Summer's Sorrows

While the condition of the economy has made it more difficult to find jobs in some areas, it has not made it impossible, says Dwayne Keiffer, Assistant Director in the Career Center. "You can't believe everything you read in the newspaper." Keiffer says that Pennsylvania is not nearly as bad as other areas such as California and Michigan.

Professor of Business and Administration, Terry Earhart, explains that the main problem with the economy started in the home market, which affected the banks, which in turn are unable to give loans to businesses. He says that while the government has been giving money to large businesses to improve the situation, the businesses are not using the money the way Earhart feels they should.

Earhart explains that because of this, companies are laying off employees and hiring less. He admits that no one really knows how bad the problem is, but adds that the U.S. is already making improvements and recovering.

The condition of the economy does not appear to have affected the fund raising efforts of Messiah College Missions Teams. Chris Irvin, Mission Teams coordinator, is in charge of planning the logistics and fund raising for Messiah College's summer mission trips. This year there will be trips to Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and Zambia, with about 25 participants total.

Irvin explained that while they were unsure what the affect of the economy would have on fund raising, they anticipated a decrease in financial support. However, Irving reports that the fund raising has been "just as good, if not better than past years."

The most successful method of fund raising has been through individual support letters, according to Irving. He speculates that the reason people are still giving money may be due in part to the fact that people who give to missions will do so regardless of the economy.

He reports that perhaps the only notable change seen this year is a slight decrease in the number of applicants who applied to go on summer missions trips last fall. However, the sizes of the teams are just as big.

There are at least 500 new jobs posted on Messiah's "eRecruiting" website. This website focuses on full time jobs located all over the country. Keiffer says eRecruiting is a great source Messiah College students and alumni can use to job search.

This website focuses on full time jobs located all over the country. The Career Center also has a website called "Going Global" for international students who may have a harder time finding a job because of their visa.

According to Keiffer, opportunities for employment in certain types of jobs are decreasing, while others are increasing. One example he gave is the fact that accounting has not been doing as well (one firm even laid off employees during tax season), while job opportunities in the federal government have increased.

Some students say that they are unable to find major-related jobs for this summer. Sophomore Grace Kaste reports that she has been trying to find a job at hospitals, nursing homes, and physical therapy clinics since Thanksgiving but hasn't found anything yet. When she tried applying over Thanksgiving break, companies told her that they were already full for the summer. Over Christmas break, companies admitted that they wanted to offer a position to her for the summer but could not afford to.

Many students who have successful landed summer jobs have often had related internships or possessed a unique skill. Junior Abby Bergakker, a sports management major, did not struggle to find a job for this summer because of the connections she made with someone she interned with last fall.

Bergakker says that she found her internship at the Friendship Center with the help of her academic advisor. Her job this summer is only part-time, so she is looking on Craig's List - a community based network with postings for jobs, internships, and more - to find another part time job.

"Having internships is definitely an advantage when it comes to getting jobs in the summer and after you graduate because it gives employers an opportunity to see how you work," said Bergakker.

Earhart says that many companies are not willing to hire new employees, as they would often rather give internships with little or no payment in the interest of saving on costs and benefits, and as a way to recruit possible future employees.

While internships are a great way to get jobs, they are not the only way to get a job. Keiffer notes several other simple ways to more successfully search for jobs; networking was number one. He also suggested utilizing available services, such as those provided by the Career Center, which he said has many connections.

Another good tip is to use the Chamber of Commerce, a network of businesses in local areas, to look up people and certain companies in areas where you want to live after graduation. Keiffer suggested looking up churches for the same purpose as a way to start building your own personal network of contacts for future job opportunities.

Sophomore Sarah Busenitz got a job working for a camp this summer.

"They really wanted my skill.horse back riding. I had taught before and none of the other applicants had actually taught," said Busenitz. She reported that she couldn't find a job last year with that skill.

Finding a job has been more difficult for her sister, Rachel, a senior politics major. Sara explains that her sister has been looking for a job in Washington, D.C. but it has been hard for her to "get a foot in the door." While she had a couple opportunities, she had to pass them up because the required her to start before she graduated.

Another problem she faces is that many positions require one or two years of experience in a specific field while Rachel has only had internships with other concentrations.