June 10, 2008

"You have more people than you have jobs, in a matter of speaking," said Nadine Armstrong of the Charlottesville Workforce Center.

That's the case for the job market in our area, according to the Charlottesville Workforce Center. Included in those looking for jobs right now are employees who have been laid off, even those with college degrees.

"You do have that marketable challenge there between the jobs with the more skilled marketable people as well as the college grads who are fresh out of college," said Armstrong.

Causing new college graduates to compete with older college grads who have been laid off and have experience and the center says it's only getting worse.

"And with the economy today as you well know, it's not getting any better, i doubt if it's going to get any better any time soon," said Armstrong.

But it's a problem that UVa business grads have been fortunate enough to avoid this year, but even so officials at UVa say they're working to make sure the hiring trend continues.

"With the economy the way it is, it just means you have to work harder, you have to network more," said Everette Fortner director of the Darden Career Development Center.

Which is why the Darden Career Development Center is outreaching to businesses more so now than ever. Moving a career discovery program usually scheduled for the fall earlier to the week before school starts. Pushing the importance of networking.

"Networking is such a critical component of any career search and truthfully any career building. so you create this network now of alumni that you use for the job search now but that you'll use in your job the rest of your life," said Fortner.