Connecting College Graduates to County Workforces

By Katie Elefteriadis, NYSAC Intern

As a senior in college, I am actively on the lookout for job opportunities and internships that might give me more experience for my post-graduation future. Today’s generation lives on their phones. Everything we need is in one small device that we carry with us 24/7. Instead of turning to a newspaper, we have the pleasure of looking at jobs online and applying whenever, wherever.

Platforms like LinkedIn, Handshake, and Indeed are common job-hunting websites that college students and graduates use to find jobs and internships they’re interested in.

Unfortunately, these technological advances have not necessarily translated to a steady stream of college-to-county workers.

To learn more about how my peers are approaching their respective job searches, I spoke with a few seniors who will be graduating from the University at Albany this spring.

What I concluded from our conversations is that seniors aren’t looking at jobs in county offices because they are unaware of the great need for county government workers. If you don’t know a certain job exists, how are you going to apply for it?

When someone says ‘county job’, I think of it as the whole county rather than the different departments that make up the county. When you ask someone who wants to be a lawyer they see it differently.

“I used to think of a county as containing legislators, judges, and mainly being made up of law enforcement; but my idea of them has broadened to be more than that. I now think of a county as everything I said but more, there’s also the people who draft and create bills,” said one UAlbany senior.

Another senior had a more negative outlook on county and government offices, equating it to what he perceives to be a broken and dysfunctional American government. If counties were to advocate and educate college students on who they are and what they do, I believe it would give us a better understanding of what our local county offices do and why we might want to work with them.

Many graduates either already have a job lined up or are applying to positions. Some, depending on their field of study, are going back to school. I believe parents and society have conditioned kids to think that whatever you major in in college is the area you have to apply for once graduated. Most graduates wouldn’t even think to work for the county or government if they didn’t study political science or something directly related to government. My friend, who I had interviewed as well, came into college knowing she was going to become a lawyer, wanting to make a change within the system. She has currently applied to the NYS Assembly internship program—something she found out about through our school—and is waiting to hear back.

The best way for counties to make inroads with soon-to-be graduating college students is by attending career fairs that local colleges host and interacting with the students. Not only are career fairs a great way of networking but it gives students the opportunity to ask the questions they can’t ask while looking at jobs online. Visiting and speaking to classes and clubs would also be a great way to connect with students and to inform students about opportunities in county government.

Another great way to connect with seniors is by reaching out to universities and local colleges and having advisors and teachers send out emails to students regarding opportunities for careers in county government. I frequently get emails from companies or from the university career center advisors who have been contacted by outside people looking for students to work for them either as interns, or for part-time and full-time positions.

In fact, I received an email from my school regarding an internship with NYSAC and I applied through the link provided, and here I am now!

It’s been my perception that county officials are often looking for people with significant on-the-job experience, something most seniors don’t have. To make inroads with college students, counties could consider increasing the availability of internships so that students have the opportunity to work in a government office and get the feel for it.

Most importantly, counties need to be meeting college students where they are; at their colleges and online! In doing so, counties can make needed connections to today's graduating seniors, and plant the seed with future graduates.

QR codes are a great way to connect with younger job seekers.

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