The scripts are available for printing and for sound bite identification.

Go to http://www.wichita.edu/newsline to get the current Wichita State University Newsline. If you cannot access the Newsline at the Web address above, contact Joe Kleinsasser at (316) 978-3013 or cell (316) 204-8266 or joe.kleinsasser@wichita.edu. Newsline cuts may be edited to suit your needs. If you have additional questions for Jill Pletcher after listening to the WSU Newsline, please call him at (316) 978-6830 or jill.pletcher@wichita.edu.

Background: For college graduates, it's a tough time to start a career. Surveys report that hiring is at about the same level as last year, but some employers plan on hiring more employees than in the past. Jill Pletcher, director of career services at Wichita State University, says that with few exceptions, finding a job is hard work.

Voice wrap

Announcer: It's a tough time to be starting a career. For college graduates, recent years have been extremely rough. And the outlook for 2010, while better, is still not very promising. Jill Pletcher, director of career services at Wichita State University, says the national economy seems to be picking up some, but it's a very difficult job market in Kansas.

Pletcher: "This is very much an employer's market, so they have the choice of who they want to hire. They have a lot of candidates. They can be very, very particular. They don't have to do hiring, but they certainly have many more options than candidates do."

Announcer: Pletcher says if college graduates can't land the ideal job, then the next best thing is to try to find a job that at least helps you build certain skills that will be valuable in positions that are closer to what you want. Volunteerism is another option, because you never know what skills you might build and people you might meet that give you additional options. This is Joe Kleinsasser at Wichita State University.

Sound bite #1

Pletcher looks at the overall job outlook. The sound bite is 8 seconds and the outcue is "little bit behind." 

Pletcher: "The national outlook seems to be picking up, at least somewhat for graduates this year. It's more the local or the state economy that is lagging a little bit behind."

Sound bite #2

Pletcher gives reasons some college students might stay in school longer. The sound bite is 20 seconds and the outcue is "further education."   

Pletcher: "We do have a number of people who will be graduating that will be looking at graduate school as an option rather than jobs, partly because they can't find any or can't find ones that are appropriate for them, so they'll seek graduate options. For some students that's very appropriate, but students need to be aware that it's not an automatic ticket to a job just because they have further education."

Sound bite #3

Pletcher says in most cases, finding a job is hard work. The sound bite is 16 seconds and the outcue is "find jobs."    

Pletcher: "Although there are a few exceptions, for the most part when students or new graduates are looking for jobs it is just plain hard work. It takes a tremendous amount of time, not just being online but doing some networking, some connections, is really the way that people find jobs."

Sound bite #4

Pletcher says the job market for college graduates in Kansas is bleak right now. The sound bite is 13 seconds and the outcue is "for those positions."

Pletcher: "Between last year and this year, especially in Kansas, we really just don't see a whole lot of options. It's a very difficult market. There are some openings that happen occasionally — lots and lots of applicants for those positions."

Sound bite #5

Pletcher explains what graduates should do if they can't find their ideal job. The sound bite is 22 seconds and the outcue is "additional options."

Pletcher: "If you can't get the ideal job, the job that you'd really like to have, then to come as close as possible is the next best thing. So looking for positions that would at least help you build certain skills that will be valuable in positions that are closer to what you want. Volunteerism is also a possibility, because you never know, both what skills you might build as well as the people that you might meet that have additional options."

Sound bite #6

Pletcher says most career fields are tight right now. The sound bite is 12 seconds and the outcue is "very, very tight."

Pletcher: "There really are not a lot of fields, in fact I can't think of any fields that are hiring a lot of students. Ones that had been in demand — from nursing and health professions-related, engineering, education — even those areas are very, very tight."