MAY 14, 2010 – It wasn’t too many years back that a newly-minted college graduate could count on a job for life -– or at least a long time.

My, how times have changed. With global competition, off-shoring of American jobs and massive improvements in technology, finding good professional jobs became increasingly harder for graduates in the 2000s. Then the Great Recession hit with a 12 percent gong of unemployment in South Carolina.

So the tens of thousands of new graduates in South Carolina face a job market much more daunting than that of their parents. If they don’t delay entry into the market by going to graduate school, they’re now out there selling their talents in a whole bunch of ways.

With this as a backdrop, we wondered what college presidents were telling apprehensive new graduates about the world of work. Interestingly, their advice had similarities that should be helpful to everyone looking for work — new grads and the unemployed.

University of South Carolina President Harris Pastides said he was reminding students that they would have many jobs over their careers and that their first job might not be the one they initially wanted.

“I would urge them to take something that may come their way, even if it is not where they hoped to be, and make the most of that opportunity,” he told Statehouse Report. “I would encourage them to be a leader where they can, come up with good ideas that may improve effectiveness or efficiency and good things are likely to happen.

“For those who don’t have an immediate opportunity – - read a national newspaper to stay current with world events, network with alumni, get out of the house as much as possible and stay active.  If they have more idle time than they hoped for, it’s a great time to give extra service to a child, a community or to an organization that would benefit from their involvement.”

SC State University President George E. Cooper encouraged students in the Class of 2010 to keep their faith and remain motivated.

“As you go out into the world, for some of you jobs may be uncertain and acceptance to graduate school may be unconfirmed, but your belief that it will happen is all you need to get you through the wait,” Cooper told graduating seniors a few days before last weekend’s commencement.

“When life seems to get you down, and you experience downfalls and disappointments, have faith that things will get better and there will be something better in store for your life.”

He added that while having a degree was a big milestone, graduates needed to remain lifelong students and keep working to reach goals: “You must stay motivated to continue to build upon the foundation set here at SC State University.”

College of Charleston President George Benson implored graduates to be innovators and follow some of the lessons offered by Boeing, whose state executive gave graduation remarks.

First, Benson said, students shouldn’t automatically avoid the riskier choice because it could lead to success. Other advice:

• Innovate. “Don’t assume the crowd is correct. Innovative companies and innovative people blaze their own trails.”

• Prepare. “ Always do your homework. Don’t jump blindly into your future. Weigh potential risks against potential rewards. Or, simply, find a piece of scratch paper, draw a line down the middle, and list the pros on one side and cons on the other.

• Think. “Strive to be a visionary. Think on a global, transformational scale.”

• Learn. “Learn from your mistakes. Failure is a much better teacher than success.”

Flora Riley, executive director of the Michelin Career Center at Clemson University, urged new graduates to prepare for the job search by thinking through what they wanted. They should have a professional resume and be comfortable in interviews, which often means practice.

Like Pastides, she said a first job might be in a related field than the one a graduate wanted, which suggests that searches be broad and, perhaps, in different locations that originally envisioned.

“You’ve just got to be creative,” she said.

Andy Brack is publisher of Statehouse Report, where this commentary first appeared.  He can be reached at:  brack@statehousereport.com.