Senior job seekers take a look abroad
Tough economy forces students to find alternative solutions overseas
David Steffen
Issue date: 2/19/09 Section: News
The economic recession has shattered job prospects for many 2009 graduates, but some have turned to their passports as an escape from the dismal job market.
Senior Thomas Leonard will enter the Peace Corps in Eastern Europe in June. He said his 27-month assignment may help him wait out the recession, although it did not affect his decision to go abroad.
"I won't have a life committed to this job, so when I return, I can start from the beginning and start anew," he said.
The job scarcity stateside has been daunting, so some Hillsdale College seniors have turned to securing overseas positions. Although the recession is often more pronounced in other countries, seniors seek in-demand jobs teaching English abroad.
Leonard is a French major who will teach English during his stint with the Peace Corps.
Senior Jillian Nightingale, also a French major, plans to work for the French government's American Assistants in France program, where she will teach English in an elementary school. Although she would have chosen the job regardless, it will give her some extra time to evaluate her future.
"It's made the program all the more desirable because I wasn't sure what I wanted to do immediately after," Nightingale said.
Senior Laurel Santo will leave for Germany with her fiancé after their marriage in September. As an engineer, his French-based company will transfer him from the Michigan office to one in Germany.
"He's a mechanical engineer, so obviously the job market in Michigan isn't that great," Santo said.
In some ways, she said, Germany would offer a better employment safety net than the U.S., if he were to lose his job.
Santo said her soon-to-be husband would be eligible for six months of German unemployment. Santo, a history major, said she hopes to look for an English-teaching position in Germany or nearby France, which will be within commuting distance.
"That's the challenge - I haven't taken German," she said. "There's a possibility of looking for a job in France because I studied French for several years."
Senior Thomas Leonard will enter the Peace Corps in Eastern Europe in June. He said his 27-month assignment may help him wait out the recession, although it did not affect his decision to go abroad.
"I won't have a life committed to this job, so when I return, I can start from the beginning and start anew," he said.
The job scarcity stateside has been daunting, so some Hillsdale College seniors have turned to securing overseas positions. Although the recession is often more pronounced in other countries, seniors seek in-demand jobs teaching English abroad.
Leonard is a French major who will teach English during his stint with the Peace Corps.
Senior Jillian Nightingale, also a French major, plans to work for the French government's American Assistants in France program, where she will teach English in an elementary school. Although she would have chosen the job regardless, it will give her some extra time to evaluate her future.
"It's made the program all the more desirable because I wasn't sure what I wanted to do immediately after," Nightingale said.
Senior Laurel Santo will leave for Germany with her fiancé after their marriage in September. As an engineer, his French-based company will transfer him from the Michigan office to one in Germany.
"He's a mechanical engineer, so obviously the job market in Michigan isn't that great," Santo said.
In some ways, she said, Germany would offer a better employment safety net than the U.S., if he were to lose his job.
Santo said her soon-to-be husband would be eligible for six months of German unemployment. Santo, a history major, said she hopes to look for an English-teaching position in Germany or nearby France, which will be within commuting distance.
"That's the challenge - I haven't taken German," she said. "There's a possibility of looking for a job in France because I studied French for several years."
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