December graduates: now what?

It's almost that time of the year again: the time for caps and gowns, for shaking the president's hand and for pictures with a diploma. No, it's not May; it's December. 

Viterbo University's commencement for fall 2009 is Saturday, Dec.19 at the Fine Arts Center and 111 of Viterbo's students will receive recognition for completing the requirements of their various majors that day, approximately one-third of those who do in May. But why graduate in December?

Viterbo University's Academic Vice President, Barbara Gayle, told Lumen that the ceremony is "a really intimate ceremony." It's substantially smaller than the May graduation ceremony held at the La Crosse Center. The Fine Arts Center seats approximately 1,100 people while the La Crosse Center seats eight times that number. Even though the seating is free, there are still low enough numbers in graduates and spectators coming to see them walk to hold the ceremony in the main theater, Gayle said.

Graduating in December is nice because it's small; it is also an awkward time to graduate for job searching and graduate school planning, said Shakeera Arnold, a senior biopsychology major from Belize City, Belize.  

"I plan to find a job in my field of psychology at the bachelor's level and then apply for grad school," Arnold said. "If I don't get a position in the United States, I'll probably go back to Belize and search for one there."

Arnold also says that she has no definite plans right after graduation, but in fall 2010, she will attend graduate school in clinical neuropsychology.

So what are the options for other December graduates? Gayle said that there is actually quite a few "but you have to start small," she said.

"Until you get through the holidays, employers usually aren't looking at hiring for positions until the first week of January. December graduates have to be realistic," Gayle said.

Holidays have a big effect on the job application processes for December grads because when they are ready to start work, everyone is taking time off and companies aren't thinking about hiring during those times, Gayle said. But when the new year comes around, positions will open up because this is when employers start thinking about hiring.

"This means that the December graduate needs to start early," Gayle said. "The application process for a career isn't like one for a part-time job. It's a long process and time-consuming." 

Gayle suggests students have a perfect resume. This can be done by having the Career Services help students writing and reviewing their resumes so that it is up to employer standards.   

"That is what people will judge you on," Gayle said. "It's your calling card. We were looking at 70 applicants for an administrative assistant position we are hiring for."