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 Pletcher after listening to the WSU Newsline, please call her at (316) 978-6830 or jill.pletcher@wichita.edu.

Background:
The job market continues to be less than ideal for college grads entering the workforce, but the news appears to be gradually improving. Jill Pletcher, director of career services at Wichita State, is cautiously optimistic about the overall outlook.

Voice wrap:
Announcer: For students who have been in school since kindergarten, college graduates are ready for the next chapter of their lives. The question is whether the job market has an opening for them, as Jill Pletcher, director of career services at Wichita State University, explains.

Pletcher: “I would consider the overall outlook for college grads to be what we would call cautiously optimistic. The idea that there are still some very difficult challenges for students finding jobs, but there are also small pockets of where we see glimmers of hope that things are improving.”

Announcer: Of course, some grads will find the job market more welcoming than others. Pletcher says those grads with a degree in engineering or health professions are likely to find the best opportunities. This is Joe Kleinsasser at Wichita State University.

Sound bite #1
Pletcher explains why she is cautiously optimistic about the job market. The sound bite is 15 seconds and the outcue is “post positions again.”

Pletcher: “What we see are small pockets of potential changes, including employers who have not ever come to us that now have openings or wanting to find candidates. Or people who have not hired for awhile are beginning to post positions again.”

Sound bite #2
Pletcher talks about the careers that provide the best opportunities for college grads this year. The sound bite is 16 seconds and the outcue is “has done proactively.”

Pletcher: “The job opportunities are especially strong for people who are in some particular fields – engineering kinds of things, some health professions where the jobs really have not changed a tremendous amount. So it depends on what the field of study is and also what the student has done proactively.

Sound bite #3
Pletcher describes proactive students looking for work. The sound bite is 16 seconds and the outcue is “in their job search.”

Pletcher: “The proactive students are the ones that not only come in to get their resume reviewed to make sure they’re doing all along those things — that they don’t rely only on online resources in terms of finding jobs. They’re making connections. They’re taking the time to talk with people to establish potential contacts that may be helpful in their job search.

Sound bite #4
Pletcher says students need to remember that employers also use social media. The sound bite is 14 seconds and the outcue is “that information.”

Pletcher: “There are employers that will take a look at social media kinds of things. Even something like Facebook, where students still have to be very careful about what types of information they post about themselves that will tell, even if it’s unrelated to work, that doesn’t mean employers aren’t looking at that information.”

Sound bite #5
Pletcher strongly recommends that job seekers create a profile on LinkedIn. The sound bite is 23 seconds and the outcue is “information for you.”

Pletcher: “For social media for job seekers, we strongly recommend having a profile created on LinkedIn. That is still a networking type of an opportunity, but it’s something that’s more related to professional types of positions than Facebook, where it’s more of a friend’s kind of a thing. And it’s very possible to make some great connections by using LinkedIn, not only to post something, but to be able to seek for people who are in your field that might provide information for you.”