Despite the current status of the economy, ISU officials said seniors still have a good chance of finding a job after graduation.

J. Peter Mattila, professor of economics, said, “students should be aware of the current situation and follow economic developments.”

Mattila said students should not be overly concerned, but they must remain flexible.

Steven Kravinsky, director of career services for liberal arts and sciences, said post-graduation employment is based on factors other than the economy.

“It depends on the motivation of the student,” he said. “If you have drive, initiative and a good internship, you are going to get a job.”

Kravinsky said salaries shouldn’t be down, although statistics show a slight down-turn in employment rates.

“Certain majors can see a 3- to 5-percent decrease,” he said.

Mattila said the potential recession on the horizon has been caused by a wide variety of factors, including the declined stock market and the international trade situation.

“Seniors and juniors may want to widen their job search, be more flexible about jobs and locations, go onto graduate or professional school or get another major,” Mattila said.

He said students also can diversify by offering more than one type of skill in the labor market.

“Nationally speaking, overall recruiting for LAS is down 19.7 percent, which means that fewer employers are going to be hiring college graduates,” Mattila said.

Despite the lower numbers, Kravinsky said, potential employers are still looking to Iowa State.

“We do have 192 companies coming to Business/LAS Career Day to recruit graduating seniors of December and May, and a good third are staying for interview day,” he said.

Del Denekas, workforce adviser at Iowa Workforce Development in Ames, said current unemployment rates will probably increase through the end of this month.

Denekas said the national unemployment rate is 4.7 percent, and Iowa’s unemployment rate is 3 percent.

“The majority of the cuts are being made at the blue-collar level, but it is still going to be a little tight for graduates,” he said.

Iowa’s economy traditionally is more stable than that of the East and West Coasts, Denekas said.

Kravinsky said the current state of the economy will require more effort from graduating seniors.

He said the seven career services on campus offer a variety of services to help students.

“For a $20 fee, students in business and LAS are able to register for a year’s worth of services,” Kravinsky said.

The services include access to a Web site on which students can submit their r‚sum‚s, sign up for interviews, review immediate job openings and find out if they have been offered a job. The site also keeps a history of what each person has done while online.

Beverly Madden, director of ISU career planning and placement services, said students should be alerted to the job search process because of the economy.

“Career services is here, and students need to utilize it,” she said.

Students shouldn’t look at May as far away, Kravinsky said.

“Seniors should get an early start by registering in September and work consistently throughout the school year,” he said.

Kravinsky said students should think of their senior year as “a 400-level class that lasts all year.”