This week in …1975

Despite well-publicized economic conditions that are not likely to improve in the near future, Lawrence seniors do not seem willing to look at the job-hunting situation and the world of work realistically, according to Harry Kisker, Career Center director.
Poor attendance at workshops designed to acquaint seniors with resume writing, job hunting strategies and employment interviews: lack of response to the opportunity to have resumes circulated among 4,500 firms in booklet form; and general lack of interest in Career Center offerings and programs seem to indicate to Kisker that seniors “are refusing to acknowledge the job situation as it exists, and failing to realize that the situation is every bit as bad as they’ve heard it is.”
According to Kisker, “it will take longer than usual for graduates to find jobs this year. Usually, a senior should count on an average of three to four months to complete the employment procedure. So, unless the Class of ’75 is willing to start in June and look until October, they should be planning now.” But based on the amount of traffic into the career center, “most seniors are unconcerned about their job campaign.”
The number of resumes submitted for the Senior Resume Book is another good example, Kisker said. The resume book, designed to present resumes and credentials to over 4,500 employers, “is an excellent way for seniors to present their credentials to potential employers, yet only six or seven seniors have presented their resumes for inclusion as of the original due date.” Deadline has now been extended to next Saturday, “hopefully to include the resumes of other seniors, yet response has still been low.
“It seems kind of silly to send out a booklet of seven resumes,” Kisker said, “telling employers these are our graduating seniors, take your pick.”
In order to attract more seniors to the Career Center’s workshop session, Kisker has rescheduled the sessions on a rotating basis. The new schedules are now posted around campus, or can be obtained by calling the center at ext. 226. Those calls should be made before 5 p.m., however, or students will reach Dial-A-Job, a tape-recorded message giving the latest teaching vacancies.
While center traffic has been up, “I’m still not satisfied with the number of people really serious about getting started. Lately I’ve seen more underclassmen than seniors, and while we’re definitely here to serve the entire campus, the career center is really a senior service,” Kisker said.
One of the most important things for seniors to remember, Kisker added, “is that when you’re in a geographic area like Appleton, far removed from the area where you’re likely to be employed, it’s important to start early on in the employment process. Getting started is the hardest part, once you get rolling, it’s really not unpleasant.