for The New York Times, writer Nathaniel Penn detailed a recent survey of the 2011 graduating class at Drew University, a New Jersey-based higher learning facility. The school was chosen as the basis for a survey of current employment trends by the newspaper, as it ranked 94th out of the 178 colleges for liberal arts in a recent U.S. News and World Report study.

According to a follow-up study conducted by the Times, nearly one out of every five job seekers in the school’s most recent graduating class is currently unemployed. Similarly, one out of every three graduates surveyed had a job that involved retail work, food service or customer service duties.

As a result, college students and job seekers may want to take note of the picture the study paints of the employment market and plan accordingly. For example, taking IT classes could prove more beneficial for those who can still switch majors or enroll in online courses that can help them further their career.

Recent reports say that the IT industry is growing faster than many others, and that it has many job openings it has been unable to fill with qualified applicants. Because of this, those who are able to market their skills to employers in the industry may be able to garner higher salaries and increased benefits.

Due to these trends, those who are still pursuing education, either in college or as a member of the workforce, and are trying to improve their career prospects can benefit from online courses from top providers that can prepare them for Microsoft or Oracle certifications.

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