What’s Next?
by Lena Benson on March 10, 2010 in HKS News, News
Despite unemployment rates and the current hiring climate, graduating HKS students have much to be optimistic about as they begin their job quest.
Many two-year degree students entered the Kennedy School in 2008 expecting to be courted by numerous employers after they graduate. But they are now experiencing a rude awakening as they watch their friends and even parents search for jobs following layoffs.
Despite the change in domestic and international employment markets in the last two years, not all hope is lost, though, especially at HKS. Although it looked like last year’s HKS graduating class had much to be concerned about getting jobs, data from a post-graduation survey conducted by The Office of Career Advancement (OCA) found that these students secured employment at almost exactly the same rate as graduates in past years. Of the 86% of students who completed the survey, 50% were settled (meaning had a job, were continuing their education, or were taking time off) by graduation and 90% were settled by October.
What was different, however, was where jobs were found. More students entered the public sector as federal job opportunities increased and private sector jobs like international development consulting and non-federal public finance became scarce. “What we are seeing is that an HKS degree is resilient in a down economy because of all the diverse skills you acquire during your time here,” said Mary Beaulieu, Interim Director of OCA.
But even with news this promising, who has the time to search for a job between SYPA and PAE work? It’s a matter of individual initiative, really. Actually the Kennedy School is full of promising job search resources once you really find time to devote to it. Some students begin by brushing up on their interview skills, meeting with a career coach, and revising their resume – all of which are services provided at OCA. Next, many continue their quest by tapping into old networks like their previous employers, their undergraduate institution, or their summer internship.
Others look to HKS faculty, alumni, the research centers, and fellow students (especially Mid-Careers) for leads and insight. MPP ‘10 Brendan Rivage-Seul recently received an offer to join the U.S. Foreign Service at the State Department after graduation. “As I was going through the selection process I found JACK to be an incredibly useful tool for helping me prepare for the written and oral exams. I also spoke with two HKS alumni who had gone through the process and Professor Nick Burns generously met with me on multiple occasions to talk about the exams and the realities of the life in the Foreign Service.”
But most students are still on the lookout out for that next step. Beaulieu tells students not to let anxiety ruin the final months of school. Over 250 new jobs are posted in JACK (Jobs and Careers at the Kennedy School) each month and the OCA estimates that over 100 more employers will come to HKS between now and May. By setting up a “Job Search Agent,” jobs posted on JACK that fit your criteria are immediately emailed to you. But the task of finding a job can be a bit harder for those not looking in Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C., where the majorities of these jobs are found. “I am specifically dedicated to going back to Philadelphia to serve my hometown,” says MPP ‘10 Chris Arlene, “I decided to find a PAE client in Philadelphia in hopes of turning the process into a vehicle for my job search. I’m also planning on tapping my established network back home.”
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