As seniors welcome their last days on campus, many are looking forward to pursuing a variety of post-graduation plans. Students interviewed by The Dartmouth acknowledged the challenges of finding a job in today's economy but expressed a general sense of optimism about their futures.
Students said they had an easier time finding jobs at institutions where they had worked previously as interns.
"I think the job market is very competitive," Joyce Njoroge '11, who is deciding whether to accept a job offer at Montefiore Medical Center in New York, said. "A lot of my friends who have jobs now had previously worked for the company before, so they were in a good position."
Njoroge, who plans to apply to medical school next year, said that the job search might be challenging for seniors who are still exploring various career fields.
"If you want to try something new, the job market is very difficult right now," she said.
Linda Li '11, who will work at a health care consulting firm in Boston, said she expects significant career movement in the next few years.
"The first job is generally not the job that you'll stick with," she said. "In the next five years there's going to be a lot of moving and changing fields just so we can get into a better place."
Other students interviewed by the Dartmouth planned to opt for the internship route or go to graduate school due to the harsh economic climate and the ensuing difficulty at finding a well-paying job.
Despite the competition for jobs, students are pursuing careers in which their interests lie, according to Laura Michet '11, who will be doing freelance writing in video games journalism while looking for a job.
"People are doing what they're interested in," Michet said. "But sometimes they're interested in industries that are not doing so well and not hiring at the moment."
Students generally seem satisfied with their post-graduation plans, Njoroge said.
"It does seem like most people are happy with whatever they'll get, but you can't safely say," she said. "Coming from a school like Dartmouth, you think things should work out easier, and it's a disappointment when that's not happening, and you wonder what's going to happen."
Abigail McCann '11, who plans to teach in a southern Louisiana elementary school with Teach for America, said that the College's liberal arts curriculum gave her freedom to pursue what she enjoyed.
"It's comforting that, with a Dartmouth degree, you can do lots of things, and it's a testament to a liberal arts education," McCann said. "I'm very thankful that even though I didn't study education here I'm still able to pursue that dream."
However, the freedom at Dartmouth to choose between a range of activities becomes limited after leaving campus, according to Sam Tanyos '11, who will attend the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in the fall.
"At Dartmouth, we've been able to do a variety of things, with classes and extracurriculars, and so when you have to pick just one career, there's definitely a lot of second-guessing and questioning," he said. "But most people I think are pretty excited about it."
Tina Alexander '11, who will conduct research during the summer and fall and return to campus next year to fulfill graduation requirements, said that there is still a sense of uncertainty among seniors.
"I think the [job] market is better than last year, but it's still kind of obvious that it hasn't completely bounced back," she said. "There's definitely some uncertainty but at the same time, people aren't sure about what the future holds, so they're nervous and excited about it."
Tanyos also said that he was nervous about having to changing locations and enter a completely unfamiliar community.
"There are questions about how easy it will be to form a similar community [to Dartmouth] in a different city, a different atmosphere," Tanyos said. " I wonder whether I'll form the close relationships and become as connected to my new city as I am to Hanover and the people here," Tanyos said.
Li said that despite her positive memories of her years at the College, it was time for a new chapter in the graduating seniors' lives.
"We're going to miss this place, but we're ready to graduate and for the next step in our lives," she said.
