You have heard it before. “No one is hiring.” “The job market is bad.” “Unemployment rates are soaring.”

For those of us in Career Services who work with students preparing to graduate in the next year, we are concerned about this perception of a poor job market. Let’s clear the air and get a realistic picture of what the job market looks like for those of you who are engaged in job and internship seeking.

It may be true that soon-to-be graduates face a more difficult market. But, if you are wondering to yourself “Is there still a market for me as a college graduate?” — the answer is yes. The previous five years may have, in fact, been a “seller’s market” for graduating college seniors. Information released Jan. 8 from the Department of Labor shows the unemployment rate at 10.5 percent for high school graduates without any college education. For college graduates, that number drops to 5 percent. Therefore, 95 percent of all college graduates have jobs.

According to a poll released on Jan. 6 from the National Association of Colleges and Employers, “the index for college hiring stands at 98.2 — up from 87.2 in the November poll.” According to the NACE executive director Marilyn Mackes, “There are signs that college hiring has turned the corner and has stopped receding, as we’ve seen improvement in the hiring index for the third consecutive month.” Jobs for college graduates are still in demand. Let me also respond to those of you who are aware of jobs in various sectors being eliminated. Many of those job losses are mid- to upper-level management positions — not the entry-level type of positions graduates are seeking. We recently met with a Fortune 100 firm that told us, “You are going to see some additional layoffs from us, but that does not affect college recruiting.”

My first bit of advice to those currently job seeking is to change your outlook. Be active and engaged in campus recruiting activities. When a student tells me they have looked high and low and exhausted all of their resources, it’s usually not the case. Looking on one job board or applying to 10 positions doesn’t cut it. A comprehensive job search includes a variety of job-seeking methods like networking, connecting alumni, professional organizations and informational interviews.

Don’t get left behind. Pay close attention to what is happening on campus this spring and get involved in the career-related events, such as career fairs, mock interviews, opportunities, career presentations and more. There are several career fairs in the very near future for the Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Business, Design, Engineering and Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Not sure where to start? If you are brand new to job seeking, you are not expected to know it all. Make an appointment with your college’s specific career services office and get on the road to a successful and productive job search.

A list of each career services office can be found at www.career.iastate.edu.

Tammy Stegman is a career coordinator in the College of Business, Raisbeck Career Services Center.