University of Memphis student Farhan Ali will graduate May 1with a master's degree in industrial and systems engineering. The24-year-old India native has already sent out 10 resumes. AlthoughAli hasn't received any responses, he said he thinks he'll find ajob and would like to stay in the United States.
However, Ali said he's not willing to work in a field outsidehis degree.
"If I don't find a job, I have two options -- to join a Ph.D.program or go home to India," Ali said. "In India, chances arebright that I would go into the operations industry."
Not all U of M graduates will have to make post-graduationdecisions as hard as Ali's, but they may have to consider positionsoutside their fields of study to find work.
With the still-soft economy, students must be flexible, considerhow their degrees can be used in other fields and use campusservices like eRecruiting to aid in their job search, said KarenHayes, U of M Career and Employment Services director.
"An English major took a receptionist position with a localhospital because that's where he wanted to work," she said. "Aftera year he was promoted to recruiter. We encourage students to lookat other opportunities to get their foot in the door."
Getting a foot in the door is what 23-year-old internationalbusiness major Jessica Mowery did.
In 2002, she interned for the Walt Disney World College Program.After graduation this spring, she will work in retail for a monthand then head to Orlando, Fla., to work as an operations hostessfor Walt Disney World, she said.
"It doesn't bother me if I'm not working in internationalbusiness," Mowery said. "I'll use the business skills I'velearned."
Students can explore many opportunities by applying the skillslearned in college to positions outside their majors, Hayes said.They can search for those opportunities through Career andEmployment Service's eRecruiting system, a nationwide database thatlists more than 3,000 employers.
When looking for work outside degree programs, students shouldconsider how their skills match prospective employers' needs, Hayessaid, adding that what students see as a temporary job outside oftheir field of study can lead to a permanent one they trulyenjoy.
"It runs the gambit," she said. "You pay your dues, and that canultimately lead to a dream job."
