Amaro's Army Investigates the College Job Market

ST. AUGUSTINE, FL -- This month Flagler College graduated several hundred students, and many of them walked across the stage and stepped into a world of uncertainty.

"I'm going to graduate school because of the job market," says Mallory Freeman.

When Amaro's Army, which is made up of Flagler College students, began investigating the job market, they were surprised.

After talking to students like Mallory Freeman and local business leaders, Amaro's Army determined that the job market for college graduates is tough.

"The unemployment rate among college grads is 4.1%, and that's the highest it has been since 1992," says Kameron Lapp.

Lapp and his peers were surprised.

"It is scary, it is scary," says Jessica Welch.

AMARO'S ARMY FINDS WHAT'S WORKING IN ST. AUGUSTINE

But they also found that even in what seems like a dark cloud, there is a ray of hope.

Welch, who is still in college, says there are things a graduate can do to improve the odds.

"Get an internship, learn about the company. You have to work to get the job and you have to work to keep the job," says Welch.

MORE JOB SEARCHING TIPS FROM AMARO'S ARMY

Jenielle Billy says, "Get a positive attitude, be prepared to work as hard as you can."

Kameron Lapp adds, "You want to look early, you want to look now."

The website CareerBuilder.com, which is partly owned by Gannett Corporation, offers these tips:

-Try part time or freelance work

-Improve your social networking skills

-Polish your strengths and market them

-Be realistic. It takes at least three months to find a job that pays $40,000. Add one month for every $10,000 more you want in salary.

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