Each December, many UA students complete their degrees and graduate a semester earlier than the traditional four-year plan. However, according to UA officials, finishing a semester early does not necessarily benefit a graduate’s job search.
Travis Railsback, executive director of the UA Career Center, said most companies recruit year-round.
“We see strong recruiting both during the fall semester for the December grads and during the spring for the May grads,” he said.
During the period of time when December graduates would likely be looking for employment, between Aug. 1, 2012 and Dec. 31, 2012, 1,300 jobs were posted on Crimson Careers, the University’s online recruiting system. As of Feb. 7 of this year, 547 jobs had been posted.
Railsback also said there is no advantage to graduating early or disadvantage to graduating late from an employer’s perspective.
“No, I really don’t think there is. What an employer is going to look at is the student’s body of work in its entirety,” Railsback said. “Certainly you’re not marked in a negative way for going a little extra. It’s not uncommon.”
Brett Horsley, a December 2012 graduate, said the smaller graduation class doesn’t necessarily equate to higher job availability.
“It’s a myth that the smaller graduating class gives you an advantage,” Horsley said. “Companies know the graduating classes will be smaller and do not make available as many entry-level positions.”
However, Horsley said he sees some benefit in graduating in December.
“A very important advantage of graduating in December is having the extra free time during the would-be spring semester to interview with numerous companies and critically weigh your options with less pressure,” Horsley said.
Adam Mills, who also graduated in December, is currently completing an internship with Southwest Airlines and said early graduation provides a great opportunity for students to complete internships. Mills said he had an easier time finding an internship for the spring semester than for a summer internship.
“When you graduate in December, I feel like you’re cutting through a lot of people, because there are fewer people graduating at that time,” Mills said. “I feel like I had a better shot at this internship this time than during the summer. The majority of people I work with have graduated.”
Railsback said this is fairly uncommon at the University, but it follows national trends.
“Nationally, when the economy took a dip, there were actually companies that were hiring students, post graduation, into internship roles,” Railsback said. “Here at The University of Alabama, we haven’t seen a lot of that. It’s much easier to get an internship while you still have student status.”
Some December grads, like Amanda Hayes, who graduated with a major in communicative disorders, use the following spring semester to decompress from their time in school.
“Since most graduate programs for what career I am seeking only take new students in the fall and summer, I am working full-time at a daycare and enjoying my time off from school during this spring semester in hopes to be accepted in the summer,” Hayes said.
Leading in today’s Crimson White:
Internet age makes online internships more popular
