Lehigh University Career Services Battles Unemployment Rates

While the national economy and unemployment rate are still struggling, the Lehigh Valley has seen some improvement in recent months. Despite having its lowest unemployment rate of 8.1 percent in the past three years, many residents remain searching for jobs and resources to help them find employment.

Lehigh University’s Career Services provides many resources to provide aid to its students and alumni who have been negatively affected by the struggling economy. Although the services are only available to members of the Lehigh community, they do in fact help the local economy by placing qualified workers in job within the area. According to the office's Undergraduate Placement Summary, 24 percent of job placement by the Career Services happens in Pennsylvania. So, its effects are potentially helping the Lehigh Valley’s economy in a more indirect manner.

Donna Goldfeder, director of Career Services, said the resources she and other representatives provide have had an impact on helping recent graduates gain employment for after graduation. Even in the worse economic times, Goldfeder said the students were still finding jobs.

“In the first years, 2008, 2009, somewhat even 2010, I think what we were really seeing is the students were still getting the jobs almost that same percentages as always, but they didn’t have so many choices,” she said.

Goldfeder described that in 2006, a student could have received five or six job offers, but by 2008, students were glad to have a single employment option lined up. The first class to start having more options following graduation was the class of 2011, and future classes will start to see more as well.

The fact that graduates are seeking out entry-level jobs has also alleviated some of the job search woes of the ongoing economic downturn, Goldfeder said. Those positions become available much sooner than more advanced levels, which helps recent graduates who aren’t seeking higher positions within a company like their older, more experienced competition.

Among the center’s various resume, mock interview and job seeking services, one program stands out as having helped the largest percentage of students. LUCIE, an online database where Lehigh students can login to see current career listings, is how 59 percent of graduates found their jobs. Goldfeder also noted that most of the 13 percent of students who earned employment following an internship or co-op probably found those opportunities through LUCIE. The database post hundreds of available employment positions each month, and it is Career Services’ leading tool to helping students have success in their job search.

The statistics show popularity for LUCIE and other online resources, which is mirrored by the students’ feelings about them.

Kathleen Ryan, a junior finance and economics major, has found both LUCIE and the Career Services office helpful in searching for possible job opportunities.

 “I find that the online services [and] LUCIE are really helpful because it’s easy to navigate, and you can upload your resume and cover letters right on the website,” she said.

Ben Hulac, a junior political science and journalism major, said he sees advantages to having a resource like LUCIE.

“It’s pretty helpful to see what’s out there,” he said. “[…] but it’s frustrating that opportunities aren’t close to campus.”

Hulac described that many of the internship and employment opportunities that are listed online are for jobs in locations like major cities. New York City and Washington, D.C., stand out as having the most job opportunities for jobs he's looking for.

Goldfeder agreed that many job prospects are looking to place employees in the major cities, but she has seen many graduates move back to the Lehigh Valley, or neighboring areas, after having been employed for a while in a different location. 

Also, the campus climate seems to relate that certain sectors, such as business and engineering, seem to offer more job possibilities on LUCIE.

“It’s just hard to deny that business and engineering majors and students have some sort of leg up [on the competition],” Hulac said.

In reference to the two percent of graduates who have to continue their job search following graduation, Goldfeder said Career Services continues to offer support to help those people get placed in appropriate companies.

“There are just certain majors that the types of employers don’t know as much in advance how many people they’re going to have to hire. A lawyer’s office, a hospital, a museum will hire just in time. And students who want to work for those types of employers might find themselves still seeking after graduation,” she said. “And we’ve always the LUCIE account to those students.”

While Goldfeder advocates the use of the resources Career Services has to offer, she has one other piece of advice for students and alumni: “You’re going to hear everywhere that the key to doing a successful job search at any level is networking. Lehigh alums are just amazing, and any and every student, and alum, should take advantage of that network and use it to get advice and leads.”

Story by Melissa Collins, '13