Special Section
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2010 • PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY • VOLUME 64, ISSUE 69
Look inside for the Career Fair Guide 2010 When: 11 a.m. Where: SMSU, room 355
WWW.DAILYVANGUARD.COM • FREE
INSIDE NEWS SFC leaving budget cushion Student groups should expect modest initial allocations PAGE 3
Employment looks
OPINION
All photos by Liana Shewey/Portland State Vanguard
Careers after college: Students with even just some college are more likely to be employed.
Rose festival bureaucracy New princess selection causes concern PAGE 4
For students in college, employment prospects are above average Amy Staples Vanguard staff
ARTS
More beer for the people Migration Brewing opens its doors Friday PAGE 9
A tribute to the West Portland State students’ new exhibit explores the influence of a region PAGE 9
Students staring down the barrel at graduation may have more reason to celebrate the recent unemployment numbers than they realize. The nation’s unemployment rate fell to 9.7 percent from 10 percent in January, signaling—hopefully— the beginning of an economic upturn. Multnomah County’s unemployment rate in December 2009 was 10.1 percent, slightly below the state’s average of 10.8 percent. The number of teenagers unable to find work is the most dismal.
folks with a high school diploma or equivalent, the rate is 10.1 percent. The rate decreases to 8.5 percent for people with some college or an associate’s degree and for those with bachelor’s degrees or higher the rate is 4.9 percent. Oregon has had an unemployment rate consistently above the national average since 1997. John Walker, economics professor and economics department historian, said, “In general, the economy is driven by the construction industry but we’re shifting out of that now. We haven’t found anything that grows faster than the economy.” He said Oregon has not attracted huge amounts of industry. It is costly to manufacture and ship items in Oregon because of its location. Intel is one of the few exceptions.
Career Center director retires Thompson has seen many improvements in student job search processes Tamara K. Kennedy Vanguard staff
A very classy burger joint A culinary super team provides quality without the attitude PAGE 10
According to the most recent statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment rates among teenagers ages 16 to 19 is 26.4 percent as of Feb. 5. More than one teen out of four is looking for work. However, students leaving college with at least a bachelor’s degree should have an easier time finding work. “It is a difficult market but we do know that unemployment for people holding a bachelor’s degree is about half that of the general population,” said Dee Thompson, director of the Career Center. The unemployment rate decreases dramatically with education. Nationally, the unemployment rate for people searching for work with less than a high school diploma or equivalent is 15.2 percent. For
promising
Times have changed since Dee Thompson, director of the Career Center, returned to school in 1981 to earn a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in counseling at Portland State. Thompson began working in the Career Center as a student and continued working there for 29 years, 10 years of which she spent as director. She will retire on March 19. “[Thompson’s] overseen the transition from a paper-based job application system to a state of the art internet jobs database,” said Mary Vance, Career Center counselor. When Thompson began at the center, students had to physically come into the office to access job postings, and large binders were kept on file for students to research company information. Thompson is glad that students have more opportunity to be
active participants in the career development process with the advent of the Internet. The downside can be the large volume of available information that student have to wade through to determine what is useful to them. “Using technology efficiently and effectively is important and talking with a [career] counselor is useful,” Thompson said. She considers the Career Center work a team effort and credits Louise A. Paradis, assistant director of the Career Center, as a major figure in designing the way the Web site looks today, Thompson said. According to Thompson, students’ résumés became more sophisticated after samples were posted on the Web site and students can search what can be done with their majors and even what kind of organizations hire in particular fields. Thompson feels the process of choosing a career and finding a job can be quite daunting and thinks the Career Center staff does an exceptional job of demystifying the career choice and job search processes for PSU students. During her time at PSU,
Walker believes that focusing on higher education would be integral in creating an economic turnaround in Oregon. “We’re one of the few states that spends more money on prisons than higher education,” he said. By putting more money into education the state could attract new talent and have an exportable commodity. There will be companies represented at the Career Fair for students who want to remain local after graduation. The Career Fair today, sponsored by the Career Center, is focusing on local employers, Thompson said. “[Though] unemployment is higher in Oregon, and the majority of students who graduate here don’t want to relocate,” she said.
To access job information, visit www.pdx.edu/careers. To access sustainability career information, www.pdx.edu/careers/careers-in-sustainability.
Thompson has been creative in partnering with organizations like Idealist (www.idealist.org) and in obtaining grants to increase services and resources for students during a time when the university was growing exponentially and funding was at a standstill or shrinking, Vance said. “[Thompson] was the driving force behind pursuing and receiving the Miller grant that is funding our sustainability initiatives this year. She understands how to navigate the complex PSU bureaucracy to get what she needs for students,” Vance said. The James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation grant allowed the Career Center to hire Vance to help develop a Web site for students looking for careers in sustainability, Thompson said. Several years ago, Thompson began working with Idealist, and the group now holds one of their 20 annual nonprofit career fairs at PSU in addition to activities that
RETIRE continued on page two
Michael Pascual/Portland State Vanguard
Dee Thompson: Retiring after 29 years at the
Career Center.