Wow, what a difference a year makes. It is one thing to read about the recession but it is another matter to witness it first hand. I am in Louisville, KY, getting ready for my son to compete in a regional gymnastics competition tomorrow. We are staying in the same hotel we stayed in last year and ate at the same Cracker Barrel that is located next door.
The first sign of a downturn is the parking lot. It was next to impossible to find a space near the hotel when we stayed here last year. This time, even though we checked in at 7 pm, we parked two spaces down from the front door. And when we went to eat at the Cracker Barrel we were immediately seated compared to the 20 minute wait we had last year.
As I look around to the parking lots of nearby hotels and restaurants I see the same thing. I see that this recession is a reality and our beloved industry is suffering along with the rest of retail.
What this means to me is that all of those students graduating from my program who were used to having 3 and 4 job offers at December and May graduation may not be so fortunate this year, which is why we should prepare our students for the limited job prospects they are about to discover. Perhaps we suggest they take more courses and postpone graduation. Perhaps we tell them to take any offer they can get, even if it is an hourly position, to at least get their foot in the door and in position for the opportunities that are sure to present themselves in six to 12 months. Perhaps you have other ideas in mind.
In any event, a discussion may well be in order to help our graduates prepare for the inevitable and show them that we do have their best interests in mind and prepared to do what we can to make a successful transition to their chosen careers. If any of you have any other ideas as to what we can do to prepare our students for limited job prospects please respond to this post and share with our community.
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