Graduation the end or beginning?

When Ciera Duronslet began her career at Nicholls State University, she knew she was destined for graduate school.

But what the Spring 2010 chemistry graduate didn’t know when she began four years ago was the lackluster job market would make that decision easier than ever.

“A lot of companies have put a freeze on hiring,” said Duronslet. “Some places I know I could get a job in normal times and make really good money have put a freeze on hiring, and I can’t get a job.”

Duronslet has already made her decision: she is one of many soon-to-be Nicholls graduates faced with a difficult choice – attend graduate school and stay out of the workforce for another few years, or risk taking months or years to find a job after receiving a bachelor’s degree.

Coupled with a tough economy, Nicholls Career Services Director Kristie Tauzin Goulas feels more Nicholls graduates are choosing graduate school over the workforce simply as a way to keep up with their competition.

“Sometimes I think it’s the nature of the degrees they’re seeking,” said Tauzin Goulas. “It’s a thing now that it’s more common for people to go get their masters anyway, so I don’t know if it’s necessarily what the economy is doing.”

Although Duronslet may already have a foot in the door with Marathon Oil after interning there earlier in her college career, the St. James native would rather not take an entry-level position with the company.

“I could go there and easily get a job and easily make money, but my job isn’t necessarily secure, especially not right now,” she said.

The future LSU doctorate candidate feels higher education could help her land a career-job with opportunities for advancement.

“I won’t have to start from the bottom,” said Duronslet. “They’re cutting the jobs at the bottom. They’re even cutting some jobs at the top, too, but I feel like if I spend five years in school, by the time I get out, maybe the economy will be a little bit better, and I won’t have to worry about that.”

But not all soon-to-be Nicholls graduates have their futures mapped out as well as Duronslet, according to Tauzin Goulas.

“I think that our seniors are having a tough time,” she said. “I definitely feel like I’m seeing more students who are seeing they need to come in and get resume help or some interview tips and for me to show them where they need to be looking.”

For students not interested in graduate school, Tauzin Goulas said her best advice for students is to find a particular company, industry or organization they have a passion for, attempt to find an entry-level job in that field and work their way up from there.

“Put some time and effort and stay a long time. Put some loyalty into that company,” she added. “Decide that it’s OK to get an entry-level job, and then prove to somebody along the way I know what I’m doing, and I can help make this company a better place by really putting in some hard work.”

Tauzin Goulas explained there is no shame starting at the bottom because even long-time workers are getting laid off and being forced to accept entry-level type jobs in today’s economy.

“Jobs just aren’t as readily available, but that’s everywhere,” she said. “It’s not just for our graduating seniors. It’s for everybody out there. People looking for part time jobs are seeing that.”

Although the Tri-parish area enjoys a much lower unemployment rate than the national average, Tauzin Goulas does not necessarily think this give Nicholls students a leg-up over students from the rest of the country.

“You would have to look at the types of jobs that are available,” she said. “Are they college graduate jobs? Are they jobs that employers are seeking someone with a bachelor’s degree? Or are they more jobs that are technical, skilled, laborer jobs where that’s not the kind of job our students are looking for. So they’re still combating that problem.”