As more than 12 million Americans remain unemployed, a national survey finds recent college graduates – the one group which stands to potentially best compete in a highly-competitive, tech-savvy job market – are among the least prepared to find work.  The survey, Effectively Counseling Graduating Students, was conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) on behalf of the Career Advisory Board, established by DeVry University. Among its findings, more than half (56 percent) of today's university and college career center directors cite students' lack of interest in formal career preparation and professional development as barriers to successfully finding a job.

According to the Associated Press, approximately 1.5 million, or 53.6 percent of bachelor's degree-holders under the age of 25 are jobless or underemployed in the United States[2]. The NACE/Career Advisory Board survey found the biggest obstacle for students in finding a job after graduation is their unrealistic expectations of the amount of effort and motivation it takes to get a job. Specifically, students need to be prepared to convey to employers that while they have the academic knowledge and degree, they also have started developing skills in teamwork, time management and communication.

"Students are missing an opportunity to benefit from the full range of services career centers provide while they are still in school. College and university career centers offer tools and coaching to empower students to succeed in their job search. They are more than just job placement centers," said Alexandra Levit, business and workplace consultant and Career Advisory Board member. "In today's competitive employment landscape, the interview coaching, job search guidance and even simple 'resume review' that campus career centers provide can make the difference in getting their first job." 

The survey found that students have a poor understanding of how to properly conduct a successful job search and also lack some of the tools and skills necessary to locate and acquire a job. These factors contribute to students not utilizing their school's career center or skipping this resource altogether. Career center directors can help guide students in going beyond standard searches and online resume submissions to more active job search tactics, such as informational interviews, networking events and resume reviews.

Other key findings include:

• More than 47 percent of career center directors view lack of motivation as a major barrier for recent graduates; with 35 percent ranking it as number one
• Fifty-six percent of career center directors felt students did not have resumes ready to show employers